Rookie Nick Bachem wins maiden DP World Tour event in just 12th start

Nick Bachem runs away with a four-shot victory at the Johnsson Workwear Open. 

Andy Roberts's picture
Sun, 26 Mar 2023
Rookie Nick Bachem wins maiden DP World Tour event in just 12th start

DP World Tour rookie Nick Bachem won the Jonsson Workwear Open by four strokes after a final round of 64 in Johannesburg.

Bachem headed a crowded leaderboard at the co-sanctioned DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour event for much of the final day before pulling clear as his rivals faltered on the back nine.

The 23-year-old German finished 24-under par at The Club at Steyn City for his first win on the DP World Tour in just 12 starts, with home duo Hennie Du Plessis and Zander Lombard sharing second place on 20-under par. 

Bachem said:

"It's just amazing. I can't understand what's happening the last couple of days, it's just amazing and feels great.

"I just had the goal to enjoy today, it's just the beginning of my career so I just enjoyed it as much as possible and played great and got lucky that it was my day.

"I thought it was super-close and then I saw the leaderboard on 15, saw I was four shots ahead or whatever and then I was super-nervous. I just kept on going and it was a pretty nice finish."

Bachem and playing partner Gavin Green hit the front early on, each making three birdies in the first four holes, before overnight leader Alexander Knappe responded at the fifth.

Another birdie for Bachem at the sixth kept him one clear until compatriot Knappe birdied the ninth, with Du Plessis joining Knappe and Green at 19-under par thanks to a birdie at the seventh.

Bachem and Green both birdied the 10th, with the German adding another at the next to open up a two-shot cushion.

Double-bogeys at the 12th dropped Green and Knappe back to 18-under par, leaving Du Plessis alone in second until he too double-bogeyed the 13th - his first dropped shots in 59 holes, since bogeying the eighth in round one.

Bachem capitalised with a birdie thanks to a perfect tee-shot at the par-three 14th to take a five-shot lead with four to play and rode the wave the rest of the way home.

Du Plessis bounced back from his error with two consecutive birdies but Bachem eased any potential nerves with one of his own at the 17th before parring the last.

Lombard emerged from the chasing pack with nine birdies in a 65, his fourth round of the week in the 60s, to share second place with Du Plessis.

Ockie Strydom, winner of December's Alfred Dunhill Championship and last month's Singapore Classic, kick-started his challenge with three successive birdies from the tenth but had to settle for joint fourth alongside Scotland's Ewen Ferguson.

Strydom now rises to fourth on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.