Calum Hill Overturns Eight-Shot Deficit To Win Joburg Open In Playoff After Rollercoaster Final Day

WELCOME ALONG

Welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Joburg Open's closing stages, where several players are in contention at Houghton Golf Club. Shaun Norris has held the lead at various points throughout the day, but a recent double bogey for the South African has put him behind the eight ball once again.

The final group have six holes to play still, so let's join the action and bring you all of the key updates as they happen. Thanks for tuning in!

KRUYSWIJK JOINS THE LEAD

Jacques Kruyswijk - a winner only two weeks ago - has clipped a superb wedge into the 13th green and watched it zip back slightly to three feet. The South African taps in for birdie, and he's now on -13 as well.

Meanwhile, Kieran Vincent has birdied 15 to move within one as well. Norris birdies 13 to settle the nerves after that double bogey on 12.

KRUYSWIJK ON THE CHARGE

It's about to be another birdie for Kruyswijk. On the par-3 14th, the South African pumps his tee shot right at the flag and goes to celebrate as he thinks it might be going in. The ball sailed right over the flag before slamming on the brakes and stopping immediately.

Up ahead, Calum Hill pushes his approach shot into the 18th green, but it bounces 90 degrees left, almost, off the hill before feeding down towards the hole side. "You don't need to be good when you're lucky" says one of the commentator's on the TV broadcast. Hill should card a final round of 62 to finish on -14.

NEW LEADER

As Norris comes up short with his par attempt on 14, Kruyswijk dabs his four-foot birdie putt down the hill. It curls sharply from right to left - Kruyswijk doesn't appear to love it off the blade - before dropping in.

Elsewhere, Dylan Frittelli can't make birdie on 18, but Calum Hill can! The Scot lets out an almighty roar as the ball disappears for a closing eight-under 62. That might be enough for a playoff. It might be enough for a win. Who knows? Only time will tell.

FINAL GROUP STUMBLING

Kruyswijk and Norris give themselves a chance off the tee on the par-4 15th, but their respective approach shots leave much to be desired. Norris is well short, but on the green, while Kruyswijk is just into the rough on the top-left corner.

Neither player is anywhere close with their third, and there are a couple of huge par putts coming up.

HILL LEADS ON HIS OWN

Kruyswijk's third shot was clumsy and left him too much to do for par. He lips out from six feet before tidying up for bogey. Norris, meanwhile, rattles in his own par putt. Hill - who is calmly sipping water in the clubhouse - leads four South Africans as we reach the sharp end of the tournament.

FINAL GROUP HAS HOLE SURROUNDED

On the par-3 16th, the final three players all pepper the flag, even though two of them miss the green slightly. Saddier and Kruyswijk are still in good positions, though, given the hole is cut so tight to the edge.

Shan Norris is on the shortest grass and has the best chance to make a move...

NORRIS CLAWS ONE BACK

Kruyswijk's birdie attempt is so close but just burns the edge from the first cut. Sadder opts to chip from a similar position but his ball also waves at the hole as it rolls past.

However, the best was saved until last. Norris drains a sweeping left-to-right putt from mid-range to move back within one shot. This is so good. It really is.

KRUYSWIJK THROWING DARTS

All three players find the fairway no problem on the par-4 17th, so it's down to the second shots to decide who has the advantage here. Norris and Saddier are slightly unlucky as the former goes just over the back and the Frenchman watches his approach zip back down the slope.

The third man in the group has no such concerns, though, Kruyswijk dropping his ball into a matter of feet from the hole.

TIED AT THE TOP

Kruyswijk never seems happy with his putts down the back nine, but he should be! Another one has dropped for birdie. The South African now knows that he has a chance to win this outright on the very birdie-able 18th at Houghton GC.

Here's how the leaderboard looks with one hole to play in regulation.

-14 Hill (62)

-14 Kruyswijk

-13 Norris

-13 Frittelli (63)

KRUYSWIJK AND NORRIS IN THE FAIRWAY

Kruyswijk takes an iron and absolutely stripes his ball down the fairway, finding the walkway which cuts across the 18th. It is still clean and place in the fairway after the heavy rain earlier in the week, so he should be fine to find a good lie. Norris can't even think about such a modest play, opting for a fairway wood instead. His tee shot also finds the fairway, but a considerable distance further down.

