«We lost Him»:Golf’s Greatest Player dies in hostage drama

Cape Town —  South African golfing star Wayne Westner has died in an apparent hostage drama on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Wednesday morning.

According to the South Coast Herald website, police spokesperson Captain Vincent Pandarum confirmed the identity of the deceased man, who died as the result of a gunshot wound to the right side of his head, as Westner.

Horrific unconfirmed news coming through of the suicide of SA legend Wayne Westner this morning.

— Duncan Cruickshank (@duncanbsc) January 4, 2017

Westner is alleged to have held his wife hostage before committing suicide.

Westner, 55, was best known for winning the South African Open in 1988 and 1991 — on both occasions at Durban Country Club — where his power and prodigious length off the tee enabled him to use a 1-iron to navigate his way around the notoriously tight layout.

He won 14 professional events, including two European Tour events, as well as the 1996 World Cup of Golf at Erinvale Golf Club in Somerset West alongside SA golfing great, Ernie Els.

His career was unfortunately cut short through injury in 1998.

At one point he was ranked as high as 40th in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Throwback-Thursday: @TheBig_Easy & Wayne Westner combined to win the 1996 World Cup on home soil at Erinvale GC. pic.twitter.com/6kwxQMxpFT

— Golf Digest S-Africa (@GolfDigestSA) May 5, 2016

Westner had recently been coaching aspiring young professionals at the Wayne Westner Golf College in KwaZulu-Natal.

This is a developing story and will be updated…