Publications
Partners
George - Oliver Bekker was “speechless” when he lifted the Dimension Data Pro-Am trophy on Sunday, but his golf had already done the talking across the Links, Montagu and Outeniqua courses at Fancourt.
“Every time I finish with a win everybody looks so excited, but I am just relieved that I managed to stay in front. It’s like a weight has lifted off your shoulders,” he said.
Two late bogeys kept him on his toes, but Bekker composed himself and sealed the deal with a 10-footer for birdie at the 18th, ending his second round at Montagu in 70 strokes and underscoring his victory.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win the Di-Data (Pro-Am) – it’s one of the premier events on our tour – it’s what you dream about on the Sunshine Tour,” said the 27-year-old.
The tournament sees 156 professionals team up with amateurs in a betterball format, while the professional competition is played in a strokeplay format. All players play a round at The Links, Outeniqua and Montagu courses, ahead of a cut and a final round at Montagu. The team of Jean Hugo and Sunshine Tour executive director Selwyn Nathan successfully defended their title with a 31-under-par betterball tally.
Bekker headed into the final round at 11-under, one stroke clear of Merrick Bremner. He had a quiet front stretch and only moved ahead of par at the ninth, where he made birdie.
He raced into the second nine, making birdies at the 10th and 11th, but could not sustain the pace and dropped shots at the 13th and 15th, giving his chasers a sniff of victory.
But the Stellenbosch Golf Club professional would not be outdone and played regulation golf until the 18th, where he boxed a 10-footer for a two-stroke victory over Thomas Aiken and Tyrone Ferreira.
Ferreira burst into contention when he eagled the 18th, but Bekker stayed ahead, and composure won the day. Aiken was hindered by drops at the third, 14th and 15th and failed to overcome the deficit.
Bekker won the Northern Cape Classic last year, but felt that his win in George outshone his maiden victory. “This win really eclipses my first victory. To play these courses and to come out on top is really something,” he said.
He opened the tournament with a superb 65 at Montagu and went on to card 70 at Outeniqua on day two, all the while staying up there. His third round, which he played at The Links, started horribly – he double-bogeyed the first and bogeyed the third – but he recovered the shots with a birdie at the seventh and an eagle at the ninth. He eventually signed for 71 at the par-73 course to head into Sunday at 11-under.
By the end of Sunday, Bekker was far happier with his game and was ready to tackle the next tournament. “The things I am working on are simple, and you end up focusing on those things and that actually helps you to play well. It narrows your focus,” he said.
Scores (RSA unless specified):
276 - Oliver Bekker 65 70 71 70
278 - Tyrone Ferreira 69 70 70 69, Thomas Aiken 68 71 70 69
280 - Shaun Norris 75 68 69 68, Merrick Bremner 72 72 63 73
281 - Derik Ferreira 71 73 72 65, Jean Hugo 70 68 70 73
283 - Charl Coetzee 74 69 70 70, Michael Hollick 71 71 72 69, Dawie Van der Walt 72 77 67 67, Divan van den Heever 67 67 75 74, James Kingston 68 72 68 75, Simon Wakefield (ENG) 71 71 66 75
284 - Kyle Scott 71 72 72 69, Desvonde Botes 69 74 69 72, Tjaart van der Walt 70 70 73 71, Anthony Michael 72 74 64 74
285 - PH McIntyre 73 68 72 72, Doug McGuigan 72 72 71 70, Bruce McDonald (ZIM) 70 74 71 70, Jacques Blaauw 72 71 75 67, Hennie Otto 67 73 69 76
286 - JJ Senekal 79 70 68 69, Mark Murless 72 69 70 75
287 - Michiel Bothma 69 71 76 71, Daniel Greene 72 72 68 75, Warren Abery 65 72 73 77
288 - Branden Grace 69 74 72 73, Steven Ferreira 71 73 71 73, Darren Fichardt 71 73 72 72, James Kamte 72 70 75 71, Jake Redman 70 68 73 77
289 - Neil Schietekat 67 74 73 75, Jared Harvey 74 71 73 71, Alex Haindl 71 74 73 71, Andrew Curlewis 71 73 71 74, Matthew Carvell 73 72 73 71, Martin Maritz 77 75 66 71, Morne Buys 67 71 70 81
290 - Ryan Tipping 78 69 68 75, David Dragoo (USA) 74 69 75 72, Christiaan Basson 74 73 70 73, Colin Nel 74 72 71 73
291 - Riekus Nortje 75 71 73 72, Justin Walters 76 71 70 74, Andre van Zyl 73 74 71 73, Grant Veenstra 68 76 75 72, Theunis Spangenberg 71 73 75 72
292 - Ruan de Smidt 72 75 69 76, Dean O'Riley 75 69 74 74, Lyle Rowe 70 73 76 73, Danie van Tonder 76 70 73 73, Grant Muller 75 74 71 72, Divan Gerber 71 77 72 72
293 - Mark Williams 71 72 77 73
294 - Chris Erasmus 69 75 73 77, Des Terblanche 70 73 76 75, Daniel Hammond 71 72 77 74
295 - Louis Moolman 72 74 71 78, Ulrich van den Berg 70 72 76 77, Andrew Georgiou 74 72 73 76, Dean Burmester 78 70 71 76, Lindani Ndwandwe 71 74 74 76
297 - Louis Calitz 70 73 75 79, Thabang Simon 72 68 80 77
298 - Albert Pistorius 71 75 74 78, Francois Haughton 69 70 81 78
299 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 72 74 74 79
“Every time I finish with a win everybody looks so excited, but I am just relieved that I managed to stay in front. It’s like a weight has lifted off your shoulders,” he said.
