After opening with a 64 (-7) to sit just behind South African Jonathan Broomhead, Max followed up with a 65 (-6) on Friday to storm into the lead at 13 under par going into the weekend.
Despite being in unfamiliar territory at the top of the leaderboard, the 25-year-old Austrian handled the pressure with remarkable composure. He opened Saturday’s round with birdies on holes 1 and 4, added two more, and reached 16 under par, stretching his lead. Even a bogey on 6 couldn’t slow him down.
On the back nine, Max stayed aggressive – draining three more birdies early on to pull away from the chasing pack. A closing birdie on the final par 5 sealed another 65 (-6), and he entered the final round at 19 under, one shot ahead of Daniel Van Tonder (RSA).
Final-Round Thriller
Sunday began just as strongly. Max birdied the opening par 5, stayed steady through the front nine, and widened the gap with another birdie on 6. Although a bogey on 8 allowed Van Tonder to close in, both players birdied 9 and headed into the back nine locked in a two-man battle for the title.
Max remained locked in, picking up birdies on 11, 12, and the par-3 14th. With the rest of the field fading, only Van Tonder stayed in the hunt thanks to a birdie on 15.
On the 16th, things tightened when Max made a bogey, allowing Van Tonder to tie it up at 23 under with just two holes to go. But Max responded like a true champion. While Van Tonder settled for par on 18, Max drained a clutch birdie putt in front of the crowd – closing with a 66 (-5) to win at 24 under par.
Building Momentum for the Season Ahead
With this emphatic victory, Max earns valuable points for the Official World Golf Ranking.
For now, he remains focused on both tours:
“This win doesn’t drastically change my original plan. I’ll accept Sunshine Tour membership and continue playing the Challenge Tour events as scheduled. It’s a great bonus to now also be eligible for co-sanctioned DP World Tour events,” Max explained after the win.
2025 couldn’t have started on a stronger note.
Official World Golf Ranking
Leaderboard
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