Johannesburg - Teboho Sefatsa has been touring without a win for nine long years, but all of that changed with his one-stroke victory at the BMG Classic on Sunday.
“I’ve finally broken through and it feels fantastic. It hasn’t totally hit me yet, but I’m sure when I get home it will sink in. My career really takes off from here - this is where the hard work begins,” he said.
It’s amazing what confidence does for golfers, as Sefatsa proved with his victory, which came exactly a month after he won the Big Easy Tour Order of Merit.
“I’ve got to give thanks to the Big Easy Tour - I played the whole season there and it honed my game. I won the Order of Merit and it got me prepared for the second half of the season. I’m really grateful for that, and I’m chuffed that I could turn that success into a win,” he said.
The 29-year-old plays out of Glendower and put local knowledge to good use on the back nine, keeping bogeys off his card until the 18th. His long run without a drop shifted all of the pressure to his chasers, who faltered under the strain.
Merrick Bremner managed a final-round 69 to claim sole second at nine-under-par, while overnight leader Matthew Carvell shot a Sunday 71 to share third with Desvonde Botes.
But Sefatsa was paying little attention to his competitors on Sunday, focusing instead on his own game.
“I wasn’t feeling the pressure until the final hole,” he said. “I knew I had one hand on the trophy and I just needed to put the other one on it. I was ecstatic after I made that last putt,” he said.
That’s not to say Sefatsa was quiet during the final round - he roared through the front nine in 32 blows, courtesy of an eagle at the second and birdies at the first, seventh and eighth.
It was a special day for the Germiston resident, who has been grinding without success for so long. And it was really a great kick-start to summer - Sefatsa automatically moves into category 3c until the end of 2013, which means he’ll have oodles of
confidence and few worries going into the lucrative co-sanctioned events this summer.
“Onto bigger things with more hard work, so I’ve got to keep going. The sky is the limit. Everyone has their turn - you just have to be patient and work hard - that pays off in the end,” he said.
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
206 - Teboho Sefatsa 70 68 68
207 - Merrick Bremner 73 65 69
208 - Desvonde Botes 67 72 69, Matthew Carvell 68 69 71
209 - Jake Redman 65 74 70
210 - Neil Schietekat 73 71 66
211 - Doug McGuigan 72 69 70
212 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 72 69 71, Tyrone Mordt 70 69 73
213 - Pieter Moolman 70 72 71, Ben Mannix (ENG) 69 71 73, Jean Hugo 71 73 69
214 - Chris Swanepoel 74 68 72, Wallie Coetsee 74 69 71, Dean Burmester 71 70 73, Andre Cruse 67 73 74, Ockie Strydom 70 70 74,Ulrich van den Berg 78 66 70, Graham van der Merwe 68 71 75, Divan Gerber 70 69 75
215 - Alex Haindl 69 74 72, Warren Abery 75 69 71, Jacques Blaauw 69 71 75, Darryn Lloyd 70 74 71
216 - Allan Versfeld 72 70 74, Andrew Curlewis 70 73 73, Jaco Ahlers 66 74 76, Dean O'Riley 74 70 72
217 - PH McIntyre 69 74 74, Vaughn Groenewald 74 69 74, David Hewan 73 71 73, Ryan Thompson 69 75 73
218 - Charl Coetzee 76 67 75, Thabo Maseko 70 74 74
219 - Brett Liddle 72 69 78, Derik Ferreira 73 71 75
220 - George Brown 70 73 77
221 - Beyers Smith 72 70 79, Colin Nel 71 73 77, Rudy Whitfield 73 71 77
223 - Bryce Easton 72 71 80, Ian Hutchings 68 73 82
225 - Micky Hough (ZIM) 67 76 82, Jared Harvey 72 72 81
“I’ve finally broken through and it feels fantastic. It hasn’t totally hit me yet, but I’m sure when I get home it will sink in. My career really takes off from here - this is where the hard work begins,” he said.
It’s amazing what confidence does for golfers, as Sefatsa proved with his victory, which came exactly a month after he won the Big Easy Tour Order of Merit.
“I’ve got to give thanks to the Big Easy Tour - I played the whole season there and it honed my game. I won the Order of Merit and it got me prepared for the second half of the season. I’m really grateful for that, and I’m chuffed that I could turn that success into a win,” he said.
The 29-year-old plays out of Glendower and put local knowledge to good use on the back nine, keeping bogeys off his card until the 18th. His long run without a drop shifted all of the pressure to his chasers, who faltered under the strain.
Merrick Bremner managed a final-round 69 to claim sole second at nine-under-par, while overnight leader Matthew Carvell shot a Sunday 71 to share third with Desvonde Botes.
But Sefatsa was paying little attention to his competitors on Sunday, focusing instead on his own game.
“I wasn’t feeling the pressure until the final hole,” he said. “I knew I had one hand on the trophy and I just needed to put the other one on it. I was ecstatic after I made that last putt,” he said.
That’s not to say Sefatsa was quiet during the final round - he roared through the front nine in 32 blows, courtesy of an eagle at the second and birdies at the first, seventh and eighth.
It was a special day for the Germiston resident, who has been grinding without success for so long. And it was really a great kick-start to summer - Sefatsa automatically moves into category 3c until the end of 2013, which means he’ll have oodles of
confidence and few worries going into the lucrative co-sanctioned events this summer.
“Onto bigger things with more hard work, so I’ve got to keep going. The sky is the limit. Everyone has their turn - you just have to be patient and work hard - that pays off in the end,” he said.
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
206 - Teboho Sefatsa 70 68 68
207 - Merrick Bremner 73 65 69
208 - Desvonde Botes 67 72 69, Matthew Carvell 68 69 71
209 - Jake Redman 65 74 70
210 - Neil Schietekat 73 71 66
211 - Doug McGuigan 72 69 70
212 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 72 69 71, Tyrone Mordt 70 69 73
213 - Pieter Moolman 70 72 71, Ben Mannix (ENG) 69 71 73, Jean Hugo 71 73 69
214 - Chris Swanepoel 74 68 72, Wallie Coetsee 74 69 71, Dean Burmester 71 70 73, Andre Cruse 67 73 74, Ockie Strydom 70 70 74,Ulrich van den Berg 78 66 70, Graham van der Merwe 68 71 75, Divan Gerber 70 69 75
215 - Alex Haindl 69 74 72, Warren Abery 75 69 71, Jacques Blaauw 69 71 75, Darryn Lloyd 70 74 71
216 - Allan Versfeld 72 70 74, Andrew Curlewis 70 73 73, Jaco Ahlers 66 74 76, Dean O'Riley 74 70 72
217 - PH McIntyre 69 74 74, Vaughn Groenewald 74 69 74, David Hewan 73 71 73, Ryan Thompson 69 75 73
218 - Charl Coetzee 76 67 75, Thabo Maseko 70 74 74
219 - Brett Liddle 72 69 78, Derik Ferreira 73 71 75
220 - George Brown 70 73 77
221 - Beyers Smith 72 70 79, Colin Nel 71 73 77, Rudy Whitfield 73 71 77
223 - Bryce Easton 72 71 80, Ian Hutchings 68 73 82
225 - Micky Hough (ZIM) 67 76 82, Jared Harvey 72 72 81