The Bloemfonteiner, Dean Burmester, was the talk of the town in golfing circles again on the weekend after winning the 2023 Joburg Open at the Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg.
The 34-year-old who plays as a LIV golfer and now resides in the USA won the co-sanctioned DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour event by three strokes for his tenth win as a professional golfer.
Burmester said it’s extra special winning the tournament on home soil.
“It sounds pretty cool to be the Joburg Open champion,” said Burmester.
“I’ve been playing this event for so long and to win it is amazing. That was my goal coming home. I hadn’t won this year and have been playing well, so to come here and win a tournament in my home country in front of my home fans with some of my family here is very special.”
Through winning the Joburg Open, Burmester has qualified to play in the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon next year. It will be just the second time he plays in the iconic major after finishing in a tie for 11th two-years ago at St Andrews.
This week Burmester will tee it up at the world’s second oldest open, the South African Open at the Blair Athol Golf & Equestrian Estate. – MORGAN PIEK