Both players need a birdie. This second shot will be crucial in possibly making that happen.

A MATTER OF INCHES

Ooh, Jacques Kruyswijk is so unlucky not to see his approach into the 18th green spin back towards the hole after dropping his ball onto the back edge. So many shots turn back the other way after pitching there, but not Kruyswijk. His ball is right on the edge of the first cut. Maybe a couple of inches closer to the hole and that would have been a very different result.

To frustrate the co-leader even more, Norris produces a very similar shot but his ball *does* spin back towards the target. He'll have something like 10 feet for birdie and a possible playoff spot. Unless Kruyswijk can steal the show with a birdie from off the green.

PLAYOFF INCOMING

Wow, this is incredible! Kruyswijk gives it a good go, but his birdie attempt just peels off to the right before the hole. He taps in for par. Moments later, Norris pushes his birdie putt down the hill and it just catches the right side of the hole before dropping in! He punches the air with delight, knowing he has rescued his chances of success. Norris had a four-stroke lead earlier today.

Three-man playoff incoming!

PLAYOFF UNDERWAY

Hill has been finished for around an hour, but there was no sign of tightness from the Scot - who has the honor - with his tee shot. Mind you, Hill had been on the range for a while, so you wouldn't expect anything less. He turns the ball from right to left and leaves it in a great spot.

Kruyswijk and Norris both repeat their tactics from regulation - Kruyswijk cracks an iron slightly further than last time while Norris blasts his 3-wood towards the fairway bunker on the right. Luckily for the South African, it slammed the breaks on a matter of inches before the sand.

SHORT-GAME BATTLE

Hill looks his approach shot up and down through the air, but the ball slammed down into the green near the hole and bounced off into the rough. Kruyswijk copies and pastes his second shot from the 72nd hole, ending in a very similar spot. And, get this, Norris also sends his approach towards the hole before it bounces into that first cut.

From here, it's a short-game contest between the three down the hill. How are your nerves, fellas?

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR

Hill is forced to chip from the furthest left around the fringe, but it never has a chance of reaching the hole. He should tap in for par.

Norris also chips and is a little more aggressive, but that never really scares the hole. Coming back, this will be awkward from five feet. He might not have a chance, though, with Kruyswijk having a putt to win.

Ahh, Kruyswijk leaves it short when it was on line! He's in for par. All three men tidy up for par, and we'll go back down 18 once more.

The plan is to play 18 three times if needed, but there has just been a rumble of thunder and a bolt of lightning in the distance. The TV broadcast has said that the storm is heading away from Houghton, though, so the thunderstorm will only add to the drama rather than interrupting it.

NORRIS IN THE SAND

Calum Hill goes first once more, and again he draws it around the trees, leaving it on the left side of the fairway. Kruyswijk repeats his drilled iron shot to find the middle of the short grass.

However, Norris - pulling 3-wood for the third time in quick succession - rips one straight into the fairway bunker down the right. He should have a clean lie and a great view of the green, but it's not the lie he'd ideally want.

NORRIS IN THE WATER

Kruyswijk goes first and is a matter of inches away from landing his 9-iron under the hole. As it is, the ball is rejected down the slope towards the water. That's a tough putt coming up.

Norris tries to go one better but sees his right foot slip as he strikes the ball out of the bunker. As a result, his shot was pulled into the water and he is likely out of the running - unless he holes this wedge shot from the water's edge. He can't and that looks like it could well be it.

Meanwhile, Hill clips a short iron over the flag and will have that same putt/chip from just in the fringe.

HILL WINS!

That's a great effort from Kruyswijk up onto the top ledge where the flag is, but it rolls past the hole instead of dropping in. It's no gimme coming back, either.

As Norris signs for a six, it's all down to Hill. But the Scot leaves it short! Regardless, he taps in for par. But will it be to win or to go back down 18?

It was the winning shot! The South African misses his return putt, making Calum Hill the champion! An incredible end as the storm moves closer.