East London, South Africa (Sports Network) - Louis Oosthuizen birdied the first playoff hole Sunday to win the Africa Open.

Oosthuizen, who shared the third-round lead with Markus Brier, closed with a three-under 70 to join Chris Wood and Manuel Quiros at 16-under-par 276.

Wood carded a five-under 68, while Quiros closed with a four-under 69 to get into the playoff.

The threesome played No. 18 on the par-73 at East London Golf Club as the playoff hole. Oosthuizen, whose tee shot bounced out of the rough into the fairway, dropped his approach just inside 10 feet from the hole.

Wood, also playing from the short grass, hit his second to 25 feet. Quiros had the best drive, but knocked his approach over the 18th green.

Quiros got up and down for par before Wood two-putted for his par.

Oosthuizen, the reigning British Open champion, drained the birdie putt for his third European Tour victory.

"The whole day was a bit of a struggle," Oosthuizen admitted. "I didn't get anything in the hole and made that putt on 15 which helped. Then I made this one in the playoff, which was nice. I hit a terrible tee shot, then hit a full go sand-wedge to get close. Then I made the putt, it was great."

On a day when six different people owned at least a piece of the lead, it was Oosthuizen that came through in the end. Trailing by two strokes, he eagled the par-five 15th for the second straight day to join Wood and Quiros in the lead at minus-16.

Oosthuizen birdied the third and sixth to briefly take a one-stroke lead. He stumbled to a bogey on the ninth to fall one back. Oosthuizen parred eight of the last nine holes, but his eagle on 15 got him into the playoff.

The South African eagled 15 the last two days and played the hole in minus- five for the week.

"It's been one of those weeks where the putter was very cold, but my caddie kept me calm and said it would go in eventually," Oosthuizen said. "So I kept on trying and made that nice one on the last which I will remember."

Wood was the first in at 16-under. He was even-par through five holes, then carded back-to-back birdies from the sixth. After dropping a shot on No. 8, he bounced right back with a birdie on the ninth.

The Englishman moved to 15-under with birdies at 11 and 12. Those two birdies gave him a piece of the lead. Wood birdied the 15th for the third day in a row to get to minus-16. He parred the last three before being caught.

Quiros birdied three of the first six holes to grab a piece of the lead at 15- under. He slid back to minus-13 with bogeys on seven and 14. The Spaniard gained a spot in the playoff thanks to three straight birdies to close out his round.

Charl Schwartzel, the 2010 champion, closed with a three-under 70 to finish one stroke out of the playoff at 15-under-par 277. He was joined in fourth place by Steven O'Hara (66) and Jaco Van Zyl (70).

Robert Dinwiddie (69) took seventh place at minus-14, while Brier managed an even-par 73 to finish tied for eighth at 13-under-par 279.

NOTESS: Wood and Quiros were both going for their first tour title...Thomas Aiken, last year's runner-up, tied for 14th at minus-12 after closing with a 71...Shaun Norris, the 2008 champion, matched O'Hara and Scott Hend for the low round of the day as they all fired seven-under 66s...Schwartzel is expected to defend his title next week at the Joburg Open.