Durban, 3 Mar  
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma faltered with a four-over 76 in the third round, finishing tied for 58th at the Investec South African Open, which was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

Sharma (66-72-76) had been tied for 4th after the opening round, but that remained the only bright spot in a week that ended prematurely at the Durban Country Club.

Meanwhile, Dylan Naidoo made history by becoming the first South African player of colour to win the prestigious tournament.

With Naidoo and England’s Laurie Canter tied for the lead on 14-under par after three rounds, a deluge of rain on Sunday forced the cancellation of the final round.

It was then decided that the two of them would settle this year’s championship in a playoff on the par-four 18th.

And with the weight of history resting on his young shoulders, Naidoo stood tall as he made the birdie on the first playoff hole that shook South African golf history.

The fact that this former member of the GolfRSA National Squad did it at a Durban Country Club where in 1963 Sewsunker “Papwa” Sewgolum made history as the first player of colour to win a professional golf tournament in South Africa in the Natal Open added to the history of the day.

The victory secures Naidoo a DP World Tour card and he also claimed one of the three spots on offer for The Open at Royal Portrush this July on a magical Sunday.

A Sunday when his father had flown in to watch a final round that didn’t happen, then left for the airport to fly back home for work on Monday, then raced back from the airport to watch the playoff and see his son step into golf history.

South Africa’s Darren Fichardt and England’s Marco Penge were the other two players to also secure a place in The Open through the Investec South African Open’s status as part of the Open Qualifying Series.

South Africa’s Christiaan Maas finished as the leading amateur and winner of the Freddie Tait Cup for the second time in his career, ending the tournament on 12-under par overall.