South Africa's Michael Hollick wins maiden DP World Tour title at BMW International Open

The 39-year-old Durbanite shared the overnight lead heading into Sunday's final round and was briefly three shots behind his compatriot with two holes to play at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried.

However, Du Plessis, who narrowly missed out on his first win at this level on three consecutive starts in Africa earlier this season, bogeyed the 17th and could only make par at the last to leave the door ajar for Hollick.

Hollick had bogeyed the 16th but made amends with a brilliant birdie at the penultimate hole before taking on a dangerous line off the final tee.

It paid dividends as he just avoided the water and then produced a stunning approach to 20 feet to set up the tournament-winning eagle putt, which he drained for a remarkable victory.

He finished at 18 under after an eagle, six birdies and three bogeys in his closing 67, with Du Plessis' final-round 66 only good enough for second place as his wait for success continues.

The nerves were definitely jangling as the leading pair of Bernd Wiesberger and Hollick each dropped shots inside the opening three holes, with Du Plessis joining them at 12 under after birdieing the second.

Du Plessis nudged ahead on his own with birdie at the fifth, only for Hollick and Wiesberger to both pick up a shot at the sixth to rejoin the lead at 13 under.

A birdie at the next came for Hollick and when he completed his hat-trick at the eighth, he was the solo leader at 15 under.

Wiesberger was one behind when following suit at the eighth, while Du Plessis sat alongside the Austrian at 14 under after finishing his front nine with a birdie.

The South African jumped into joint leadership when Hollick bogeyed the ninth, with Wiesberger still one behind when dropping a shot on the same hole.

Du Plessis regained the solo lead with a clutch birdie putt at the 11th, but Hollick would not go away and copied the South African's score to sit at the summit at 15 under.

Another birdie followed at the 13th for Du Plessis to go back in front, but Hollick once again matched his leading rival at the same hole as the pair were locked at 16 under.

However, Du Plessis finally opened up  some distance ahead of his compatriot with brilliant approaches into the 14th and 15th to complete a treble of birdies.

He was at 18 under, but Du Plessis was now three clear after Hollick made an untimely bogey at the 16th.

It was not plain sailing though as the leader had been in trouble at the par-three 17th and dropped a shot to slip back to 17 under.

Hollick produced a superb tee-shot at the penultimate hole and rolled in from six feet to halve the deficit, with Du Plessis looking nervous ahead.

After finding the fairway bunker with his tee-shot, he was fortuitous when narrowly avoiding the water hazard and finding safety. Du Plessis two-putted for par and set a 17-under target as Hollick teed off at the last.

He narrowly missed the water hazard with his tight line, but Hollick attacked the final pin to leave 20 feet for victory, which prompted wild celebrations as his ball found the cup.

Wiesberger was three shots further back in third at 14 under, Oihan Guillamoundeguy and Carlos Ortiz were in a tie for fourth at 12 under and local favourite Thomas Rosenmueller also eagled the last to jump into solo sixth.

Ashun Wu and Joaquin Niemann both carded 70 to finish in a share of seventh at ten under, with Marco Penge, Joe Dean, Kiradech Aphribarnrat and Victor Perez one shot further back.

READ MORE: SA's Michael Hollick eyes fairytale DP World Tour triumph in Munich