Two late bogeys kept him on his toes, but Bekker composed himself and sealed the deal with a 10-footer for birdie at the 18th, ending his second round at Montagu in 70 strokes and underscoring his victory.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win the Di-Data (Pro-Am) – it’s one of the premier events on our tour – it’s what you dream about on the Sunshine Tour,” said the 27-year-old.
The tournament sees 156 professionals team up with amateurs in a betterball format, while the professional competition is played in a strokeplay format. All players play a round at The Links, Outeniqua and Montagu courses, ahead of a cut and a final round at Montagu. The team of Jean Hugo and Sunshine Tour executive director Selwyn Nathan successfully defended their title with a 31-under-par betterball tally.
Bekker headed into the final round at 11-under, one stroke clear of Merrick Bremner. He had a quiet front stretch and only moved ahead of par at the ninth, where he made birdie.
He raced into the second nine, making birdies at the 10th and 11th, but could not sustain the pace and dropped shots at the 13th and 15th, giving his chasers a sniff of victory.
But the Stellenbosch Golf Club professional would not be outdone and played regulation golf until the 18th, where he boxed a 10-footer for a two-stroke victory over Thomas Aiken and Tyrone Ferreira.
Ferreira burst into contention when he eagled the 18th, but Bekker stayed ahead, and composure won the day. Aiken was hindered by drops at the third, 14th and 15th and failed to overcome the deficit.
Bekker won the Northern Cape Classic last year, but felt that his win in George outshone his maiden victory. “This win really eclipses my first victory. To play these courses and to come out on top is really something,” he said.
He opened the tournament with a superb 65 at Montagu and went on to card 70 at Outeniqua on day two, all the while staying up there. His third round, which he played at The Links, started horribly – he double-bogeyed the first and bogeyed the third – but he recovered the shots with a birdie at the seventh and an eagle at the ninth. He eventually signed for 71 at the par-73 course to head into Sunday at 11-under.
By the end of Sunday, Bekker was far happier with his game and was ready to tackle the next tournament. “The things I am working on are simple, and you end up focusing on those things and that actually helps you to play well. It narrows your focus,” he said.
Scores (RSA unless specified):
276 - Oliver Bekker 65 70 71 70
278 - Tyrone Ferreira 69 70 70 69, Thomas Aiken 68 71 70 69
280 - Shaun Norris 75 68 69 68, Merrick Bremner 72 72 63 73
281 - Derik Ferreira 71 73 72 65, Jean Hugo 70 68 70 73
283 - Charl Coetzee 74 69 70 70, Michael Hollick 71 71 72 69, Dawie Van der Walt 72 77 67 67, Divan van den Heever 67 67 75 74, James Kingston 68 72 68 75, Simon Wakefield (ENG) 71 71 66 75
284 - Kyle Scott 71 72 72 69, Desvonde Botes 69 74 69 72, Tjaart van der Walt 70 70 73 71, Anthony Michael 72 74 64 74
285 - PH McIntyre 73 68 72 72, Doug McGuigan 72 72 71 70, Bruce McDonald (ZIM) 70 74 71 70, Jacques Blaauw 72 71 75 67, Hennie Otto 67 73 69 76
286 - JJ Senekal 79 70 68 69, Mark Murless 72 69 70 75
287 - Michiel Bothma 69 71 76 71, Daniel Greene 72 72 68 75, Warren Abery 65 72 73 77
288 - Branden Grace 69 74 72 73, Steven Ferreira 71 73 71 73, Darren Fichardt 71 73 72 72, James Kamte 72 70 75 71, Jake Redman 70 68 73 77
289 - Neil Schietekat 67 74 73 75, Jared Harvey 74 71 73 71, Alex Haindl 71 74 73 71, Andrew Curlewis 71 73 71 74, Matthew Carvell 73 72 73 71, Martin Maritz 77 75 66 71, Morne Buys 67 71 70 81
290 - Ryan Tipping 78 69 68 75, David Dragoo (USA) 74 69 75 72, Christiaan Basson 74 73 70 73, Colin Nel 74 72 71 73
291 - Riekus Nortje 75 71 73 72, Justin Walters 76 71 70 74, Andre van Zyl 73 74 71 73, Grant Veenstra 68 76 75 72, Theunis Spangenberg 71 73 75 72
292 - Ruan de Smidt 72 75 69 76, Dean O'Riley 75 69 74 74, Lyle Rowe 70 73 76 73, Danie van Tonder 76 70 73 73, Grant Muller 75 74 71 72, Divan Gerber 71 77 72 72
293 - Mark Williams 71 72 77 73
294 - Chris Erasmus 69 75 73 77, Des Terblanche 70 73 76 75, Daniel Hammond 71 72 77 74
295 - Louis Moolman 72 74 71 78, Ulrich van den Berg 70 72 76 77, Andrew Georgiou 74 72 73 76, Dean Burmester 78 70 71 76, Lindani Ndwandwe 71 74 74 76
297 - Louis Calitz 70 73 75 79, Thabang Simon 72 68 80 77
298 - Albert Pistorius 71 75 74 78, Francois Haughton 69 70 81 78
299 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 72 74 74 79
