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Harare - Chris Swanepoel began his Sunday round five strokes shy of the lead, and would never have guessed he would end up with his first playoff win and the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open title.
“It’s a fantastic feeling. I love playing out here on this fantastic course - it has a lovely layout. It’s my first playoff win in three tries, and it’s an incredible feeling,” he said.
The 27-year-old fired on all cylinders on his way to the playoff, pencilling in 10 birdies to reach 15-under-par and catch a faltering Trevor Fisher and then outdo him in a playoff.
“This is a nice win,” said Swanepoel. “Against Fisher - he’s a really good player and a good guy. I feel sorry for him, but unfortunately there can only be one winner, we can’t split it.”
The Pretoria resident’s round carried only four pars, and was a real spectacle. He opened with four straight birdies and added another two before the turn. A double-bogey at the ninth set him back to six-under through the turn.
On the back nine he continued to dominate the Royal Harare course, making birdies on either side of an eagle at the 12th. But then another double-drop at the par-three 15th seemed to spell heartbreak. But the 2011 Vodacom Origins Arabella winner brought back the dropped shots with birdies at the 16th and 18th.
While he waited in the clubhouse, Fisher was struggling to finish things, and a missed four-footer for par at the 18th left him tied with Swanepoel.
And so the playoff was set on the 18th. The first trip saw both players make pars, but on the second Fisher went left and into the trees with his tee-shot. Swanepoel made the green in regulation and put his birdie putt just a foot past the hole. Fisher, putting for par for 15 feet, failed to box the long putt, which left Swanepoel with a tap-in for victory.
Rookie Ruan de Smidt finished alone in third place at on 13-under-par, taking home a cool R103 800, while Colin Nel took fourth at nine-under.
Jean Hugo, Titch Moore and Justin Walters all came in at eight-under, finishing in a three-way tie for fifth.
Swanepoel was still shocked by the outcome, and happily added: “I thought today one of us might get up there, but I didn’t think I was going to get into a playoff. I just decided to take it shot-by-shot, and the result is really great.”
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
273 - Chris Swanepoel (RSA) 71 69 69 64
273 - Trevor Fisher Jnr (RSA) 70 65 69 69
275 - Ruan de Smidt (RSA) 70 65 69 71
279 - Colin Nel (RSA) 70 69 73 67
280 - Jean Hugo (RSA) 71 71 69 69, Titch Moore (RSA) 71 74 65 70, Justin Walters (RSA) 72 66 69 73
281 - Desvonde Botes (RSA) 71 69 72 69
283 - Anthony Michael (RSA) 73 71 72 67, Tyrone Ryan (RSA) 71 75 70 67, Teboho Sefatsa (RSA) 72 71 71 69, Danie van Tonder (RSA) 72 71 68 72,Ulrich van den Berg (RSA) 69 69 71 74
284 - JJ Senekal (RSA) 71 73 71 69, Ben Mannix (ENG) 72 71 68 73, Dean Burmester (RSA) 75 68 67 74, Andrew Curlewis (RSA) 68 70 71 75
285 - Toto Thimba (Jnr) 69 76 71 69, Jacques van Tonder (RSA) 74 72 70 69, Des Terblanche (RSA) 73 69 71 72
286 - Jake Roos (RSA) 71 70 77 68, TC Charamba (ZIM) 72 72 72 70, Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 73 72 70 71, Justin Harding (RSA) 76 70 68 72
287 - Andrew Georgiou (RSA) 72 71 75 69, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 70 72 75 70, Matthew Carvell (RSA) 67 72 75 73, Daniel Greene (RSA) 71 71 70 75
288 - Louis de Jager (RSA) 75 70 70 73, Albert Pistorius (RSA) 66 70 74 78
