Durban: Jeev Milkha Singh salvaged final round with three birdies in the last eight holes to finish tied 16th at the season-opening Volvo Golf Champions at the Durban Country Club.
Meanwhile local star, the 2010 Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen, carded the day's best of six-under 66 to storm from five shots behind to win the title in his first appearance of the New Year and also move to No 4 in World Rankings.
Oosthuizen's stunning final round left overnight leader Scotland's Scott Jamieson (72) in second place despite a closing birdie. Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee (68), who led after the first round, was third at 14-under 274, while two-time Open champion, Padraig Harrington (68) was fourth at 12-under 276.
Jeev, who was fourth after the first two rounds before dropping to 11th after the third round, looked like making a bid for a smart finish as he birdied the first and fourth.
Then he missed a couple of chances more before bogeying the par-5 eighth. Another bogey on par-5 10th spoilt his day, but then the Indian ace picked himself up with birdies on 12th, 14th and 18th.
It was his third birdie in four days at the closing hole of the traditional Durban Country Club.
"It's been a good start. I struck the ball well, particularly in the first two rounds. Now I need to keep the good work going as there is a lot of golf coming up," said Jeev, who moves to the Middle East swing with Abu Dhabi Open next week.
Oosthuizen, who won twice last season, and finished in top-10 seven more times, was winning his sixth European Tour title and the third in South Africa. His previous two wins at home came in Africa Open, where he will attempt a hat-trick next month.
This is the third year running Oosthuizen has won his first event of the calendar year he did that with Africa Open in 2011 and 2012.
Oosthuizen may well have thought that he had shot himself out of the tournament with a four-over 40 on the front nine in third round, but he came back strongly on the back nine to give himself an outside chance as Jamieson, winner of Nelson Mandela Championships, went five shots clear after 54 holes.
Oosthuizen was unstoppable, just as he was in second round when he carded 64. He birdied second, third, seventh and eighth and was four-under after eight holes even as Jamieson birdied third and fourth and double bogeyed fifth.
When the South African birdied 10th and 11th, he moved ahead and went further ahead with another birdie on 14th.
Jamieson added to his woes by missing birdies and then bogeying 16th, which was also bogeyed by Oosthuizen, who at that stage was 16-under and his par finish on 18th meant Jamieson coming one group behind in the leadergroup with Julien Quesne needed a eagle two to get into a play-off. He managed a birdie and a sole second place.
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