The Englishman held his nerve to sink a 15 foot birdie putt on the 18th to beat his compatriot, Andy Sullivan, and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello by a single stroke.

Sullivan, who finished second in Dubai less than three months ago to Rory McIlroy in the DP World Tour Championship, closed with a 68, while Cabrera-Bello notched up his second successive runner-up finish after Doha the week before.

The 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge winner, Willett, says he is ecstatic with his win and had to refocus before teeing it up on the 18th.

"I'm ecstatic," he said.

"You can't buy that feeling, coming down the back nine, the last three holes, in contention in a golf tournament. It's something that you can't pay for in life. You've got to earn it.

"Coming down the last with all the situations that were going on. It's just nice to know that I can dig deep there and produce.

You'd love to win by five or six every time you win, but when you win in that fashion, it does feel that little bit extra special.

"It's a relatively daunting last hole. I needed to make a four to win. So I'm just delighted with how I dug deep and found it."

The win is expected to move Willett into the world’s top 15 for the first time.

The European Tour now moves back to South Africa this week for the co-sanctioned Tshwane Open at the Pretoria Golf Club.

Morgan Piek/OFM News