In an incredibly tumultuous final six holes at Houghton Golf Club, four different players either had sole possession of the lead or a share, but it was Bradbury who timed his run to perfection.
Hennie Du Plessis was first to fall away despite having a three-stroke lead for much of the final round, with the South African making double-bogey at the 16th as part of four dropped shots in a birdie-free back nine.
Brandon Robinson Thompson then looked as if he would earn a first DP World Tour title, only to three-putt the 18th for bogey. Meanwhile, Casey Jarvis was always right on the shoulder of the leaders as he looked for a third successive victory, but a par at the last when birdie was calling ensured he missed out by the barest of margins.
An up and down was needed on the 18th green to seal his third DP World Tour title and his second Joburg Open title... Dan Bradbury stepped up and did this 👇#JoburgOpen pic.twitter.com/FGwOyxnVpBMarch 8, 2026
In the end, it was the 2023 Joburg Open winner who relied on past memories to come out on top. Bradbury was one-under on the front nine thanks to three birdies and two bogeys before dropping the hammer with three gains in his first five holes on the back half.
A textbook birdie at the easier par-4 16th put the three-time DP World Tour winner in pole position down the last, only for an overly aggressive approach to put Bradbury's chances in jeopardy.
With a playoff beckoning, Bradbury showed delightful touch to nudge his chip shot down the slope of the green and roll it up to inches out from the hole.
Reacting to his second Joburg Open victory and third career DP World Tour success, Bradbury said: "It sounds pretty good. I thought I lost it on front nine, I had so many chances and I just didn't take anything.
Dan Bradbury put together four birdies on the back nine to overcome Casey Jarvis, Brandon Robinson-Thompson and Hennie Du Plessis and got his hands back on the Joburg Open trophy.It's safe to say that Dan Bradbury just loves Houghton Golf Club 😍“To be honest, I thought I… pic.twitter.com/vaDFxdyJehMarch 8, 2026
"It feels really good to put it together on the back nine, probably wasn't expecting it as Hennie was playing so well, but yeah, feels amazing.
"Casey and Brandon were obviously playing amazing because I saw their names on the leaderboard all the way round - it was tight all the way round wasn't it? - but I somehow managed to get it done in the end.
"[Houghton] is probably similar to Wakefield where I grew up. It's quite tight, tree-lined and [you've] got to drive it well. I did that and putted pretty solid this week, although it didn't feel amazing, but got the result and that's all that matters."
Robinson Thompson and Jarvis shared second place at Houghton while Du Plessis bagged another top-five by finishing on his own in fourth. France's David Ravetto shot a closing 66 to take solo fifth.
JOBURG OPEN LEADERBOARD
-17 Dan Bradbury (65)
-16 Brandon Robinson Thompson (66)
-16 Casey Jarvis (66)
-14 Hennie Du Plessis (70)
-13 David Ravetto (66)
-12 Louis Albertse (65)
-12 Alex Fitzpatrick (70)
-12 Adrian Otaegui (68)
-12 Daniel Van Tonder (67)
-10 Justin Harding (68)
-10 Patrick Reed (68)
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Jonny Leighfield
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WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the 2026 Joburg Open, where the final stages are taking place at Houghton Golf Club.
It looked as though Hennie Du Plessis had the tournament in the palm of his hand not too long ago, but Brandon Robinson Thompson has roared back via the round of the day to snatch pole position.
Stay with us to see how this one pans out! Thanks for tuning in.
BOGEY FOR BRT
Yet more drama! Robinson Thompson has bogeyed the par-4 15th and has fallen back into a share of the lead alongside Du Plessis and Jarvis. Don't forget, Jarvis can follow Faldo and Ballesteros into the DP World Tour history books today if he wins.
The two European legends are the only players ever to win three DP World Tour events in a row.
REED BAGS ANOTHER TOP-10
Patrick Reed has just signed for a final round 68 (-2) to cap off his latest top-10 on the DP World Tour. You have to believe the American will run away with the Race To Dubai title in the end, especially if he performs even decently at The Majors.
BIG TROUBLE
Du Plessis might be done now. His approach into the 15th went long and right and landed over the red stakes, forcing him to play a fourth shot from the rough near the putting surface.
His chip is a fantastic effort, but it stays above ground and he will now have a 12 foot bogey attempt to come.
GOOD BOGEY
Du Plessis holes his bogey putt and now trails by one after Robinson Thompson and Jarvis par 16. He still has a bit of time, but the momentum is certainly not falling Du Plessis' way right now.
