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Stellenbosch - He wavered only briefly when he bogeyed the 12th at Stellenbosch Golf Club, but Jean Hugo made three more birdies on the way home as he won the Vodacom Business Origins of Golf event there.
He was never headed after he opened with a six-under-par 66, and he closed that way too, bookending his second-round 67 nicely, and only Shaun Norris came close as he, too, closed with a 66 to get to within three strokes of Hugo.
“It’s awesome, you know,” said Hugo of his victory in front of an appreciative group of fans and members of the club where he started playing at the age of 15. “I only made one bogey all week, and I liked the way I finished.
“Shaun was pushing and a lot of guys were pushing when I made bogey on 12, so I had to dig deep.
“It was special. The people started walking along with me from early on this morning, so I had support all the way through,” he added.
His three-stroke lead at the beginning of the round never shrunk to fewer than two strokes, but Stellenbosch member Oliver Bekker, in particular, made a real charge at Hugo with five birdies in the opening nine.
But Bekker was unable to get his putts to go down on his way home as he made just two more birdies, and his 65 was enough to get him into third alone – his best performance in a Sunshine Tour event.
Norris was left regretting his tee-off time in the rain-affected opening round: He went out in the morning and was stymied by a one hour and 40-minute delay during his even-par 72. He fired an eight-under 64 in round two, and a six-under 66 in the final round.
Hugo started quietly in front of the spectators, not picking up a single stroke until the fifth.
But, once he started, he made it count: He eagled the 442m par-five eighth to turn in three-under 33, and another birdie at 10 seemed to have set him on his way.
There was the momentary wobble at 12, but he regrouped and was impressive in his serenity and focus on the way home.
It was his second victory in the Origins series, after his win in the opening event at Gardener Ross outside Pretoria in April.
“I certainly started out well,” he said “by winning on a tough golf course. Stellenbosch is a traditional course, and it was long and wet this week, and I like those challenges.”
Bekker and Norris found out, and Hugo will be a difficult customer to beat at the series finale at Oubaai on October 13.
Scores (RSA unless specified):
199 - Jean Hugo 66 67 66
202 - Shaun Norris 72 64 66
204 - Oliver Bekker 71 68 65
205 - Keenan Davidse 72 67 66, Louis de Jager 68 69 68
206 - Des Terblanche 69 69 68
207 - Warren Abery 71 68 68
208 - Garth Mulroy 71 72 65
209 - Martin Maritz 70 72 67, Christiaan Basson 68 74 67, Adilson da Silva (BRA) 71 70 68, Darren Fichardt 71 70 68
210 - Louis Calitz 75 69 66, Steve Basson 70 69 71, Jacques Blaauw 71 65 74
211 - Andrew Curlewis 75 71 65, Johan du Buisson 76 68 67, Danie van Niekerk (Jnr) 68 72 71, Willie van der Merwe 69 69 73
212 - Bradford Vaughan 72 74 66, Neil Schietekat 69 72 71, Louis Moolman 67 72 73, Thabang Simon 68 69 75
213 - Charl Coetzee 72 72 69, Jaco Van Zyl 71 72 70, Ulrich van den Berg 71 72 70, Grant Veenstra 70 72 71, PH McIntyre 71 71 71, David Hewan 70 70 73
214 - Dion Fourie 71 69 74
215 - Josh Cunliffe 73 73 69, Omar Sandys 70 73 72
216 - Doug McGuigan 72 74 70, Theunis Spangenberg 71 73 72
217 - Darren Blair 70 76 71, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 75 70 72
218 - Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 75 71 72, Titch Moore 73 73 72, Reggie Adams 72 74 72, Ryan Thompson 74 72 72, Divan van den Heever 72 72 74
219 - Nic Henning 74 72 73
220 - Derik Ferreira 75 67 78
221 - Darryn Lloyd 72 72 77
He was never headed after he opened with a six-under-par 66, and he closed that way too, bookending his second-round 67 nicely, and only Shaun Norris came close as he, too, closed with a 66 to get to within three strokes of Hugo.
“It’s awesome, you know,” said Hugo of his victory in front of an appreciative group of fans and members of the club where he started playing at the age of 15. “I only made one bogey all week, and I liked the way I finished.
“Shaun was pushing and a lot of guys were pushing when I made bogey on 12, so I had to dig deep.
“It was special. The people started walking along with me from early on this morning, so I had support all the way through,” he added.
His three-stroke lead at the beginning of the round never shrunk to fewer than two strokes, but Stellenbosch member Oliver Bekker, in particular, made a real charge at Hugo with five birdies in the opening nine.
But Bekker was unable to get his putts to go down on his way home as he made just two more birdies, and his 65 was enough to get him into third alone – his best performance in a Sunshine Tour event.
Norris was left regretting his tee-off time in the rain-affected opening round: He went out in the morning and was stymied by a one hour and 40-minute delay during his even-par 72. He fired an eight-under 64 in round two, and a six-under 66 in the final round.
Hugo started quietly in front of the spectators, not picking up a single stroke until the fifth.
But, once he started, he made it count: He eagled the 442m par-five eighth to turn in three-under 33, and another birdie at 10 seemed to have set him on his way.
There was the momentary wobble at 12, but he regrouped and was impressive in his serenity and focus on the way home.
It was his second victory in the Origins series, after his win in the opening event at Gardener Ross outside Pretoria in April.
“I certainly started out well,” he said “by winning on a tough golf course. Stellenbosch is a traditional course, and it was long and wet this week, and I like those challenges.”
Bekker and Norris found out, and Hugo will be a difficult customer to beat at the series finale at Oubaai on October 13.
Scores (RSA unless specified):
199 - Jean Hugo 66 67 66
202 - Shaun Norris 72 64 66
204 - Oliver Bekker 71 68 65
205 - Keenan Davidse 72 67 66, Louis de Jager 68 69 68
206 - Des Terblanche 69 69 68
207 - Warren Abery 71 68 68
208 - Garth Mulroy 71 72 65
209 - Martin Maritz 70 72 67, Christiaan Basson 68 74 67, Adilson da Silva (BRA) 71 70 68, Darren Fichardt 71 70 68
210 - Louis Calitz 75 69 66, Steve Basson 70 69 71, Jacques Blaauw 71 65 74
211 - Andrew Curlewis 75 71 65, Johan du Buisson 76 68 67, Danie van Niekerk (Jnr) 68 72 71, Willie van der Merwe 69 69 73
212 - Bradford Vaughan 72 74 66, Neil Schietekat 69 72 71, Louis Moolman 67 72 73, Thabang Simon 68 69 75
213 - Charl Coetzee 72 72 69, Jaco Van Zyl 71 72 70, Ulrich van den Berg 71 72 70, Grant Veenstra 70 72 71, PH McIntyre 71 71 71, David Hewan 70 70 73
214 - Dion Fourie 71 69 74
215 - Josh Cunliffe 73 73 69, Omar Sandys 70 73 72
216 - Doug McGuigan 72 74 70, Theunis Spangenberg 71 73 72
217 - Darren Blair 70 76 71, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 75 70 72
218 - Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 75 71 72, Titch Moore 73 73 72, Reggie Adams 72 74 72, Ryan Thompson 74 72 72, Divan van den Heever 72 72 74
219 - Nic Henning 74 72 73
220 - Derik Ferreira 75 67 78
221 - Darryn Lloyd 72 72 77
