LEE SLATTERY has conceded defeat in his late bid to snatch a place in the end-of-season Dubai World Championships.

The Southport golfer has decided to call time on a campaign which has seen him notch up his maiden European Tour title.

Victory in the Bankia Madrid Masters raised hopes of a charge up the Race to Dubai rankings to grab one of the top 60 qualifying positions.

The Formby Hall player arrived for the South African Open in need of a top five finish to keep his chances alive, but after struggling on the greens he had to settle for 63rd.

He never matched his opening day two under par 70 at the Serengeti Club in Johannesburg, fading away with rounds of 72, 73 and 75. That was enough to convince the 33 years-old to take time out to recharge his energy levels ahead of an important 2012 programme.

“I hate to admit it but I have to accept that my heart really wasn't into playing the fourth round,” was Slattery’s frank assessment of his final competitive round of 2011.

“I had already decided to give the Hong Kong Open a miss before I went out to play and when, on the second, I three-putted after my birdie attempt horseshoed badly out of the hole all my motivation just went.

“I did not play that badly from tee to green but I did have a lot of three putts and a couple of more horseshoes that flattened my spirits.

“But having won in Madrid I am going to enjoy my mid-winter break.”

Hennie Otto produced the biggest birdie of his career to win his home Open by a shot.

The 35-year-old, without a top-five finish on the European Tour since he captured the 2008 Italian Open, was three clear of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger with six holes to play.

But Otto showed his nerves by failing to get out of a fairway bunker on the 13th, coming up short of the green at the 183-yard 15th and then duffing a chip on the par-five next.

All three mistakes led to bogeys and all of a sudden they were level.

But, with Wiesberger already in the clubhouse, Otto drove through the green at the downwind 375-yard 17th, chipped to six feet and made the birdie putt. By two-putting for par on the last he took the title with a closing 72 and 14 under total of 274 to become the sixth South African to win on the European circuit this season.