BRADBURY MAKING A PLAY
England's Dan Bradbury is the fourth and final man in this Royal Rumble of sorts, and he floats a brilliant tee shot into the par-3 16th. Bradbury has 10 feet for birdie.
GAME OVER
Du Plessis is now officially done. His tee shot at the par-3 16th comes up well short of the green and dunks emphatically into the large pond protecting the green. His third from the drop zone is over safe and he'll now do well to make a five.
NECK AND NECK
The leading pair are in the penultimate group, so they're watching each other's every move. Jarvis goes first into 17 from the fairway but flies the green with the wind in his back.
From the right rough moments later, Robinson Thompson does the same.
WASTED CHANCE
Bradbury has a great chance to tie the lead on the 16th, but his birdie try is tame. That's disappointing.
TESTER
Robinson Thompson opts for a flop shot off a down slope and judges it almost perfectly. It runs down the slope and has a brief look in the hole before stopping inches past. He now has a tap-in for par. Beautifully fluffy hands there.
Meanwhile, Jarvis has a testing six-footer for par after nudging his chip and run - from a much friendlier lie - just a little too heavily.
BIG MOMENT
Jarvis makes bogey! The winner of the past two DP World Tour events pushes his par-save attempt to the right and he taps in for bogey.
Shortly after, Robinson Thompson tidies up for par to take the lead down the 18th.
BRADBURY WANTS A SAY
In the final group, Bradbury punches a low wedge into the 17th green and gives himself 10-12 feet for birdie, but through a tree's shadow. If he can make that, he may well have a chance to win on the 72nd hole.
GOOD START
Robinson Thompson hit a tree on the 18th yesterday with his tee shot which led to a bogey. He does not repeat the mistake on Sunday and will have the chance to go for the green and potentially ice this one.
Brandon Robinson Thompson has never won a DP World Tour event before...
BRADBURY INTO A SHARE
We're in a two-way tie once again! Bradbury curls a left-to-right putt into the hole for birdie and the two Englishmen will have a chance to win down 18.
WORLD CLASS
Wow! What a shot from Casey Jarvis! Taking a mid-iron from the fairway, Jarvis drives one into the ridge which splits the green's levels and his ball bounces forward before rolling around from right to left. The South African has no more than 10 feet for birdie here. Will that be enough?
HERE WE GO! 🇿🇦Casey Jarvis sets up birdie on the 18th 🫨#JoburgOpen pic.twitter.com/XUr5eu1sZsMarch 8, 2026
BAD LUCK
Robinson Thompson takes an 8-iron and tries to draw one in towards the flag at the last. He just over-draws it, though, and his ball spins back down to the lower level. That is not the two-putt you want when the prospect of a playoff is on the line.
BRADBURY TEES OFF ON 18
The second Englishman involved in this title race rifles a lovely tee shot down the 18th fairway, and Bradbury will have a good chance at winning this outright.
HEAVY HANDED
Robinson Thompson wacks his birdie putt up the slope and it races past the hole, settling at five feet past. That will now be an awfully tricky left-to-right downhill putt for par and a potential playoff place.
JARVIS FOR A SHARE
He pulled it! Jarvis pulled his birdie try and hated it immediately. But then the ball hung a wicked right and it almost dropped.
That is gutting for Jarvis, who may potentially miss out on a third-straight win by one stroke.
Or will he?
HEARTBREAK
Robinson Thompson has missed as well! It didn't even touch the hole as it raced past. A three-putt bogey on the last has taken his chance of a first DP World Tour title away.
Over to you, Dan Bradbury!
MORE DRAMA
I can barely comprehend what's going on here. Bradbury had 162 yards left and blasted a short iron through the green and into the rough.
He has a one-stroke lead as it stands, but getting up and down from that position - with what's on the line - will be no joke.
WHAT A CHIP
That is sublime from Dan Bradbury, and the 2023 Joburg Open champion is set to win again. He clipped his ball beautifully onto the green and it rolled out to a matter of inches. I thought it actually might drop first time, but he's marked it and Bradbury will enjoy that sweet, sweet moment.
An up and down was needed on the 18th green to seal his third DP World Tour title and his second Joburg Open title... Dan Bradbury stepped up and did this 👇#JoburgOpen pic.twitter.com/FGwOyxnVpBMarch 8, 2026
BRADBURY WINS JOBURG OPEN
And that's that! Dan Bradbury taps in for a closing 65, and the Englishman has won the Joburg Open once again! He was a winner in 2023, and now Bradbury has won in 2026. His third DP World Tour success. Congratulations!
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