South African Open Golf Championship, top scorers of the tournament
The 100th edition of the South African Open Golf Championship ended on Sunday. However, rain was not in favour of the event but all the action took place. Here is a quick recap of the happenings on the last day.
The Big Easy made good use of the home ground and surged into victory at the Durban Country Club with his five birdies and one eagle. The results were predictable in the first half when Ernie Els held on to the iron to sweep the fairways for three birdies.
The oversize postured Els is a South African and the winner of PGA Grand Slam 2010. Moreover, he is the owner of four SA Open titles, apart from the current and is known for his long drives and green hits in regulations.
One stroke behind and with an aggregate of 24-under-par was another home-grown seed, Retief Goosen. The veteran initially held the reigns but gave up in front of the powerful, Els. Goosen teed off from the front and bogeyed the third hole of the course.
The dropped shot spoiled the impression of the contender but did not stop him from reeling twin birdies at the seventh and eighth hole. He unbuttoned his gears on the closing nine holes where he fired five birdies without a loss. Goosen capped the day with a 6-under-par.
The third spot of the leader board and prize money of 626,260 South African Rand was occupied by the conqueror of St Andrews, Louis Oosthuizen. The South African lost the half way cut in NedBank Challenge but swore to make it to the final in this combat. Oosthuizen told the press on Saturday,
“I’ll be taking my back nine from today into tomorrow”.
He hammered four birdies in the back and two in the front to compile an aggregate of 21-under par. Three strokes behind was yet another local Charl Schwartzel. The veteran started with 65 in the first round and strolled towards 69 in the next two.
However, after realizing that the tournament had been reduced to 70 holes, Schwartzel hammered 18-under to vault his chances on the winner’s prize. To his despise, he missed the fairway on the first hole, which resulted in a 2-putt finish for a double bogey. He birdied the third green, which was later deemed by the officials, as unplayable and missed a par putt at the eighth hole.
However, the back nine was altogether a different story. Schwartzel eagled the first hole, birdied the next and smashed three more to compile a scorecard of 67.
The top fifth spot of the leader board was occupied by two veterans, who later shared the grand sum of R 347,067.50. Robert Rock from England and Romain Wattel from France, managed 16-under-par, on a rain-struck Durban Country Club. Rock trapped six birdies with the help of solid iron play but gave up a stroke on the par-4 sixth.
Meanwhile, Wattel picked up five birdies against one bogey and scored 68 on the final day. His best score of the 70-hole tournament was 66, which he attained in the second round. Wattels’ compatriot Victor Riu seized the seventh place alongside the German, Alexander Cejka.
Both the veterans started with a solid play, especially Cejka, who was in the lead in the first round. The German nailed 64 with his flawless putting skills but couldn’t maintain his aura in the next round.
He hardly made it to the par and settled with 15-under, in the 100th South African Open. On the other hand, Riu remained vaulted to 68 in the first three rounds but left a long gap of ten greens. He eagled the third and birdied the 14th and 18th hole for a 69.
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