Scotland’s Scott Jamieson will not forget Durban in a hurry but not for all the right reasons now.
The 29-year-old from Glasgow just missed out on earning his second win in the South African city in six weeks when home star Louis Oosthuizen came from five shots back yesterday to lift the Volvo Golf Champions.
The 2010 Open champion recorded a joint best-of-the-day 66 at Durban Country Club to take the £282,974 first prize by one shot from Jamieson his sixth European Tour title and one that elevates him to a career-high fourth in the world.
Jamieson, looking to add the trophy to his Nelson Mandela Championship win at Royal Durban last month, almost forced a play-off, but his chip for eagle on the 273-yard last stopped two inches from the hole.
Instead, he became the first player since Hennie Otto five years ago to lose a Tour event from five clear with a round to go.
Jamieson still held that advantage after picking up shots at the third and fourth yesterday, but double-bogeyed the next after driving into the bushes and did not have another birdie until the 18th.
“Louis’s a major champion there’s no shame in losing to him. I gave it my all, but it wasn’t to be,” said the Scot.
He can content himself with the fact that he has started the season first, third and second.
Jamieson will move up to around 70th in the new rankings and if he can make it into the top 50 by the end of March there will be the reward of a US Masters debut.
The closing birdie for a 15-under-par total of 273 merely moved him out of a tie for second with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, while Ireland’s Padraig Harrington shot 68 to climb to fourth.
Selected final-round scores and totals in the European Tour Volvo Golf Champions, Durban CC (Gbr and Irl unless stated, par 72):
272 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 68 64 74 66
273 Scott Jamieson 69 64 68 72
274 Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 65 68 73 68
276 Padraig Harrington 70 71 67 68
277 Danny Willett 69 70 70 68, Julien Quesne (Fra) 72 67 67 71
278 Paul Lawrie 69 70 70 69, Branden Grace (Rsa) 75 67 69 67
279 Richie Ramsay 69 73 70 67
283 Darren Clarke 75 68 71 69
290 Colin Montgomerie 72 78 70 70,
293 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 74 72 72 75