South African, 22, nearly equals Tiger Woods' record winning margin in maiden DP World Tour victory

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 10: Yurav Premlall of South Africa celebrates victory on the 18th green on day four of the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship 2026 at Real Club de Golf el Prat on May 10, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Yurav Premlall didn’t just capture his first DP World Tour title on Sunday.

He did so emphatically.

Premlall, the 22-year-old South African competing in just his 29th career DPWT event, won the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship by a whopping 14 shots, one stroke shy of tying Tiger Woods’ record 15-shot win at the 2000 U.S. Open.

Six shots back after the first round, Premlall fired 64-63-63 the rest of the way at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, Spain, finishing at 28 under.

“No words,” Premlall said. “I've worked so hard to get into this position and it's so rewarding to finally see the results of it. I mean, the last eight, nine months have been such a struggle just to build myself onto a platform where I know I could give myself a chance to win and to end up obviously in this position.

“I'm just so grateful so it's a dream come true.”

Premlall was making his ninth DPWT start of season and playing off Category 18 membership, which he obtained thanks to being one of two leading available players from the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit at the final stage of DPWT Q-School last November. His previous victories included the 2024 Vodacom Origins of Golf on the Sunshine Tour and a Big Easy Tour event in 2019 while Premlall was a 15-year-old amateur, who months prior became the youngest-ever qualifier for the South African Open. In 2021, he was low amateur at the South African Open while also winning the Nedbank Junior Challenge that year.

He entered this week’s tournament ranked No. 598 in the world rankings, having reached only as high as No. 462. This year, he’d also logged starts on the HotelPlanner and Sunshine tours when he didn’t get into the DPWT event that week. He’s already up to 13 worldwide starts this year alone.

Premlall was five shots clear of Stefano Mazzoli, who joined him in the final pairing, through 54 holes. But Mazzoli closed 4-over 76 while Premlall birdied six of his first nine holes, a stretch highlighted by a chip-in birdie at the par-4 eighth. Premlall pushed to 8 under on his round with a 14-foot birdie make at the par-3 13th before dropping his only shot at the No. 14. Birdies at Nos. 17 and 18 finished off his 9-under final round.

Countryman Shaun Norris was solo second at 14 under.