Richard Sterne JOHANNESBURG — South African Richard Sterne cruised to a seven-stroke victory over former US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel Sunday in the Joburg Open. Sterne, runner-up behind Stephen Gallacher of Scotland in the Dubai Desert Classic last weekend, fired an eight-under final-round 64 for a total of 260 in overcast conditions at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club. Pre-tournament favorite Schwartzel, who won the Joburg Open in 2010 and 2011 before relinquishing the title to Branden Grace last year, finished with a 66 for a 267 total over the 6942-metre course. Chilean Felipe Aguilar (67), South African George Coetzee (67) and Portuguese Ricardo Santos (64) shared third place on 268 in the 1.3 million euro ($1,758 million) event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Sunshine Tour. South Africans Thomas Aiken (66), joint overnight leader Trevor Fisher junior (73) and Keith Horne (65) were a shot further back and Italian Lorenzo Gagli (67) and South African Garth Mulroy (67) ended with 270 totals. The final round at a course in an upscale north-eastern Johannesburg suburb was disappointing with the expected showdown between overnight leaders Sterne and Fisher failing to materialize. “I played really good golf today and throughout the tournament — that was probably the best final round of my career,” said Sterne, 31, who missed much of the 2010 and 2011 seasons due to a form of arthritis. “This is a big year for me. I have got off to such a nice start and hopefully I can keep it going. I desperately want to get back into all the Major championships. “After so much time out with injury I did wonder whether I was ever going to win again. At one point the pain was so bad that I even wondered if I would ever play golf again.” Snedeker ties Hahn for lead FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker maintained his sizzling form this season by moving into a two-way tie for the lead with fellow American James Hahn after the third round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Saturday. Snedeker, helped by a run of five birdies in six holes around the turn, fired a four-under-par 68 at the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links on a glorious sun-splashed winter's day. That left him at 12-under 202 and level with PGA Tour rookie Hahn who carded a six-under 66 at Spyglass Hill, the most difficult of the three venues being used this week. American Chris Kirk was a further stroke back after a six-under 64 at Monterey Peninsula but it was not a good day for defending champion Phil Mickelson who triple-bogeyed the last at Pebble Beach for a 73 to finish right on the cutline. Snedeker was delighted to remain on track for his first victory of the year, despite losing momentum over the closing stretch where he failed to take advantage of a few good birdie opportunities. “I played great, pretty much from start to finish,” he told CBS. “I hit a lot of irons real close on the front nine ... and that was a great way to finish (the nine) but I didn't really make a putt,” Snedeker said. “I had a bunch of six or eight-footers.” Four-times champion Mickelson, who won last week's Phoenix Open after a dominant display in the Arizona desert, was two-under for the day with three holes to play before his round unravelled. Mickelson hit two shots into the ocean while playing the 18th, slipping on rocks while looking for his errant drive, before completing his back nine in two-over 38. The three-round cut fell at one-under 213 with former world No. 1 David Duval and Padraig Harrington of Ireland among those failing to advance. — Agencies
