King Louis retains Africa Open crown

Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen reasserted his dominance over the Africa Open by holding off a strong challenge from compatriot Tjaart van der Walt to defend his title.

Oosthuizen's remarkable total of 27 under par, after a closing 67, was enough for a two-shot victory.

"I tried my best to keep him [Van der Walt] under pressure, and I did," Oosthuizen said.

"I hit good shots, and every time he had a pressure putt for pars and sometimes birdies, he did really well.

"At a stage there, if I missed one or two putts, I was behind.

"He played unbelievably, and it's nice seeing him in form again."

Van der Walt shared the overnight lead with Oosthuizen going into the final round and put in a dogged effort trying to outplay Oosthuizen in his bid for a first European Tour title, but in the end fell agonisingly short.

The turning point came on the par three 17th hole, where the pair were still tied for the lead standing on the tee.

Van der Walt dropped a shot while Oosthuizen was able to make birdie for a two-shot swing.

"It was tight. Unfortunately Tjaart made that bogey on 17 and I made my putt which made the difference," Oosthuizen said.

"All in all I'm very happy – my first tournament of the season and I can't ask for more."

Van der Walt has finished runner-up in nine previous tournaments but is yet to make it into the winner’s circle. The closest he has come to winning an event was the 2005 Buick Classic, which he lost in a playoff to Brad Faxon.

Retief Goosen, also an overnight leader with the above pair, finished alone in third, a single shot behind Van der Walt.

Richard Sterne also deserves an honourable mention for finishing sixth in his first tournament in a year. He has been out with a persistent back problem, but he looked good this week and it may not be long before we see him at the top of the podium again.