Former Dubai Desert Classic champion Wayne Westner has died at home in South Africa at the age of 55 after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. Local authorities are yet to reveal the circumstances of his death, which happened on Wednesday in Pennington in KwaZulu-Natal but he’s alleged to have taken his own life.
Westner won two European Tour events – including the 1993 Dubai Desert Classic – and was victorious at the World Cup of Golf in 1996 alongside Ernie Els before being forced to retire through injury in 1998.
Els, who is tournament host at next week’s BMW SA Open in Gauteng, said on Twitter: “Sad day, our friend Wayne Westner passed today. Great memories thank you my friend.”
Westner defeated compatriot Retief Goosen by two strokes to win the biggest individual title of his career at Emirates Golf Club, with Seve Ballesteros finishing third alongside Barry Lane.
