South African Branden Grace cruised to a seven-shot wire-to-wire victory on home soil at the Alfred Dunhill Championship after his main rivals failed to reel him in on the final day at Leopard Creek in Malelane.

The 26-year-old began the day with just a one-stroke lead over Lucas Bjerregaard but the Dane's bogey at the first immediately eased the pressure and when Grace birdied the next he had a three-shot cushion.

As Bjerregaard imploded after a triple-bogey six at the short seventh, covering the back nine in an incredible 50 shots , former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen, last week's Nedbank champion Danny Willett and Andrew Johnston all made a bid to challenge but all slipped up when they looked like getting close.

Oosthuizen finished second after a 69 at Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane but Grace was well clear on 20 under after a four-under round of 68.

Johnston was third on 11 under, with Willett and Trevor Fisher jnr tied for fourth, 10 shots behind the winner.

“It’s been a phenomenal week,” said Grace, who becomes the first player to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship,

“It’s been a long year, a hard, year but now it’s a fairytale ending just before Christmas.

“One of the main things this week has been the driving; I just put a new driver in the bag in Dubai and that’s been the key this week.”

Ireland's Kevin Phelan finished in a share of 33rd position on one under par after a level-par closing round of 72.