South African golfer Ernie Els held off countryman Retief Goosen on Sunday to win the South African Open championship at Durban Country Club.

His victory margin was a single stroke, according to Sport24.

On the final day, Els and Goosen finished with a six-under 66 each over the 6157-meter layout in an enthralling head-to-head duel.

Els topped the leader board on 263,25 under par.

South Africans occupied the top places, with Louis Oosthuizen ( 66) third on 267 and Charl Schwartzel (67) fourth on 270.

Englishman Robert Rock (67) and French teenager Romain Wattel ( 68) shared fifth place on 272 and German Alexander Cejka and another Frenchman, Victor Riu, came next a stroke further back.