Exclusive: Shaun Norris Stuns at Leopard Creek to Claim Alfred Dunhill Championship

Despite having won three times previously in South Africa on the Sunshine Tour, including one co-sanctioned event with the European tour, Shaun Norris was not on the lips of most fans as a potential winner of last weekend’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, adding to the sense of surprise when the 42-year-old snatched the prestigious title at Leopard Creek.

A Comeback for the Ages

Norris fired an inspired five-under-par 67 in the fourth round to post 13-under for the tournament and overturn a six-shot deficit in the final round to win one of the major South African championships. 

He saw off more fancied opponents like Sweden’s Marcus Kinholt, reigning Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Ryan van Velzen, record-breaking Frenchman Romain Langasque, well-travelled former SA Open champion Dean Burmester, veteran campaigner Joost Luiten and the ‘King’ of Leopard Creek, Charl Schwartzel, who has won this tournament four times and finished second on five occasions.

It was Norris’s 13th professional win, but perhaps the reason he is so under-rated at home is because seven of those triumphs have come in Japan. That is despite winning the Africa Open and the Nashua Masters, prime events on the Sunshine Tour, as well as the Steyn City Championship co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, and now the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The Johannesburg-born golfer has been ranked as high as 54th in the world, but does not always get mentioned as one of South Africa’s best golfers.

“This is my fourth win in South Africa so I’m not sure why golf fans don’t know me so well,” Norris told SportsBoom.com after his dramatic Leopard Creek win by one stroke. “I love playing on the Japan Tour though, it brings out my better golf.

Japan Tour Success and a Special Triumph 

“But the Japan Tour don’t advertise that much, they’re not on TV everywhere, but there are great golfers there who a lot of people don’t often get to see. Winning the Japan Open in 2021 is still my biggest win because it’s a national open, that was massive. This Alfred Dunhill Championship ranks next, and my next step is to try and win the South African Open,” Norris said.

Even after winning the Steyn City Championship in Johannesburg in 2022 and earning a DP World Tour card, Norris has continued to focus his energies on playing in Japan and also on the Asian Tour, where he has won twice.

But this time his schedule could change a bit, with Norris telling SportsBoom that he will add more DP World Tour events to his roster.

“I’ve got so much to look forward to over the next few years and I will definitely be making some changes. Right now it’s time for a holiday and spending time with the family.

“But this win shows that my golf is good enough to compete with the guys in Europe and to put my name on the same trophy as Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen is very special. I’ll definitely be starting a few more tournaments in Europe, in places like Dubai, Qatar etc,” Norris said.

LIV Golf Speculation 

Schwartzel, Grace and Oosthuizen are members of the Stinger GC in LIV Golf and three of that team were at Leopard Creek last weekend – Schwartzel, Burmester and defending champion Oosthuizen (who missed the cut).

Grace was absent because he was trying to save his spot on the LIV Tour in the Promotions event in Riyadh. He had to win the tournament to retain his card, but narrowly failed as he finished runner-up, two strokes behind Lee-Chieh Po from Taiwan.

Stinger, who have one of the strongest team identities on the LIV Tour because they are all South Africans, will now have to make a “business case” to the organisation for Grace to retain his place. This was confirmed to SportsBoom by Norris’s agent, who was wearing Stinger GC branded kit.

Norris has previously played on the LIV Tour, winning $1 million in 2022. So perhaps that is another option, if Grace falls out, for someone who surely wants to gain the appreciation and respect his exploits and more than €7 million in career—earnings deserve?