289 - Bryce Easton (RSA) 74 71 74 70, Micky Hough (ZIM) 74 72 73 70, Jeff Inglis (ENG) 73 72 72 72, Jared Harvey (RSA) 75 69 72 73, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 75 69 70 75,Callie Swart (RSA) 70 69 73 77, Graham van der Merwe (RSA) 72 72 68 77
290 - Jason Scrivener (AUS) 73 72 73 72, Lyle Rowe (RSA) 67 75 75 73
291 - Daniel Hammond (RSA) 72 74 76 69, Shaun Norris (RSA) 72 71 78 70, Jacques Blaauw (RSA) 71 73 76 71, Chris Erasmus (RSA) 76 69 72 74,Christiaan Basson (RSA) 71 72 72 76, Allan Versfeld (RSA) 79 65 71 76
292 - Grant Muller (RSA) 72 73 77 70, James Kamte (RSA) 73 70 77 72, Jason Jackson (ZIM) 76 70 73 73, Coenie Stoop (RSA) 75 70 73 74, Wallie Coetsee (RSA) 71 74 72 75,Wynand Dingle (RSA) 71 73 70 78
293 - Lindani Ndwandwe (RSA) 75 71 74 73, Brett Liddle (RSA) 70 75 74 74
294 - Prinavin Nelson (RSA) 72 74 72 76
295 - Robson Saurombe (ZIM) 70 76 78 71, Mark Fensham (RSA) 74 71 77 73, Ryan Thompson (RSA) 72 71 74 78
296 - Alan Michell (RSA) 72 70 80 74, Riekus Nortje (RSA) 71 73 77 75, Divan Gerber (RSA) 74 72 75 75, Steven van Heerden (RSA) 70 72 76 78
297 - JG Claassen (RSA) 75 71 77 74, Michael Scholz (RSA) 74 72 77 74, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu (ZIM) 74 71 76 76
298 - Shane Pringle (ZIM) 71 75 76 76, Irvin Mazibuko (RSA) 67 74 76 81
299 - Keenan Davidse (RSA) 72 73 78 76
300 - Tyrone Ferreira (RSA) 73 71 80 76
302 - Dismas Indiza (KEN) 71 73 75 83
306 - Derick Petersen (RSA) 70 73 82 81
307 - Jack Kutumane (RSA) 74 72 83 78
“It’s a fantastic feeling. I love playing out here on this fantastic course - it has a lovely layout. It’s my first playoff win in three tries, and it’s an incredible feeling,” he said.
The 27-year-old fired on all cylinders on his way to the playoff, pencilling in 10 birdies to reach 15-under-par and catch a faltering Trevor Fisher and then outdo him in a playoff.
“This is a nice win,” said Swanepoel. “Against Fisher - he’s a really good player and a good guy. I feel sorry for him, but unfortunately there can only be one winner, we can’t split it.”
The Pretoria resident’s round carried only four pars, and was a real spectacle. He opened with four straight birdies and added another two before the turn. A double-bogey at the ninth set him back to six-under through the turn.
On the back nine he continued to dominate the Royal Harare course, making birdies on either side of an eagle at the 12th. But then another double-drop at the par-three 15th seemed to spell heartbreak. But the 2011 Vodacom Origins Arabella winner brought back the dropped shots with birdies at the 16th and 18th.
While he waited in the clubhouse, Fisher was struggling to finish things, and a missed four-footer for par at the 18th left him tied with Swanepoel.
And so the playoff was set on the 18th. The first trip saw both players make pars, but on the second Fisher went left and into the trees with his tee-shot. Swanepoel made the green in regulation and put his birdie putt just a foot past the hole. Fisher, putting for par for 15 feet, failed to box the long putt, which left Swanepoel with a tap-in for victory.
Rookie Ruan de Smidt finished alone in third place at on 13-under-par, taking home a cool R103 800, while Colin Nel took fourth at nine-under.
Jean Hugo, Titch Moore and Justin Walters all came in at eight-under, finishing in a three-way tie for fifth.
Swanepoel was still shocked by the outcome, and happily added: “I thought today one of us might get up there, but I didn’t think I was going to get into a playoff. I just decided to take it shot-by-shot, and the result is really great.”
