Joburg Open Review: Bradbury’s late burst, Jarvis denied a record equalling 3 in a row.
TOP 10 LEADERBOARD — JOBURG OPEN (Houghton GC)
Pos Player Score Total
1 Dan Bradbury -17 263
T2 Casey Jarvis -16 264
T2 Brandon Robinson Thompson -16 264
4 Hennie du Plessis -14 266
5 David Ravetto -13 267
T6 Louis Albertse -12 268
T6 Alex Fitzpatrick -12 268
T6 Adrian Otaegui -12 268
T6 Daniel van Tonder -12 268
T10 Justin Harding -10 270
T10 Patrick Reed -10 270A birdie at 17 and a nerveless up-and-down on 18. Dan Bradbury turned a chaotic Sunday at altitude into a second Joburg Open title, and stopped Casey Jarvis making it three straight.
The finish: one swing of momentum, then one chip to close the deal
Houghton Golf Club doesn’t usually hand you a quiet stroll home. Sunday proved it again, serving up the kind of back-nine theatre that separates contenders from champions.
Bradbury closed with a 65 to reach 17-under, winning by one from Jarvis and Brandon Robinson Thompson on 16-under. The decisive stretch was as clean as it was brutal: a birdie at 17 to edge in front, followed by the shot you’ll actually remember, a great chip on 18 under immense pressure to save par and close it out. While Jarvis chased a putt to extend the tournament, he couldn’t force extra holes, and Bradbury’s week ended with his hands on the trophy.
It’s Bradbury’s third DP World Tour win, and his first since the 2024 FedEx Open de France. Once again, Houghton proved to be the venue that fits his eye, a course that rewards precision under pressure, and punishes anyone who blinks first.
Jarvis: the near-miss that still confirms the rise of a new star
The narrative coming in was impossible to ignore: Casey Jarvis hunting a third consecutive title in a row. For a while, it looked like another home win was there to be taken. He got himself into the lead late, the crowd behind him, the momentum building, then came the bogey at 17. The edge came off the charge, and the door was shut by Bradbury.
Second place isn’t the headline Jarvis wanted, but it does something more important, it extends the sense that this isn’t a two-week heater. This is a player levelling up in real time, consistently contending, consistently threatening. More wins are sure to come, crrying great form into pending Masters debut in 3 weeks time.
Du Plessis: front-nine on fire, back-nine damage
Hennie Du Plessis looked set to bully the day when he reached the turn with a cushion. The front nine was his, the leaderboard was his, and for a stretch it felt like Houghton might finally hand him a home victory.
But Houghton’s traps and swivelling pressure ended his chance. Critical moments of his round, where the tournament slipped away where at 15 and 16, two holes where the final round required taking and he just faltered to wal through that proverbial champions door.
He still finished fourth at -14, a strong week by any measure. But it will feel like one where he had both hands on the trophy, then dropped it.
P Reed pops up again, and that matters for the bigger picture
Patrick Reed finished T10 at -10, another solid week in what’s become a very deliberate DP World Tour run. No trophy this time, but the accumulation of R2D points has been the mission, keep banking results, keep collecting points, keep staying relevant across tours.
Reed’s strategy is clear now, grind out finishes, stay in the R2D and Majors conversations, let the consistency do the talking, frankly It’s working.
P&L update (Joburg Open)
Carryover (after Investec South African Open): -£15.62.
Joburg Open (2026) — settled
Jayden Schaper 7/1 EW (Top 12, 1/5): T15 — -£2.00
Thriston Lawrence 22/1 EW (Top 12, 1/5): MC — -£2.00
Shaun Norris 70/1 EW (Top 12, 1/5): MC — -£2.00
Week stake: £6.00
Week return: £0.00
Week P&L: -£6.00
Updated running P&L: -£21.62