Louis Oosthuizen birdied his final two holes to successfully defend the Volvo Golf Champions at Durban Country Club.
The 31-year-old South African, who won The Open Championship at St. Andrews in 2010, shot a final round of 68 to finish one shot ahead of compatriot Branden Grace at 12-under to claim his seventh victory on the European Tour.
Oosthuizen suffered an injury plagued 2013, after claiming victory in Durban twelve months ago. With retaining this title, he also continues a remarkable run of beginning a year with victory on home soil for the fourth consecutive time.
However, it was a win that looked to have been thrown away after a bogey on the 16th. On Saturday, that same hole would cost Oosthuizen a treble bogey, but he managed to rebound on this occasion with closing birdies on the 17th and 18th to snatch the title from Grace, who won this title two years ago.
"After my tee shot on 16 I was lucky that I could chip it out and nearly made a great par," Oosthuizen said. "But when I stood over the ball on 17 I saw that Branden had made birdie on 18 so I knew that second shot was crucial to give myself a good opportunity and I hit it really close.
"And then 18, everyone thinks you just need to make a birdie but around that green it's not easy and luckily I was far enough past where I could pitch it back into the grain and get it close.
"It was nerve-wracking through the round but I finished strong and I'm just happy that I got it done. It's an awesome start for the year. Confidence-wise it's great.
"I haven't really played well last year with all the injuries so hopefully I can build from here on and just go better next time."
Oosthuizen will be hoping that 2014 progresses more smoothly than last season, which was savaged by injury problems. He had to withdraw from both the U.S. Open and Open Championship, before bypassing the PGA Championship entirely. It was a frustrating period for a player who had lost a playoff to Bubba Watson at the Masters Tournament the previous year, having claimed the Claret Jug by a dominant seven shots at the Home of Golf in 2010.
"I've got three weeks now that I really need to work on my back" Oosthuizen added. "It's still not 100 per cent. Luckily this week I didn't have to hit a lot of drivers, (given the relative short length of the course), but once I get to Augusta I need to hit driver."
Branden Grace, who won an incredible four European Tour titles in 2012, finished with two birdies in his final three holes, before having to anxiously watch Oosthuizen's finish on television. Afterwards, he reflected on that experience. "It was terrible watching it. But the winner at the end of the week is going to be the true champion and he played well so he deserves it. I thought I played some superb golf today. I let a couple slip out there which was unfortunate but if you had told me my first event I would start off with a second place, I would have taken it. This really gives you a push in the right direction so I'm really stoked."
22-year-old Tommy Fleetwood came into the final round with a one shot lead, but three bogeys on his front nine ended his chance for a second European Tour victory. The Johnnie Walker Championship winner would finish in a tie for third alongside talented Dutchman Joost Luiten at 10-under, with a resurgent Padraig Harrington alongside Raphael Jacquelin and Victor Dubuisson a shot further back at nine-under.
"Today was the best I have hit it off the tee all week and it was a shame the rest of the game let me down," Fleetwood said.
"After the long birdie putt on the second my putter went cold and it was not meant to be.
"It's always great when you can be leading going into the final round of such a big event. I could have been four under, shot 66 and finished on the same score and not learned half as much.
"You have to take the positives and I have finished tied third in the first event and overall it's been a very good week."
But it was a great week for a certain sweet swinging South African, as Louis Oosthuizen won on home soil once again.