JOHANNESBURG – England’s Graeme Storm said that it was a dream come true to come out on top” of a pulsating duel with Rory McIlroy to win the SA Open on Sunday.
Storm beat out tournament favourite McIlroy of Northern Ireland on the third playoff hole to lift the SA Open trophy at Glendower Golf Club.
Both players ended tied on an 18-under 270 total after four rounds at the pristine parkland course in Edenvale. McIlroy, the World No 2, carded a final-round 68 with Storm, who had begun the day with a three-shot lead, ending with a 71.
The duo headed down the par-four 18th three times in the playoff before McIlroy missed the green and bogeyed on that occasion, while Storm safely notched up a title-winning par.
Just 83 days after losing his European Tour card in 2016, Storm made the best possible use of American Patrick Reed not taking up his membership on the Tour to give the English player the chance to ply his trade.
“It’s surreal, it feels unbelievable. I had a great battle out there with Rory today. I knew he’d get off to a pretty quick start, and he did that. I didn’t play my best golf, I just tried as best as I could to win this trophy. This is a dream come true,” said Storm afterwards.
At the end of 2016 Storm was playing to secure his Tour card, and his income for the following year, and he said that the experience was more difficult than playing against the four-time major champion McIlroy.
“The pressure was great today, I was nervous and I didn’t play my best golf. But I think the experience of Portugal last year kind of helped me.
“That was real pressure, playing for your livelihood, playing to stay out on the European Tour, being able to pay the bills back home. I managed to squeeze in through the back door, and now I’ve managed to win. That just proves I deserve to be out here.”
Midway through the round, Storm missed a makeable birdie putt on the par-five 13th, before three-putting the par-three 14th to fall behind McIlroy for the first time on the day with just four holes left to play.
“I just had to pray, to be honest. With the 15th coming, and having just three-putted from the front of the green on 14 – it was my first bogey since the first round – I thought my chance had gone. I then hit a really good four iron into the par-five, and I thought if I could just hole that putt, I could get my nose in front. But I didn’t and I was still one behind.”
Storm said he was at no point intimidated by McIlroy, but at the same time it was a unique experience playing with the 27-year-old for the first time.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be inside the ropes with Rory and play with him, and to come out on top is just even more of a dream come true. But when you see a guy hit a ball like that, he’s the best driver of the golf ball in the world – no doubt about it.”
England’s Jordan Smith took third place on 17-under, while Dean Burmester was the top South African on 15-under. Sharing fifth spot were locals Thomas Aiken and Trevor Fisher Jnr.