Darius van Driel collected his first career title on the DP World Tour with a two-shot victory at the Kenya Open.
The 34-year-old Dutchman began the final day tied for the lead alongside Spain’s Manuel Elvira but carded a four-under 67 in the final round at the Muthaiga Golf Club which included an eagle and three birdies to end as tournament winner on 14 under, two shots ahead of Nacho Elvira, brother of Manuel, and England’s Joe Dean.
Despite losing his tour card last year, Van Driel successfully navigated through Q-school to secure a spot in the 2024 season. This win means that he has become the first player this season to seal a wire-to-wire victory.
“It means a lot, I never thought it [winning] would hit this hard,” Van Driel said. “It is a dream come true. I kept my emotions cool all round, but after that last putt it is all coming out.”
Dean, who finished second, stated the prize money he has earned from his performance is “life-changing”.
Dean matched van Driel by also carding a four-under 67 in the final round to finish on 12 under and claim a prize of £170,000 ($215,500).
“It’s got to be [life changing]. It’s what people dream of,” said Dean. “After the last three or four years I never thought I’d get another chance.”
The next event on the DP World Tour schedule is the SDC Championship taking place between 29 Feb – 3 Mar at St. Francis Golf Links in South Africa.