Thriston Lawrence was declared the winner of the ill-starred Joburg Open on Saturday after yet more bad weather prevented play on what should have been the third and final round.
The tournament had already been cut to 54 holes yesterday to help non-South African resident players, caddies and tournament support staff return to their home countries. That move followed international travel restrictions imposed on South Africa on Friday due to the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant in the country.
Lawrence hit a pair of 65s, giving the 24-year-old South African a 12-under-par total of 130 and a four-shot winning margin over his compatriot Zander Lombard.
The tournament had suffered weather delays on both Thursday and Friday. Saturday’s lightning storms and heavy rain left large parts of the course unplayable, leaving officials with little option.