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
273 - Chris Swanepoel (RSA) 71 69 69 64
273 - Trevor Fisher Jnr (RSA) 70 65 69 69
275 - Ruan de Smidt (RSA) 70 65 69 71
279 - Colin Nel (RSA) 70 69 73 67
280 - Jean Hugo (RSA) 71 71 69 69, Titch Moore (RSA) 71 74 65 70, Justin Walters (RSA) 72 66 69 73
281 - Desvonde Botes (RSA) 71 69 72 69
283 - Anthony Michael (RSA) 73 71 72 67, Tyrone Ryan (RSA) 71 75 70 67, Teboho Sefatsa (RSA) 72 71 71 69, Danie van Tonder (RSA) 72 71 68 72,Ulrich van den Berg (RSA) 69 69 71 74
284 - JJ Senekal (RSA) 71 73 71 69, Ben Mannix (ENG) 72 71 68 73, Dean Burmester (RSA) 75 68 67 74, Andrew Curlewis (RSA) 68 70 71 75
285 - Toto Thimba (Jnr) 69 76 71 69, Jacques van Tonder (RSA) 74 72 70 69, Des Terblanche (RSA) 73 69 71 72
286 - Jake Roos (RSA) 71 70 77 68, TC Charamba (ZIM) 72 72 72 70, Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 73 72 70 71, Justin Harding (RSA) 76 70 68 72
287 - Andrew Georgiou (RSA) 72 71 75 69, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 70 72 75 70, Matthew Carvell (RSA) 67 72 75 73, Daniel Greene (RSA) 71 71 70 75
288 - Louis de Jager (RSA) 75 70 70 73, Albert Pistorius (RSA) 66 70 74 78
289 - Bryce Easton (RSA) 74 71 74 70, Micky Hough (ZIM) 74 72 73 70, Jeff Inglis (ENG) 73 72 72 72, Jared Harvey (RSA) 75 69 72 73, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 75 69 70 75,Callie Swart (RSA) 70 69 73 77, Graham van der Merwe (RSA) 72 72 68 77
290 - Jason Scrivener (AUS) 73 72 73 72, Lyle Rowe (RSA) 67 75 75 73
291 - Daniel Hammond (RSA) 72 74 76 69, Shaun Norris (RSA) 72 71 78 70, Jacques Blaauw (RSA) 71 73 76 71, Chris Erasmus (RSA) 76 69 72 74,Christiaan Basson (RSA) 71 72 72 76, Allan Versfeld (RSA) 79 65 71 76
292 - Grant Muller (RSA) 72 73 77 70, James Kamte (RSA) 73 70 77 72, Jason Jackson (ZIM) 76 70 73 73, Coenie Stoop (RSA) 75 70 73 74, Wallie Coetsee (RSA) 71 74 72 75,Wynand Dingle (RSA) 71 73 70 78
293 - Lindani Ndwandwe (RSA) 75 71 74 73, Brett Liddle (RSA) 70 75 74 74
294 - Prinavin Nelson (RSA) 72 74 72 76
295 - Robson Saurombe (ZIM) 70 76 78 71, Mark Fensham (RSA) 74 71 77 73, Ryan Thompson (RSA) 72 71 74 78
296 - Alan Michell (RSA) 72 70 80 74, Riekus Nortje (RSA) 71 73 77 75, Divan Gerber (RSA) 74 72 75 75, Steven van Heerden (RSA) 70 72 76 78
297 - JG Claassen (RSA) 75 71 77 74, Michael Scholz (RSA) 74 72 77 74, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu (ZIM) 74 71 76 76
298 - Shane Pringle (ZIM) 71 75 76 76, Irvin Mazibuko (RSA) 67 74 76 81
299 - Keenan Davidse (RSA) 72 73 78 76
300 - Tyrone Ferreira (RSA) 73 71 80 76
302 - Dismas Indiza (KEN) 71 73 75 83
306 - Derick Petersen (RSA) 70 73 82 81
307 - Jack Kutumane (RSA) 74 72 83 78
