Dan Bradbury

Recipient of a late invitation to the 2022 Joburg Open, first event of The Open Qualifying Series and only his third start on the DP World Tour, the former Yorkshire boys’ captain stunned even himself with an incredible wire-to-wire three-stroke victory over Sami Valimaki.

Bradbury, only a few months into his professional career and with no Tour status, teed off at 1,397th on the world rankings, but began with an eight-under-par 63 which contained two eagles and seven birdies and eventually finished 21-under.

Back at the same event in November, he fired a closing 64 to grab the third and last qualifying spot for Royal Troon behind South Africans Dean Burmester and Darren Fichardt.

He spent four years at Lincoln Memorial University in the United States and achieved a record nine individual titles, then stepped up to Florida State University. His previous Tour start did offer a glimpse of what was to follow – he tied for 13th in October’s Spanish Open and that included a second round 64 and closing 65.

His liking for South Africa, though, was underlined with a fifth place finish at the 2023 Nedbank Challenge.