Scots duo share third in Joburg Open

Following up Alastair Forsyth’s fifth place in the season-opening Africa Open, Marc Warren and David Drysdale maintained the encouraging start to the year for Scottish golf by both producing strong performances to finish third behind home player Branden Grace in the Joburg Open.

In his first start since regaining the Tour card he lost at the end of 2010, Warren closed with a four-under-par 68 at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington for a 14-under-par total of 273, which was matched by Drysdale after he signed off with a 67.

With George Murray, who also closed with a five-under effort, finishing in a tie for eighth, and Challenge Tour graduate Craig Lee notching up a second successive top-20, it added up to another decent week’s work from the tartan contingent.

Warren, who had five birdies in seven holes around the turn and finished three shots behind the winner, picked up a cheque for just under £45,000. Understandably delighted with his start to the season, he is determined to use it as a springboard to cement his place back at the top table as soon as possible.

“I wanted to come out of the blocks pretty quick after the terrible year I had in 2010 and this is the best start to the year I’ve ever made,” said the two-time Tour winner, who regained his playing privileges after finishing 114th on last season’s money-list. “I felt I lost my card for a reason – change of coach etc to get better – but I don’t want to go through that again and this is a great start.

“After after a couple of months off, I felt a wee bit rusty at first with my short irons but overall I’m striking the ball really well.

“I still feel there is plenty of room for improvement but I gave myself loads of chances and that’s encouraging.”

Drysdale, also third in the same event in 2009, bagged five birdies in a flawless final round to move into seventh spot – one above Warren – after the opening two circuits in the Race to Dubai.

“I would have finished even higher but for my blip towards the end of the third round when I dropped three shots in two holes, but I have to be happy overall,” said the 36-year-old from Cockburnspath.

“I got as much out of my final round as I could have. I played very solidly and made the most of my opportunities.”

Drysdale, who was frustrated about having to wait until the final few weeks of last season, to secure his playing privileges for another year, added: “I can now move forward in a positive frame of mind.”

Murray, second in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in November, confirmed his liking for South African courses with another strong display, the Fifer bouncing back from a double-bogey 5 at the fifth to cover his final 13 holes in seven-under.

Lee, who has wasted no time finding his feet back on the top circuit after a three-year absence, surged up the leaderboard on the back of four birdies in a row from the sixth.

The Stirling man then undid that good work with four bogeys before finishing birdie-birdie and is understandably pleased with his start to the campaign.

“It helps the cause for the re-rank and sets me in good thoughts for the rest of the season,” he admitted.

Scott Jamieson was on course for a top-20 finish as well until he had a double-bogey and three bogeys in the space of five holes just after the turn. The Seve Trophy player eventually closed with a 74 to finish in a tie for 24th on 279, three ahead of Forsyth (71).

Grace, a 23-year-old from Pretoria, carded a level-par 72 to win by a shot from Englishman Jamie Elson, who catapulted himself up the leaderboard thanks to a closing 63.

“This is a dream come true, it’s nice to win in front of my home crowd, I wouldn’t change it for anything else,” said Grace, the second successive African winner after Louis Oosthuizen’s success in defending the Africa Open title.