Dean Burmester

Dean Burmester qualified for The 152nd Open at Royal Troon by winning the Joburg Open in November 2023.

An impressive six-under-par final round helped Burmester overturn Thriston Lawrence’s three-shot lead and clinch victory in the first event of this year’s Open Qualifying Series.

It was his third victory on the DP World Tour following successes in the Tshwane Open in 2017 and the Tenerife Open in 2021.

He finished T11 at The 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022, missing out on a top-10 finish by just one stroke.

Born in Zimbabwe, Burmester has played in two US Opens and three PGA Championships.

Perhaps the most special of his titles since turning professional in 2010 remains the 2015 Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare, the place where his mother held the course record.

“I have lots of memories of this place and the Zimbabweans who played here – guys like Nick Price and Mark McNulty were huge inspirations growing up,” he said after triumphing.

“This is my sixth year in a row playing this tournament and the locals come out to support me every time. To pull off a win in front of them is probably the most emotional thing I’ve done in my life.”