The 27-year-old South African birdied the first playoff hole on Sunday to beat Gareth Maybin and win the South African Open Championship -- his fifth European Tour victory and second in as many weeks.

Sterne, who won the Alfred Dunhill Championship last Sunday, closed with a six-under 66 in the final round to tie Maybin for the lead at 14-under-par 274.

Westwood finished 54 holes at 14-under 202 and is two shots clear at Pearl Valley Estates.

Overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera overcame two double-bogeys in the third round for an even-par 72. He managed an eagle at the fifth, but fell into a tie for second place with Gareth Maybin, who carded a three-under 69 on Saturday, at minus-12.

The 23-year-old Frenchman stood at 12-under-par 132 for a two-shot advantage over four players, including four-time winner Ernie Els (67) and Lee Westwood (68).

Lorenzo-Vera heads to the weekend at Pearl Valley seeking his first European Tour win.

Oskar Henningsson, who tied for eighth last week, is alone in second place at minus-seven.

World No.

Overall, there were 41 different winners in the 2008 season. Tiger Woods was credited with three titles -- one was a major, one a World Golf Championships event and the other was the Dubai Desert Classic.

With the Ryder Cup taking place in September, many of the stalwarts were expected to shine this season, but that was not the case. A couple of Europe's best not only struggled, but captain Nick Faldo also opted to not bring a couple of the continent's best to the event.

Sterne finished at 17-under-par 271 for his fourth career European Tour title, edging Johan Edfors (66) and Robert Rock (70) by one shot.

He gained from the terrific follies committed by the final group of Thomas Aiken and Len Mattiace, who both held the lead during the final round at Leopard Creek.

Aiken completed 54 holes at 18-under-par 198, which matched the tournament's 54-hole scoring record. David Frost was the first to post 198 in 1997 and he was matched by Adam Scott in 2001.

"I had no idea what the record was," said Aiken of the course record. "I heard a couple of mutters, but nothing confirmed. I hit a good shot off the tee at the last, and I was on the fairway and I had a four-iron to the green. Fortunately, I struck it well and that was that." Len Mattiace, who shared the lead after the first and second rounds, carded a six-under 66 and is alone in second at minus-17.

Mattiace, who shared the first-round lead with Michael Jonzon, completed two rounds at 11-under-par 133. He was joined atop the leaderboard by Robert Rock (67) and Oskar Henningsson (64).

Richard Sterne is alone in fourth place at minus-10 after posting a 66 in the second round.

Mattiace, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, has fallen out of the top 1,000 in the world rankings as his best finish in the last two years was a tie for 34th in a Nationwide Tour event.

Meanwhile, Jonzon is looking for his first European Tour victory since claiming the 1997 Portuguese Open.

"The patient, Severiano Ballesteros, has been discharged this morning by the Department of Neurosurgery and has already left the hospital," La Paz Hospital said in a statement. "He will continue to have outpatient treatment in the Departments of Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology." The five-time major champion was diagnosed with a brain tumor in October following a collapse at a Madrid airport.

A valve was put into Ballesteros' brain last week to drain fluid and doctors also repaired a bone defect that was brought on by one of his previous three surgeries.

Stenson, who led by eight strokes overnight, completed a wire-to-wire victory at 21-under-par 267. It was his second win in as many weeks after teaming with Robert Karlsson to claim the World Cup for Sweden last Sunday.

Posting three of four rounds in the 60s -- including a course record-tying 63 on Thursday -- Stenson came within four shots of Ernie Els' 1999 tournament scoring record of 25-under 263.

Stenson finished the last eight holes of his second round -- which was suspended Friday by a lightning storm -- and posted a 71 to carry a four-shot lead over Rory Sabbatini into the third round.

He then fired a seven-under 65 in the third round to move to 17-under-par 199 overall, taking an eight-shot lead over Karlsson heading into the final day at the Gary Player Country Club.

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, CEO of promoters "golf in Dubai," said everything was done to ensure the tournament could be played.

"[B]utwith thistournament we considered that the current economic uncertainty coupled with security concerns made it impossible for us to present the tournament in the manner that we would wish to for world class golfers," said Buamaim.

Stenson, who tied the course record with a nine-under 63 on Thursday, went two-under par on the front nine at the Gary Player Country Club before a lightning storm halted play. He was at 11-under par overall.

Sabbatini, who began the day five shots back of Stenson, remained there after also going two-under on the front nine. He was at six-under par.

Stenson matched Ernie Els' course record at the Gary Player Country Club on Thursday.

Els originally set the mark in the final round in 2002 en route to victory.

A valve was put into the Spaniard's brain to drain fluid and during the surgery, doctors also repaired a bone defect that was brought on by one of his previous three surgeries.

"The patient, Severiano Ballesteros, underwent scheduled surgery for the placement of a cephalorachidian fluid VP shunt. In the same intervention, the medical team has done a cranioplastia to the repair a bone defect.

Sweden completed the event at 27-under-par 261 for the first win for the country since 1991.

That year, Anders Forsbrand and Per-Ulrik Johansson were victorious by a single stroke over the team from Wales.

Fraser got into the clubhouse first after posting a stellar seven-under 65. Pampling carded a five-under 67 as the two finished regulation at 12-under-par 276.

On the first playoff hole, both players two-putted for par from long range. Back on the 18th, Fraser looked to be in trouble as his second found a greenside bunker After Pampling pitched his third to a foot, Fraser sank a 10-foot, par-saving putt.

Jimenez and Larrazabal, who led by four entering the third round, posted a five-under 67 and matched the Australians at 22-under-par 194.

The Swedish team of Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson carded a six-under 66 and are alone in third place at 18-under-par 198.

Allenby and Sim completed 54 holes at 10-under-par 206.

Allenby, a four-time winner on the European Tour, is looking to win his first title on any major professional tour since winning this crown in 2003, before the event was co-sponsored by the European Tour.

Spain finished 36 holes at 17-under 127 and is four ahead at Mission Hills Golf Club.

Overnight leader Germany, with Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka, only managed a three-under 69 on Friday. It fell into a tie for second place with the Australian tandem of Brendan Jones and Richard Green at minus-13.

Clark finished two rounds at seven-under-par 137 and is one shot clear at Huntingdale Golf Club.

Michael Sim (66) and Anthony Summers (68) share second place at six-under 138.

An afternoon lightning storm delayed play for nearly three hours, pushing the first round back far enough that it could not be completed before darkness fell.

It will resume Friday morning with 48 players returning to the course to complete their first 18 holes.

Kaymer and Cejka held a one-stroke lead on Australians Richard Green and Brendan Jones, while the United States team of Ben Curtis and Brandt Snedeker led a three-way tie for third place at eight-under 64.

The Americans were joined by Canada's Wes Heffernan and Graham DeLaet and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal.

The 34-year-old from Chinese Taipei tapped in a one-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to knock off Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy for the victory.

Francesco Molinari of Italy was ousted on the first playoff hole.