ST ANDREWS, Scotland – Branden Grace of South Africa won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship here Sunday, holding off a late challenge from Dane Thorbjorn Olesen. Grace, who won for the fifth time on tour this year, closed with a two-under 70 over the Old Course, with the fast-rising Olesen coming in with a 68. The 24-year-old from Pretoria began the week with a European Tour record-equalling 60 at the Kingsbarns course — the European Tour's pro-celebrity event is staged over three links courses — and was never overtaken after that. Olesen did make a move in the final round, drawing level with seven holes to go, but the South African birdied the next three holes and with another on the last finished with a tournament record-equalling 22-under-par total. Alone in third place, four strokes off the pace was Alexander Noren of Sweden, while another Swede, Joel Sjoholm, was fourth a further two strokes back. Scotland' Stephen Gallacher, winner in 2004, finished in a tie for fifth after incurring a two-stroke penalty for playing the wrong ball at the 16th. De Jonge, Blixt, Moore share lead Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge, Sweden's Jonas Blixt and hometown hero Ryan Moore shared the lead after Saturday's third round of the US PGA Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. Blixt birdied six of the last seven holes, including a 28-foot birdie putt at the 18th, to fire a five-under par 66 while de Jonge birdied four of the last five holes to shoot a 66 and Moore matched them with a bogey-free 65. All three stood on 19-under par 194 for 54 holes in the $4.5-million event, the first of four season-ending events aimed at players struggling to keep tour rights for 2013 by finishing in the top 125 on this year's US PGA money list. Americans Jimmy Walker and Tim Herron were five strokes off the pace sharing fourth as the final trio that played together surged away from the pack. US fan favorite John Daly followed a 63, his best round of the year, with an 86 to stumble back to 72nd on 218. He stands nine spots outside the top 125. “I was just hoping to stop the bleeding,” Daly said. “I can't remember when I had such a stretch of bad holes.” Choi wins own event again In Seoul, South Korea's K.J. Choi completed an energy-sapping week Sunday with a closing four-under-par 67 to win the CJ Invitational which he hosted for the second successive year. The Asian Tour honorary member will donate his total winnings of US$118,875 to his KJ Choi Foundation, as he did following with his victory 12 months ago. Choi scored a winning total of 15-under-par 269. South Korea's Bae Sang-Moon, who was piling the pressure on Choi until a bogey-six on the 14th hole, had to settle for a share of second place with compatriot Jang Dong-Kyu on 271. Korea's Kim Dae-Hyun, who shared the third round lead with Choi, signed for a 71 to take fourth place. Australia's Scott Hend and seven-time Asian Tour winner Charlie Wi of Korea took a share of fifth place after they closed with matching 70s for a 274 total. Thailand's Chinnarat Phadungsil's putting touch deserted him on the final day and he finished in seventh place, six shots back of Choi at the US$750,000 event which is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Korean Golf Tour. — Agencies
