Englishman Matthew Baldwin slammed the door shut on the rest of the field as he stormed to a seven-shot victory at the SDC Championship at St Francis links in South Africa, securing his maiden DP World Tour victory in his 200th start.
It has taken Baldwin 11 years to break through on the DP World Tour. You would never have thought that the Englishman was new to this situation as he navigated his way during the final round after leading by four overnight.
He shot out of the blocks, making three birdies on the front side to extend his lead to six, keeping the chasing pack well and truly at arm’s length over a fairly stress-free closing stretch, finishing the tournament at 18-under-par.
Spainard Adri Arnaus finished alone in second place at 11-under-par.
The tough times Baldwin has endured over the course of his career makes this victory that much sweeter. In 2015, he had to shut down his season due to illness, and had to undergo two rounds of surgery before inevitably losing his card in 2016.
He has bounced back and forth from the Challenge Tour and the DP World Tour since 2018, his 19th placed finish on last season’s Road to Mallorca was enough to confirm his status for 2023.
"I can't process it right now but it just means the world to me,” Baldwin said following his victory via the European Tour website.
"I'm not 100 per cent sure what's just happened! It's been a tough few years, so obviously to get the win means absolutely everything.”
The 37-year-old Southport native dedicated his win to his late step-father, “It’s been a tough 12 months. My stepdad died last May, and this is for him."
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