25-02-2025
Composed yet emotional, Kruyswijk secures landmark first DP World Tour victory in Kenya
South Africa's Jacques Kruyswijk secured his maiden DP World Tour title with a composed performance at the 2025 Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa, holding off England's John Parry to win by two shots.
Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, the 32-year-old faced early pressure as Parry surged ahead with back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth. But Kruyswijk responded with clutch birdie putts on the sixth and seventh, regaining the outright lead at the turn.
A superb up-and-down from the bunker on the tenth stretched his advantage to two, but Parry stayed within reach, cutting the gap to one with a birdie on the 12th.
However, a wayward tee shot from Parry on the 14th led to a costly bogey, allowing Kruyswijk to tighten his grip. A decisive 18-foot birdie on the 16th extended his lead to three, and he calmly parred his way home to seal victory at 18-under.
Parry finished solo second at 16-under, marking another strong result after a win and two runner-up finishes in Africa this season. Deon Germishuys placed third at 13-under, with fellow South African Jayden Schaper in fourth.
An emotional Kruyswijk, who was born in the city of Pretoria, dedicated the win to his family and supporters back home. 'I'm a little lost for words, but this is for my team, my friends, and for South Africa. Keeping the trophy on African soil makes me very proud.
'Wow!! What a crazy few hours this has been. A dream I have been chasing since I started playing this game and to finally be able to call myself a @dpworldtour winner is special'
He also praised the enthusiastic Kenyan crowd: 'The support has been unbelievable. The fans were out in numbers, and I can't thank them enough.'
