SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) — Kristoffer Reitan held on over the back nine Sunday and closed with an even-par 72 to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, his second European tour title of the year that will send him to the Masters for the first time.
The Norwegian began the final round with a five-shot lead, but he saw the lead shrink to a single stroke when he played the back nine without a birdie.
He held his nerve against Jayden Schaper of South Africa (68) and Dan Bradbury of England (66) for a one-shot victory.
Reitan, who earned a PGA Tour card for 2026 by finishing eighth in the Race to Dubai, also won the Soudal Open. His second victory moves him just outside the top 30 in the world rankings, assuring he will finish in the top 50 with one tournament left this year.
The top 50 earn Masters invitations.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. I had a lot of nerves today,” Reitan said. “But to get it over the line in the end is a better feeling than I can describe.”
Reitan finished at 17-under 271.
Reitan became the second European tour player Sunday who earned PGA Tour status through the Race to Dubai and won a tournament to get into the Masters. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen won the Australian Open, which came with a spot at the Masters.
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FILE - Kristoffer Reitan of Norway tees off the 6th hole during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
MONT-TREMBLANT, Quebec (AP) — Julia Scheib of Austria used a strong final run to win a World Cup giant slalom Sunday, with American standout Mikaela Shiffrin finishing in a tie for fourth place.
Scheib, who was in second place after the opening run, made up ground in a hurry to finish with a combined time of 2 minutes, 13 seconds. She edged Sara Hector of Sweden by 0.57 seconds. First-run leader Alice Robinson of New Zealand had a miscue in her run and slipped to third place.
Shiffrin narrowly missed being on the podium as she wound up in a tie with Swiss racer Camille Rast. Both were 1.17 seconds behind Scheib.
The 30-year-old Shiffrin hasn't been on the giant slalom podium since suffering her scary crash in the discipline in November 2024 at Killington, Vermont. She sustained a puncture wound and severe damage to her oblique muscles. She also has been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder in the GS because of the crash.
Shiffrin finished sixth in the event Saturday.
"Last year, I was returning from the injury and hoping that I could make it in the second run. I was three seconds behind the fastest girls with no hope of figuring out how to get faster,” Shiffrin said. “We’ve done a ton of work this summer to get to this place where I’m in the second run, I’m consistently top-10, around that area. … I’m building and it’s a really cool position to be in and there’s more work to do.”
American teammate Paula Moltzan, who was 18th after the first run, climbed into sixth place with a speedy performance. Nina O’Brien was in third place after the opening run but went out early in her second run and didn't finish.
This was the second career World Cup win for Scheib, who also captured the first GS race of the season in Austria.
“It's very special,” Scheib said. “The slope wasn't the easiest for me.”
Over the last two weeks, the 24-year-old Robinson has turned in three podium finishes on North American snow. She also won the GS at Mont-Tremblant on Saturday after taking the victory in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Nov. 29.
Valerie Grenier of Canada, who was third on her home course the day before, didn't finish her first run Sunday.
The next stop for the women's tour is next weekend in St. Moritz, Switzerland, for two downhill races and a super-G.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Mikaela Shiffrin, of United States, speeds down the course as she races in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Que., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Mikaela Shiffrin, of United States, speeds down the course as she races in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Que., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Alice Robinson, of New Zealand, speeds down the course as she races in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Que., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Alice Robinson, of New Zealand, speeds down the course as she races in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Que., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Julia Scheib, of Austria, speeds down the course as she races in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Que., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA speeds down the course as she races in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Que., Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)
Alice Robinson, of New Zealand, celebrates her first place finish in the women's World Cup giant slalom in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
