Dean Burmester makes it a double World Tour victory

Dean Burmester came from two shots back to win the SA Open by three on Sunday, landing his second straight DP World Tour victory.

Even more impressive is that he nearly pulled out of the tournament during Friday’s second round while struggling with a stomach bug that had him vomiting on the Blair Atholl course. 

But firing a seven-under-par on Saturday and then a 68 on Sunday saw him rise to 11 under over all for a three-shot victory over co-overnight leader Ryan van Velzen, Swede Jesper Svensson and Italian Renato Paratore. 

In the end grizzled experience won out against the exuberance of youth, where 22-year-olds Van Velzen and Jayden Schaper had started the final round sharing the lead. 

But it was a lot more difficult than it seemed with Burmester taking the tournament, which had been a ding-dong battle the whole day, with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-four 16th. 

“To be honest I didn’t hit the driver that great and then from 12 onwards I started to hit some good tee shots and got in the fairway and that gave me a chance to get it within 20 feet.

“There were some pins there that you couldn’t get close to. But that putt on 16, I knew, I hit such a great putt.”

A birdie on the par-three 17th increased his breathing room. 

Yet two days earlier he was on the brink of pulling out. “I woke up Friday [with] some-or-other 24-hour tummy bug or virus or something and I was throwing up on the golf course. 

“Nine holes in Jason, my caddie, looked at me and said: ‘Listen, you’ve got to watch your health, we’ve still got next week. What do you want to do?’

“And I said ‘I just need to get through today’.

“I couldn’t look down and hit a putt, I was so dizzy, but managed to get a two-over pole with 36 putts and then came out Saturday firing and played an unbelievable round.”

Burmester, an LIV Series player, finds himself in a strange situation in that his two victories don’t earn him playing privileges on the DP World Tour. 

He’s still waiting to see how the peace pipe allegedly smoked between the rebel and main tours will work out, but he believed his golf had improved by making the switch to the Saudi-backed swing. 

“I don’t see it happening in the foreseeable future, but who knows? I hope golf comes together, that’s all I can say. And I hope I do get the chance to play in more DP World Tour events because there’s so many special ones on the schedule and likewise on the PGA Tour.

“I made a decision for my family and it’s proved to be the right decision,” added Burmester, whose wife and two sons were at the course to watch his triumph.

“My golf has improved. My body is more rested and I’m playing better golf for that.

“There are so many good golfers on LIV, so many Major champions, so many experienced multi-Major champions. So to be able to rub shoulders with them and learn, and I’ve got two in my team. 

“I’ve got Charl [Schwartzel] and Louis [Oosthuizen] on my team. To be able to learn from guys like that is something I’ll never take for granted and that has definitely made me a better player.”

The victory was made more emotional for Burmester who got his career started through a sponsorship from the tournament sponsor, Investec. 

“I was waiting tables and playing tournaments, waiting tables to make enough money to go to tournaments and play.

“And going to practice in the morning tired because I only got home 11, 12 at night or whatever. And then Sam [Hackner, the bank’s late property group CEO] took that all away from me, gave me the opportunity to go and actually fulfil my dream.

“Six months later I won my first tournament so without him, I can honestly say I don’t know if I’d be here.”

Burmester empathised with Van Velzen and Schaper, the joint-leaders going into Sunday’s final round. 

“I feel for the two young guys at the back. I think they both should be very proud of their performances today. It’s not easy ... I’ve been there and it takes time. You’ve got to lose a lot before you learn how to win.”

Altin van der Merwe won the Freddie Trait trophy awarded to the top-finishing amateur.