Golf: Final-hole misery for Lloyd Saltman as Hennie Otto clinches SA Open

Fighting to hang on to his European Tour card, Saltman came to the 18th hole needing a par to finish in a share of third.

In addition to a cheque for around £45,000, that would also have earned the 26-year-old a place in this week’s Hong Kong Open, giving him one final chance to climb into the all- important top 118 in the Race to Dubai.

However, a double-bogey 6 dropped Saltman down into a share of ninth and he now faces a return to the Qualifying School next month.

The Scot’s closing 70 for a nine-under-par total of 279 included eight birdies, but also a bogey 6 on the long third and a triple-bogey 6 at the ninth.

Steven O’Hara, the halfway leader, is also heading back to the Q-School in Spain after he closed with rounds of 74 and 75 to finish in a tie for 25th on 282.

Peter Whiteford, who closed with a 70 to tie for 20th on 281, fell short in his bid to climb into the top 60 in the Race to Dubai, with Stephen Gallacher now down to 61st on the money-list.

That means he has to pick up a decent cheque in Hong Kong to join Richie Ramsay (30th), Paul Lawrie (57th) and Scott Jamieson (58th) in the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

David Drysdale, 54th in South Africa, is 109th on the money-list and looks to have done enough to secure his card, as has Marc Warren in 113th.

However, Alastair Forsyth and Elliot Saltman are also heading for the Q-School after they finished 51st and 54th respectively behind Otto, who closed with a 72 at Serengeti to win by a shot from Austrian Bernd Wiesberger. The 35-year-old, without a top-five finish on the European Tour since he captured the 2008 Italian Open, said: “There are some great names on the trophy and I said it would be great if I could add mine. Today’s the day.”

He is the sixth South African to win on the European circuit this season, following Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel (2), Thomas Aiken and Garth Mulroy.