Zander Lombard held the lead through 54 holes of the 2026 Soudal Open, and the South African appeared comfortable when the back nine began on Sunday.
However, the runaway winner of DP World Tour Q-School last year suffered a real stumble as the finishing line approached and now he's scrambling to even make a playoff.
With a significant group in the clubhouse already on 16-under, can Lombard hold out and seal his first DP World Tour title or will new leader Richard Sterne snatch the title?
SOUDAL OPEN LEADERBOARD
1st -18 Richard Sterne
T2 -16 Jorge Campillo
T2 -16 Kota Kaneko
T2 -16 Victor Perez
T2 -16 Marcus Armitage
T2 -16 Marcus Kinhult
Updates from...
Mike Hall
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RICHARD STERNE WINS SOUDAL OPEN!
Lombard needs to chip in at the 17th to leave any chance. That would give him a birdie to reduce the gap to two, but it comes up short. He makes par and that's effectively the end of his chances of reaching a playoff.
Richard Sterne claims his seventh DP World Tour title and first since 2013!
NOT TO BE FOR FINAL GROUP
Zander Lombard's playing partner MJ Daffue is also on 15 under, but he finds the rough with his second at the par-5 17th and lays it up with his third.
Lombard's third falls short of the green and the title is all but Sterne's.
STERNE IN THE DRIVING SEAT
So, as things stand, Richard Sterne is set for his first DP World Tour title since 2013. The South African leads by two over six players, with all but Jacob Skov :Olesen, who is on the 18th, in the clubhouse.
Lombard is now T8 and three back of Sterne with just two to play.
MORE TROUBLE FOR ZANDER
Lombard's woes continue with a bogey at the 16th. His par putt looks in all the way, but he comes up a whisker short and now he needs an eagle birdie finish.
CAN LOMBARD DO IT?
Following Lombard's stumbles, he's now two back of the lead on 16 under. He's on the 16th, so all is not lost, but he needs birdies to get catch Richard Sterne, who's in the clubhouse on 18 under.
SOLID FROM BEEF
Encouraging signs for Andrew "Beef" Johnston, who finishes on 14-under following a final round of 70. It would have been better for him but for a narrowly missed birdie putt at the 18th. Still, he can be happy with his week's work.
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Soudal Open final round at Rinkven International. It appeared as though Zander Lombard would enjoy a processional finish and a maiden DP World Tour title, but a bogey followed by a double bogey at holes 13 and 14 has left him scrambling to even make a playoff!
Richard Sterne's eagle at the 17th has put him in the clubhouse at 18-under-par and sitting pretty as the chaos unfolds behind him.
Join us for all of the key moments as they happen during the closing holes...
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