Jayden Schaper Beats Defending Champion Shaun Norris In Playoff To Lift First DP World Tour Title At Alfred Dunhill Championship

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship final round (slightly earlier than advertised). To catch you up, if you're just tuning in, there has been an awful lot of rain in the Johannesburg area this week and the tournament has suffered as a result.

Now down to a 54-hole event, the ADC is finishing as early as tournament officials could allow on Sunday.

Those who had begun their third rounds on Saturday have picked up where they left off and will finish on what is now a par-70 course after the par-5 sixth was shortened to a par-3 due to flooding on the fairway.

For what remains of the event, the leaders are on the 13th, we will bring you all of the key updates as they happen. And there's just been a particularly important one to share. So, without further ado, let's begin. Thank you for joining us!

DEFENDING CHAMP SETS CLUBHOUSE LEAD

Shaun Norris has enjoyed a superb final round at Royal Johannesburg to rocket up from a good finish into contention for the title. The big South African posted an incredible eight-under 62 to come back from seven shots behind and post 16-under.

His round featured seven birdies, a bogey and an eagle and that may have helped him defend the title he won at Leopard Creek in 2024... He has a two-stroke lead over the field and holes are running out.

SCHAPER IN CLOSE

Schaper - one of those in the immediate chasing pack - flights a beautifully controlled wedge just past the flag from inside 100 yards and spins it back a little to rest a few feet away. Meanwhile, the likes of Branden Grace and Oliver Bekker have also strengthened their respective challenges via long-range birdie makes in recent moments.

PARRY FROM RANGE

John Parry, who finished inside the top-5 at this event last time out, is up into a tie for third after draining a lovely left-to-righter at the par-4 14th. He was furthest away among his group, so that should give Chacarra and Schaper a bit of belief.

TWO WITHIN TWO

Although Chacarra misses his birdie putt, he remains two behind Norris with four holes to go. Also at 14-under is now Jayden Schaper after the South African talent takes advantage of his close approach to roll in a comfortable gain.

THREE BIRDIE LOOKS

The final group all has a birdie look on the 481-yard par-4 15th, sending their approaches in to the green from at least 165 yards. Chacarra won the longest-drive contest and makes his advantage count by winning the closest-to-the-pin contest as well. He will go from may 12 feet and have an excellent read off Schaper who looks to be about double the distance.

NO GOOD

As the rain comes down a little bit heavier in Joburg, the pressure heightens for the final three-ball. None of Schaper, Parry or Chacarra can really scare the hole with their birdie attempts and they now only have three holes to make something happen.

Luckily for them, it is possible to make an eagle at 18 (and Dylan Frittelli has just done) while birdies at 16 and 17 are not out of the question either.

NO MESSING AROUND

The par-3 16th is playing almost 200 yards over a sizeable pond and with a front-left flag. This hole is no joke today.

Despite there being a BMW on offer for an ace, each of the final trio goes long and left, just off the green. Parry was close to the bunker but the other two have outside chances to chip in from the first cut.

SCHAPER CHIP-IN

Ohh lovely stuff! Schaper puts the bull back in his stance and just brushes the ground, flicking his ball onto the putting surface and watching it slowly dribble towards the cup and in. H'es up to 15-under and is one back of Norris, who continues to chat away in the clubhouse.

Meanwhile, Chacarra almost follows Schaper in but his ball just burns the edge. A playoff seems like the most likely scenario at this stage. Norris might want to go and warm up!

SCHAPER SWOOPING IN

Could this be Jayden Schaper's time? It's looking very good right now. On the 387-yard par 4, he whips a delightful wedge shot just past the flag and modestly moves it back towards the flag with spin. He can't be more than three feet away, certainly. If he makes it, Schaper will go down 18 knowing he has a chance to win it outright, never mind enter a playoff.

LEAD TIED

Schaper duly knocks his birdie putt in and draws alongside Norris on 16-under, who still shows no interest in going for a warm-up. Maybe he knows what's coming...

Meanwhile, Parry and Chacarra both walk off with pars. Absolutely nothing has dropped for the Spaniard today.

GREAT DRIVE

It's the perfect start from Schaper in his pursuit of the title, with a monster drive down the left centre of the 18th fairway. He can definitely reach in two and that will be the aim in order to have that precious room for error.

BUNKER TROUBLE

From just over 230 yards, Schaper takes a hybrid - his trusty club - but puts a horrible swing on it and the ball flies into the greenside bunker on the right. That will be a tough up-and-down from there, but it's possible.

Parry also finds the sand and Chacarra fires an incredible shot under the trees, up the fairway and onto the green. The Spaniard, remarkably, might have a chance of gate-crashing the playoff if Schaper can't make birdie.

DECENT LIE

Good news for Jayden Schaper fans. The lie looks excellent. His ball is on a slight up slope and it's well away from the lip with plenty of options, so this really is a green-light special. That will make him feel much better.

GOOD, NOT GREAT

Schaper will have a chance to win it outright, but Parry had just played a slightly better shot and showed him what to do. Schaper is perhaps 12 feet away after chunk-and-running his ball up towards the flag.

NOT TO BE FOR CHACARRA

The Spaniard can't quite manage an eagle, although it will be a closing birdie see him take third on his own. He will be gutted after today.

PUTT TO WIN

Here we go. Schaper from 12 feet.

PLAYOFF INCOMING

But no! It rolls just left of the target and he will sign for a 67 which leaves him at 16-under.

Schaper vs Norris coming up next.

PLAYOFF STATS

Norris: Played - 1, Won - 0

Schaper: Played - 0

It'll be Norris to go first...

ADVANTAGE NORRIS

Despite barely warming up, or so it seemed, Norris is in position A1 off the tee. He rockets a drive down the middle of the fairway and can go for the green in two.

Schaper, on the other hand, has found the right fairway bunker and should probably lay up with such an imposing lip ahead of him. We'll see what he tries very shortly...

FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE

Immediately off the tee, Norris starts chatting away to Schaper and they share a joke as they walk down the hole. That's interesting, isn't it? You would have thought Norris would let his younger rival stew in his own thoughts, but not to be.

HEART OF THE GREEN

Norris takes out a long iron and nonchalantly whips one pin high out to the right. Great shot.

STUNNING

Well now. This is world class. Schaper takes a wood out of the bunker and, despite slipping as he swings, lands his ball maybe a foot away from the hole some 200-odd yards away. It carries on out to the back of the green, some 15-20 feet away, but that was outrageous nonetheless.

The shot earns hearty applause from Norris, who claps his hands above his head in the direction of his playoff rival. Beautiful stuff all around.

NOT HIS BEST

Norris goes first but badly pulls the eagle putt low. That was quite underwhelming, it must be said. Can Schaper chip in again and win the whole thing?...

JAYDEN SCHAPER WINS ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP

Oohh he's done it! Schaper drains the putt from just into the first cut and wins his first DP World Tour title! What a brilliant end. The young man is showered with fizz as he wipes away the tears. Excellent stuff!

SHOT OF HIS LIFE

In his post-round interview, Schaper calls this bunker shot one of the best of his life. It has to be. That was amazing.

HEAR FROM THE CHAMPION

Listen to an emotional Jayden Schaper speaking immediately after holing the winning putt...