Investec South African Open Championship

Three places in the field for The 153rd Open were secured by Dylan Naidoo (above), Marco Penge and Darren Fichardt at the Investec South African Open Championship.

The final round at Durban Country Club was ultimately cancelled due to flooding, with the tournament reduced to 54 holes. 

Yet it was possible to stage a play-off on the 18th to determine the champion after Naidoo and Laurie Canter, who was already exempt for Royal Portrush, had finished round three tied at the top on 14-under.

Naidoo won the play-off at the first time of asking with a birdie three, securing victory in his home open, a maiden DP World Tour title and a first appearance in The Open.

Penge took third place on 13-under and can look forward to his third visit to golf's original Championship in four years, while Fichardt, who eagled the final hole of his third round on Saturday, earned the final qualifying spot on 12-under. The veteran South African tied for fourth with compatriots Christiaan Maas and Branden Grace, but Fichardt qualified courtesy of his superior world ranking.

Co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour, the event has a rich history as one of the oldest national opens in golf, having first been played in 1903.

Each of the four South Africans to have lifted the Claret Jug have also enjoyed success in the South African Open Championship, with Gary Player winning the latter event an extraordinary 13 times.

Bobby Locke and Ernie Els are also prolific South African Open champions with nine and five titles respectively, while Louis Oosthuizen won the event in 2018.