Immelman's birdie charge sees off Clark in play-off

Trevor Immelman claimed his first European Tour title with a play-off victory on home soil over his compatriot Tim Clark in the South African Airways Open.

Immelman conjured up a superb birdie on the final hole of regulation and repeated the trick on the first hole in sudden death after an approach to within inches of the pin to claim first prize. The 23-year-old used to be a member at the tournament venue of Erinvale Golf Club and said: "It's a dream come true for me. I can't tell you how many times I've walked down these fairways dreaming about a chance to do this."

Clark, attempting to become the first man since Gary Player to win back-to-back titles, and the overnight leader Jean Hugo, were locked together for most of the afternoon with Immelman suffering a blow when he double-bogeyed the sixth. Immelman then responded with two birdies in the next three holes, and four more gradually reeled in the leaders.

Clark took the lead outright for the third time when Hugo bogeyed the 16th, and when he also double-bogeyed the next it was down to Immelman to produce a last-hole birdie to force a play-off. The 23-year-old did so in style after his drive finished near the base of a tree off the right edge of the fairway. He was able to fire a shot left of the tree to 15 feet from the flag and rolled in the putt.

Clark had a chance to win on the last but saw his birdie putt slip wide, and had a similar putt on the first play-off hole. But by then Immelman had hit his approach to tap-in range and after Clark missed, Immelman had the simplest of tasks.