Oosthuizen victory lands Masters spot

A week after losing a three-shot lead and having his fourth runners-up finish the 27-year-old South African lifted the Andalucian Open in Malaga by three shots from Scot Peter Whiteford and Hull's Richard Finch.

The victory lifts Oosthuizen back into the world's top 50 just in time to earn him a second successive trip to The Masters and he said: "Unbelievable – that was my goal two months ago."

After dropping to 75th in the rankings he then came second and third in successive weeks in his home country, but even last weekend's near-miss left him almost certainly having to win at the Parador course to make it to Augusta.

Oosthuizen did it in impressive fashion, taking over at the top with a second day 63 and closing with rounds of 66 and 67 for a 17 under aggregate of 263.

After being drenched in champagne by fellow countryman Thomas Aiken and then kissing his wife and three-month-old daughter Jana he added: "I was quite nervous down the stretch and very nervous on the 18th tee. I just decided to hit it as hard as I could."

As for not letting another victory chance go begging the former amateur team-mate of current European Tour No 1 Charl Schwartzel stated: "I knew I was good enough to win one.

"Now I want to stay in the top 50 and be competitive every time I play."

After three birdies in his first five Oosthuizen had opened the gap, but a three-putt bogey at the 409-yard seventh gave the chasing pack hope.

Whiteford, never higher than sixth in 52 previous Tour events, suddenly emerged as the biggest threat thanks to five birdies in eight holes around the turn.

The 29-year-old from Kirkcaldy, forced to switch to his reserve driver when his favourite was stolen from his bag before the third round, had a chance to move only one behind when he hit a superb approach to 12 feet on the long 14th.

But he missed that and when he three-putted the next for bogey it made life a lot easier for Oosthuizen.

Whiteford, who came into the tournament 291st in the world, had found a driver he really liked at the start of the week and said after his 66: "I thought I had it sussed. Then I discovered it missing before I went to practise and the one I had to use for the last two days was rubbish. I'll get a replacement now."

Finch always looked two far behind after double-bogeying the short ninth, but two closing birdies gave him a 67 and brought him alongside Whiteford.

"All in all I'm delighted," he said.

Fellow Englishman Robert Coles, never higher than third in 266 events going back 15 years, was second at the start of the day, but a one over 71 saw him slip to joint fourth with Italian Francesco Molinari.

Bad weather frustrated Ernie Els in his bid to win two PGA Tour events in a row as he led by two shots at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Els, competing for the first time since his win at Doral, was 11 under par, two clear of American Kevin Na.

Na was alone in second, a shot in front of Els's fellow South African Retief Goosen, Ben Curtis and Chris Couch who were all on eight under.