Jamie Elson misses out on maiden Tour title
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England’s Jamie Elson narrowly missed out on his maiden European Tour title at the Joburg Open, losing by one shot to South Africa’s Branden Grace.
Elson carded a scintillating nine-under-par 63 on the East course at Royal Johannesburg to give him the clubhouse lead for most of the day. But Grace held his nerve, parring every hole on the back nine to shoot level par and win by one.
Elson’s only win came on the Challenge Tour the year he turned pro in 2003. Apart from that lone victory in the Finnish Open, the Warwickshire golfer has so far failed to fulfil the promise he showed in his amateur days when he was on the same Walker Cup team as Luke Donald and Nick Dougherty.
But that could soon change if Elson, 30, can repeat the same form he has shown in South Africa this week, picking up a cheque for £123,000 – more than double his previous biggest payday.
Scotland’s Marc Warren finished tied-third on 14-under while fellow Scot George Murray and England’s Robert Rock were a shot further back on 13-under.
