Richie Ramsay wins South African Open

Paarl: Britain's Richie Ramsay won the South African Open after defeating Indian Shiv Kapur in a sudden-death playoff at Pearl Valley Golf Estates on Sunday.

The 2006 US Amateur champion's first European Tour win came after he and Kapur were tied at 13 under par at the end of regulation play.

The playoff on the 18th hole was a short-lived affair. Kapur pulled his tee shot left into shrubbery while Scotland's Ramsay kept his ball out of trouble just off the right edge of the fairway.

Ramsay hit his second to around 12 feet of the pin and two-putted for a birdie and the title.

The 26-year-old had started the day five off the lead at six under par but the limited progress of the leaders and his bogey-free 65 meant his early clubhouse mark of 13-under was competitive.

Emotional game

"There's no greater feeling than winning and I'm just a flood of emotions, I'm holding back the tears," Ramsay told reporters.

"Things just went for me. But I am a lot more positive now, I go out believing and thinking I can win." Kapur made a great start with the putter in regulation, after beginning the day three off the lead.

He picked up five birdies in the first nine holes before a three-putt at the 11th briefly set him back. But a birdie at the par-five 13th took him back to 13 under.

Denmark's Anders Hansen finished third for the second successive week on the European Tour, one stroke shy of Kapur and Ramsay.

Scores

275 Richie Ramsay (Britain) 67 75 68 65

275 Shiv Kapur (India) 71 68 69 67

276 Anders Hansen (Denmark) 66 69 72 69

277 Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 71 68 68 70

Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 68 69 69 71

278 Darren Fichardt (South Africa) 73 71 68 66

Pablo Martin (Spain) 65 68 72 73

279 Michiel Bothma (South Africa) 68 73 68 70

Soren Hansen (Denmark) 70 72 70 67

Michael Jonzon (Sweden) 68 75 69 67

James Kingston (South Africa) 72 66 69 72

Chris Swanepoel Jr (South Africa) 72 69 68 70