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Windhoek - He was just trying to get it close on the 16th, but when his putt from two metres off the green on the 16th went in, JG Claassen had made the putt which won him the R1.2-million MTC Namibia PGA Championship.
It gave the rookie his maiden victory in just his fifth tournament as a professional, and it came in just the second event in which he made the cut.
“It’s been a bit of struggle,” he admitted after he’d sunk to his knees in relief on his way to sign his scorecard, “but this more than makes up for the tough times I’ve had this year.”
After that monster putt, he went on to card a final-round six-under-par 65 on the 6,570-metre par-71 Windhoek Country Club, and it was fitting that the best round of the day should win the tournament.
He finished on 16-under-par 268, one stroke clear of overnight leader Christiaan Basson, with Josh Cunliffe a further two shots behind.
“Christiaan had a putt for birdie on 16,” said Claassen, “so I was just trying to get mine close, take par and get going again on 17.”
Instead, it was the second big putt in a row that went down for him, and he was suddenly in pole position as he walked up the 18th fairway after his approach shot found the fringe to the left of the big green.
He putted again, but he went three feet past the hole, leaving himself with a knee-trembler to secure the victory.
But it went securely into the hole, and Basson paid dearly for his dropped shot on the second – a fault which Claassen managed not to duplicate throughout a flawless final round.
He missed the cut in his first tournament as a pro in the Joburg Open, but two weeks later, he earned his first cheque with a share of 20th in the Zimbabwe Open – it was for R14,291.66.
He then missed cuts in the Dimension Data Pro-Am and the Telkom PGA Championship, prompting him to head to Namibia more in hope than in confidence.
His length off the tee immediately caught the eye, and he opened with a respectable two-under 69.
A pair of consecutive 67s put him in contention going into the final round, and he handled the pressure of trying to chase down Basson, who held a two-stroke edge, with aplomb – apparently.
“I did feel the pressure,” he admitted, “but I just concentrated on what I was doing, and, when I got those birdies on 15 and 16, I knew I had a chance.”
That chance gave him a cheque which vindicates the decision of any successful amateur to turn pro – it was for R190,200.
Scoreboard: (RSA unless specified):
268 - JG Claassen 69 67 67 65
269 - Christiaan Basson 65 70 66 68
271 - Josh Cunliffe 70 68 66 67
273 - Ryan Tipping 67 67 70 69
274 - Justin Walters 65 70 70 69
275 - Alex Haindl 71 72 65 67, Branden Grace 68 69 70 68, Trevor Fisher Jnr 68 70 68 69, Jake Roos 67 72 66 70, Bradford Vaughan 69 70 66 70
276 - Peter Karmis 70 69 68 69, Jean Hugo 68 69 68 71, Albert Pistorius 66 69 69 72
277 - Desvonde Botes 73 66 68 70
278 - Michiel Bothma 68 70 69 71, Vaughn Groenewald 63 74 68 73
279 - Colin Nel 71 68 72 68, Matthew Carvell 71 71 71 66, Warren Abery 71 72 67 69, Prinavin Nelson 65 68 74 72
280 - Tyrone Ferreira 68 75 69 68, Justin Harding 71 68 73 68, Divan van den Heever 69 69 71 71, Darren Fichardt 68 69 71 72, Ryan Thompson 68 71 69 72
281 - Joe Nawanga (NAM) 67 73 71 70, Louis de Jager 67 69 72 73
282 - Bryce Easton 71 67 73 71, Andrew Georgiou 70 73 70 69, Dean O'Riley 69 71 71 71, Jbe' Kruger 70 71 72 69, Brandon Pieters 71 71 69 71, Oliver Bekker 68 70 72 72, Francois Hanekom 70 67 76 69, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 69 72 69 72
283 - Grant Muller 70 71 71 71, Tyrone Mordt 69 69 71 74, David Hewan 71 70 74 68
284 - Bennie van der Merwe 70 73 70 71, Marius Beukes 69 69 72 74, Mark Murless 73 69 68 74, Jacques Blaauw 70 67 72 75, Johan du Buisson 73 70 72 69, Doug McGuigan 71 65 71 77, Omar Sandys 70 69 76 69
285 - Wallie Coetsee 69 73 70 73, Allan Versfeld 67 70 74 74, Alexandre Chopard (SUI) 68 72 73 72, Tyrone Ryan 77 66 71 71, Lourens Kleynhans 76 66 72 71, Divan Gerber 67 74 73 71, Steven Ferreira 68 69 77 71, Thabang Simon 71 71 74 69, Ulrich van den Berg 71 72 75 67
286 - Andre Cruse 73 66 75 72, Daniel Greene 70 69 76 71
288 - Mark Fensham 69 72 71 76, Mark Williams 69 71 72 76, Callie Swart 72 67 73 76, Jeremy Kavanagh (ENG) 70 71 72 75, Ockie Strydom 70 69 74 75
289 - TC Charamba (ZIM) 71 71 73 74, Derek Scullard 72 69 74 74, Jake Redman 69 73 74 73, Louis Moolman 74 68 77 70
291 - Walter Els 69 72 73 77
292 - Johan Etsebeth 68 74 76 74
RTD - Robson Saurombe (ZIM) 70 73 76 RTD
It gave the rookie his maiden victory in just his fifth tournament as a professional, and it came in just the second event in which he made the cut.
