Wild Coast - He felt it was a bit scrappy, but Trevor Fisher jnr did enough to top R1 million in prize money for the year when he won the Wild Waves Golf Challenge with his 13-under-par total on Friday.
The 33-year-old defeated Ross Wellington by two strokes at the par-70 Wild Coast Country Club, a margin he managed to open out on the 15th hole at which point the pair was locked together at 11-under-par.
“Ross three-putted there, and when I made birdie, I could breathe a little easier,” said Fisher. “But it’s never easy closing out a tournament, and the 18th was not easy with a very tough pin position.”
But he did close it out with a well-crafted par, while Wellington battled his way to a bogey, and he took his fifth Sunshine Tour title and his first at the coast.
It was his first victory since he won in Bloemfontein in 2009, and has put an explanation point on a season which has included four other top-10s – his best a share of third in the Joburg Open.
His R95 100 winner’s cheque consolidated his position in fifth on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and pushed his season winnings over the R1 million mark - the most he’s ever won on the tour since he turned professional in 2002.
He’s also the top money-winner who is campaigning in South Africa, with the four players above him all in Europe or the United States.
“I didn’t hit the ball well today,” said Fisher, but his final-round four-under-par 66 belied that: He was bogey-free while all about him in the top 10 was making bogeys.
For a long while, Wellington didn’t look like succumbing to the pressure, but it had its effect on 15 and again on 18, after he had made birdie on 17 to close the gap on Fisher to one ahead of the tough finishing hole.
But Wellington pulled his drive into a fairway bunker on the right and wasn’t able to put his ball on the green with his approach from there. His chip was only just on the putting surface, and with the speed of the greens pretty severe, a two putt for bogey was the best he could hope for.
Fisher, on the other hand, played his approach from the right rough to just short of the green, below the hole, and a calm two-putt for par saw him home.
One shot behind Wellington was Oliver Bekker, who carded a final-round 66, while rookie Danie van Tonder completed a second consecutive top-five finish with his closing 67 and fourth place.
FINAL SCORES (RSA unless specified):
197 - Trevor Fisher jnr 64 67 66
199 - Ross Wellington 67 64 68
200 - Oliver Bekker 69 65 66
201 - Danie van Tonder 64 70 67
202 - Ulrich van den Berg 67 68 67
203 - Warren Abery 68 68 67
204 - Charl Coetzee 68 69 67
205 - Christiaan Basson 71 67 67, Matthew Carvell 68 70 67, Doug McGuigan 68 69 68, PG van Zyl 70 67 68, Andrew Georgiou 68 68 69, Steven Ferreira 68 68 69, Derik Ferreira 70 64 71
206 - Neil Schietekat 64 73 69, Tyrone Ferreira 67 70 69, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 70 67 69, Justin Harding 68 67 71, Tyrone Ryan 67 66 73
207 - Michiel Bothma 70 65 72
208 - Louis Calitz 70 68 70, Brandon Pieters 67 71 70, Daniel Greene 66 71 71, Ruan de Smidt 72 65 71
209 - PH McIntyre 69 71 69, Grant Muller 72 66 71, Mark Fensham 68 70 71, Grant Veenstra 72 66 71
210 - JJ Senekal 69 71 70, Theunis Spangenberg 71 69 70, Jake Roos 73 66 71, Allan Versfeld 69 69 72, Jared Harvey 69 69 72, Desvonde Botes 66 69 75, Vaughn Groenewald 66 67 77
211 - Chris Erasmus 70 69 72, Jacques Blaauw 71 68 72, Johan du Buisson 69 69 73
212 - Andrew Curlewis 69 71 72
213 - Morne Buys 70 70 73
The 33-year-old defeated Ross Wellington by two strokes at the par-70 Wild Coast Country Club, a margin he managed to open out on the 15th hole at which point the pair was locked together at 11-under-par.
“Ross three-putted there, and when I made birdie, I could breathe a little easier,” said Fisher. “But it’s never easy closing out a tournament, and the 18th was not easy with a very tough pin position.”
But he did close it out with a well-crafted par, while Wellington battled his way to a bogey, and he took his fifth Sunshine Tour title and his first at the coast.
It was his first victory since he won in Bloemfontein in 2009, and has put an explanation point on a season which has included four other top-10s – his best a share of third in the Joburg Open.
His R95 100 winner’s cheque consolidated his position in fifth on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and pushed his season winnings over the R1 million mark - the most he’s ever won on the tour since he turned professional in 2002.
He’s also the top money-winner who is campaigning in South Africa, with the four players above him all in Europe or the United States.
“I didn’t hit the ball well today,” said Fisher, but his final-round four-under-par 66 belied that: He was bogey-free while all about him in the top 10 was making bogeys.
For a long while, Wellington didn’t look like succumbing to the pressure, but it had its effect on 15 and again on 18, after he had made birdie on 17 to close the gap on Fisher to one ahead of the tough finishing hole.
But Wellington pulled his drive into a fairway bunker on the right and wasn’t able to put his ball on the green with his approach from there. His chip was only just on the putting surface, and with the speed of the greens pretty severe, a two putt for bogey was the best he could hope for.
Fisher, on the other hand, played his approach from the right rough to just short of the green, below the hole, and a calm two-putt for par saw him home.
One shot behind Wellington was Oliver Bekker, who carded a final-round 66, while rookie Danie van Tonder completed a second consecutive top-five finish with his closing 67 and fourth place.
FINAL SCORES (RSA unless specified):
197 - Trevor Fisher jnr 64 67 66
199 - Ross Wellington 67 64 68
200 - Oliver Bekker 69 65 66
201 - Danie van Tonder 64 70 67
202 - Ulrich van den Berg 67 68 67
203 - Warren Abery 68 68 67
204 - Charl Coetzee 68 69 67
205 - Christiaan Basson 71 67 67, Matthew Carvell 68 70 67, Doug McGuigan 68 69 68, PG van Zyl 70 67 68, Andrew Georgiou 68 68 69, Steven Ferreira 68 68 69, Derik Ferreira 70 64 71
206 - Neil Schietekat 64 73 69, Tyrone Ferreira 67 70 69, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 70 67 69, Justin Harding 68 67 71, Tyrone Ryan 67 66 73
207 - Michiel Bothma 70 65 72
208 - Louis Calitz 70 68 70, Brandon Pieters 67 71 70, Daniel Greene 66 71 71, Ruan de Smidt 72 65 71
209 - PH McIntyre 69 71 69, Grant Muller 72 66 71, Mark Fensham 68 70 71, Grant Veenstra 72 66 71
210 - JJ Senekal 69 71 70, Theunis Spangenberg 71 69 70, Jake Roos 73 66 71, Allan Versfeld 69 69 72, Jared Harvey 69 69 72, Desvonde Botes 66 69 75, Vaughn Groenewald 66 67 77
211 - Chris Erasmus 70 69 72, Jacques Blaauw 71 68 72, Johan du Buisson 69 69 73
212 - Andrew Curlewis 69 71 72
213 - Morne Buys 70 70 73