Scott Jamieson sqaunders five-shot advantage

Scotland's Scott Jamieson will not forget Durban in a hurry – but for all the wrong reasons. The 29-year-old from Glasgow narrowly missed out on earning his second win in the South African city in six weeks when Louis Oosthuizen, the home favourite, came from five shots back today to lift the Volvo Golf Champions.

The 2010 Open champion recorded a joint best-of-the-day 66 at Durban Country Club to take the £282,974 first prize by one shot from Jamieson – his sixth European Tour title and one that elevates him to a career-high fourth in the world.

Jamieson, who was looking to add the trophy to his Nelson Mandela Championship win at Royal Durban last month, almost forced a play-off, but his chip for eagle on the 273-yard last stopped two inches from the hole.

Instead, he became the first player since Hennie Otto five years ago to lose a Tour event from five clear with a round to go.

Jamieson still held that advantage after picking up shots at the third and fourth, but he double-bogeyed the next after driving into the bushes and did not have another birdie until the 18th.

"Louis's a major champion – there's no shame in losing to him," said the world No 100. "I gave it my all, but it wasn't to be."

He can content himself with the fact that he has started the season first, third and second. "I'll take that – absolutely," Jamieson added. "The double-bogey was a kick in the stones, to put it politely, but I had tons of chances."

Jamieson will move up to around 70th in the new rankings today – a personal best for him too – and, if he can make it into the top 50 by the end of March, there will be the reward of a US Masters debut.

That has been his dream ever since he was a student at Augusta State University and was allowed to play the world famous course once a year.

Oosthuizen lost a play-off to Bubba Watson there last April, of course, and in his last eight starts have had seven top-10 finishes to push Justin Rose down to fifth in the world.

"It was a great week," said the 30-year-old, who on Friday won a £32,000 excavator for his farm when he was part of the winning team in the day's pro-am format.