“It’s been a bit of struggle,” he admitted after he’d sunk to his knees in relief on his way to sign his scorecard, “but this more than makes up for the tough times I’ve had this year.”
After that monster putt, he went on to card a final-round six-under-par 65 on the 6,570-metre par-71 Windhoek Country Club, and it was fitting that the best round of the day should win the tournament.
He finished on 16-under-par 268, one stroke clear of overnight leader Christiaan Basson, with Josh Cunliffe a further two shots behind.
“Christiaan had a putt for birdie on 16,” said Claassen, “so I was just trying to get mine close, take par and get going again on 17.”
Instead, it was the second big putt in a row that went down for him, and he was suddenly in pole position as he walked up the 18th fairway after his approach shot found the fringe to the left of the big green.
He putted again, but he went three feet past the hole, leaving himself with a knee-trembler to secure the victory.
But it went securely into the hole, and Basson paid dearly for his dropped shot on the second – a fault which Claassen managed not to duplicate throughout a flawless final round.
He missed the cut in his first tournament as a pro in the Joburg Open, but two weeks later, he earned his first cheque with a share of 20th in the Zimbabwe Open – it was for R14,291.66.
He then missed cuts in the Dimension Data Pro-Am and the Telkom PGA Championship, prompting him to head to Namibia more in hope than in confidence.
His length off the tee immediately caught the eye, and he opened with a respectable two-under 69.
A pair of consecutive 67s put him in contention going into the final round, and he handled the pressure of trying to chase down Basson, who held a two-stroke edge, with aplomb – apparently.
“I did feel the pressure,” he admitted, “but I just concentrated on what I was doing, and, when I got those birdies on 15 and 16, I knew I had a chance.”
That chance gave him a cheque which vindicates the decision of any successful amateur to turn pro – it was for R190,200.
Scoreboard: (RSA unless specified):
268 - JG Claassen 69 67 67 65
269 - Christiaan Basson 65 70 66 68
271 - Josh Cunliffe 70 68 66 67
273 - Ryan Tipping 67 67 70 69
274 - Justin Walters 65 70 70 69
275 - Alex Haindl 71 72 65 67, Branden Grace 68 69 70 68, Trevor Fisher Jnr 68 70 68 69, Jake Roos 67 72 66 70, Bradford Vaughan 69 70 66 70
276 - Peter Karmis 70 69 68 69, Jean Hugo 68 69 68 71, Albert Pistorius 66 69 69 72
277 - Desvonde Botes 73 66 68 70
278 - Michiel Bothma 68 70 69 71, Vaughn Groenewald 63 74 68 73
279 - Colin Nel 71 68 72 68, Matthew Carvell 71 71 71 66, Warren Abery 71 72 67 69, Prinavin Nelson 65 68 74 72
280 - Tyrone Ferreira 68 75 69 68, Justin Harding 71 68 73 68, Divan van den Heever 69 69 71 71, Darren Fichardt 68 69 71 72, Ryan Thompson 68 71 69 72
281 - Joe Nawanga (NAM) 67 73 71 70, Louis de Jager 67 69 72 73
282 - Bryce Easton 71 67 73 71, Andrew Georgiou 70 73 70 69, Dean O'Riley 69 71 71 71, Jbe' Kruger 70 71 72 69, Brandon Pieters 71 71 69 71, Oliver Bekker 68 70 72 72, Francois Hanekom 70 67 76 69, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 69 72 69 72
283 - Grant Muller 70 71 71 71, Tyrone Mordt 69 69 71 74, David Hewan 71 70 74 68
284 - Bennie van der Merwe 70 73 70 71, Marius Beukes 69 69 72 74, Mark Murless 73 69 68 74, Jacques Blaauw 70 67 72 75, Johan du Buisson 73 70 72 69, Doug McGuigan 71 65 71 77, Omar Sandys 70 69 76 69
285 - Wallie Coetsee 69 73 70 73, Allan Versfeld 67 70 74 74, Alexandre Chopard (SUI) 68 72 73 72, Tyrone Ryan 77 66 71 71, Lourens Kleynhans 76 66 72 71, Divan Gerber 67 74 73 71, Steven Ferreira 68 69 77 71, Thabang Simon 71 71 74 69, Ulrich van den Berg 71 72 75 67
286 - Andre Cruse 73 66 75 72, Daniel Greene 70 69 76 71
288 - Mark Fensham 69 72 71 76, Mark Williams 69 71 72 76, Callie Swart 72 67 73 76, Jeremy Kavanagh (ENG) 70 71 72 75, Ockie Strydom 70 69 74 75
289 - TC Charamba (ZIM) 71 71 73 74, Derek Scullard 72 69 74 74, Jake Redman 69 73 74 73, Louis Moolman 74 68 77 70
291 - Walter Els 69 72 73 77
292 - Johan Etsebeth 68 74 76 74
RTD - Robson Saurombe (ZIM) 70 73 76 RTD
