Category: SA Open

An emotional Dean Burmester won the Investec South African Open Championship by three strokes at the Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate on Sunday to claim back-to-back titles on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour.

Burmester, the winner of last week’s Joburg Open, drew on all of his experience to post a final round 68 and add his name to the greats of South African golf with a winning total of 11 under par.

“Back-to-back – I’ve never done that before,” said Burmester, who also claims the double of having won both the South African PGA Championship as well as the Investec South African Open.

“To win this championship sponsored by a bank that gave me my first break is very special. It’s very emotional for me. I wanted to win this for the late Sam Hackner of Investec. I was waiting tables to make enough money to play tournaments. I’d go and practice in the morning and be tired because I only got home at 11pm from work. With Investec’s sponsorship, Sam gave me the opportunity to go and fulfil my dream. Six months later I won my first tournament and the rest is history.”

Burmester, who was close to withdrawing from this tournament with a stomach bug on Friday, set the stage for his victory with a magnificent 65 in the third round. He took that same energy into Sunday’s final round and showed his experience in a tense final round when he birdied two of his final three holes to pull clear of the pack.

“On the first tee on Saturday I said to my caddie we’re either shooting 65 or 85 today, but we’re going for it. Then I was just so calm on Sunday. I felt no nerves. I’m very grateful. This is a tournament I watched growing up and I watched legends like Ernie (Els), Retief (Goosen), Louis (Oosthuizen) and Branden (Grace) win this.”

Italy’s Renato Paratore, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson and South Africa’s Ryan van Velzen shared second place on eight under par.

Altin van der Merwe finished as the leading amateur to secure the Freddie Tait Cup on his first appearance in the Investec South African Open. Van Der Merwe closed with a 74 to finish on two over par and cap a magnificent year for GolfRSA’s number one ranked player.

“It’s been so much fun this week. The golf course was a great test and the professionals I played with were so good to me. Playing here as the number one amateur and to have the fans and my whole family out here and my fiancé caddying for me as well has been awesome. To add my name to the Freddie Tait Cup means a lot to me, especially being in the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation as well and to do it for them and Ernie and my family. It’s a huge honour for me,” said the 27-year-old.

It was a challenging day worthy of the Investec South African Open, and it was a day when two young South Africans rose to that challenge.

Jayden Schaper and Ryan van Velzen, two good friends who’ve come through the ranks of GolfRSA together and onto the Sunshine Tour, will head into Sunday’s final round of the Investec South African Open tied for the lead on nine under par.

On a day of intense heat, tough pin placements and a Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate playing extremely long, Schaper signed for a solid third round of five-under-par 67 and Van Velzen responded with a patient two-under-par 70.

The South Africans hold a one-stroke lead over countryman Louis de Jager, who posted a 70. But the leaderboard remains extremely tight, with Dean Burmester signing for a 65 that puts him in a dangerous group of challengers including Matteo Manassero and David Ravetto on seven under par. Burmester is chasing back-to-back victories following his win in last week’s Joburg Open.

But for two young South Africans who’ve been dreaming of this moment since their junior golf days together, Sunday is going to be a day to remember as they tee off in the final group together.

“I have some very good memories of this championship. Growing up and playing all the GolfRSA events and doing well in all of those, this is kind of the next one on the list. I had a strong amateur career with some good wins, and I’ve learnt a lot for this moment. Growing up you always want to win your national Open. I’ve had great experiences of it in the past from my first time playing in it as an amateur,” said Schaper.

It was a sentiment echoed by Van Velzen.

“I think it’s great. You know myself, Jayden and Casey (Jarvis) have all grown up together and been friends for a very long time. I think whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll celebrate together after the round,” said Van Velzen.

Both Schaper and Van Velzen did exceptionally well to work their way to the top of the leaderboard in a third round that surprised many in the field in terms of how tough the course played.

“Normally on moving day they put the pins in easier positions and move the tee boxes forward to create a few more birdies. But today was the opposite – they tucked the pins, the greens were firm, the tee boxes were back so it was just brutal out there,” said Schaper.

Van Velzen was equally pleased with how he handled the round.

“I think I played unbelievably well today. I played smart golf. I stayed very patient and was fine with making pars out there. I wasn’t going to chase birdies with those tough flags because that’s how bogeys are made. But it was a lot of fun out there with the crowd chanting my name,” he said.

Come Sunday afternoon, the crowds could well be chanting the name of a new young South African adding his own name to the greats on this prestigious trophy.

LANSERIA, Johannesburg (Gauteng) – It had everything the final round of the 112^th Investec South African Open deserved. And it took everything from Thriston Lawrence to do what the greats of South African golf have done before him and add his name to one of the most sought after trophies in the game.

With a drama-filled one-stroke victory on 16 under par at Blair Atholl Golf and Country Estate on Sunday, Lawrence turned his boyhood dreams into reality and claimed his third DP World Tour victory in what has been an incredible past 13 months for him.

“Unbelievable. It’s a dream come true for me. This is the one you want to win – your national Open. It was so special to have Gary Player watching as well. He’s won 13 of these, and now I’ve got one as well. It’s what you dream of. This means everything to me. This is by far my best victory ever,” said a relieved Lawrence.

He started the final round with a two-stroke lead and at one point was as much as five shots ahead. But then came a stretch of five dropped shots in five holes on a back nine of 41 for a closing 74 where he was pulled into an almost match play battle with Clément Sordet who tied him for the lead before his bogey on 17.

“During the middle of the round it felt like it was going to be an easy victory for me and then golf happens. You get ups and downs during your round. You get ups and downs during life. And it happened to me today. It felt like everything was falling apart, but I just hung in there. It felt like match play for me. Even with those stumbles I was still ahead and then after 16 I told myself I was all square. I just tried to stick to my own game and stay calm,” said Lawrence.

“To be standing here with the trophy is an unbelievable accomplishment for me. I’m just so grateful. It wasn’t the prettiest finish but a win is a win. I’ll probably wake up tomorrow and still not believe it. This is what you work for. It’s the toughest thing in the world to win, and it’s been an unbelievable start to the new season for me.”

Sordet took second place on 15 under par with a closing 73.

Christiaan Maas won the Freddie Tait Cup for the leading amateur as he ended the week on five under par with a final round of 77. – Michael Vlismas

LANSERIA, Johannesburg (Gauteng) – On a day when Gary Player arrived at the Investec South African Open, young South African Thriston Lawrence moved a step closer to joining the legend and other greats of the game as a winner of this historic title.

Lawrence heads into Sunday’s final round with a two-shot lead on 18 under par following a 67 on Saturday. His nearest challenger is Frenchman Clément Sordet on 16 under following a third-round 66, with Sweden’s Jens Fahrbring in third place on 12 under after a 69.

Lawrence’s putter was again the key to his success and kept him in a lead he has held since the first round.

“The putting has definitely been key. It was good fun out there. It started off well with a birdie on the first and then I lost a bit of momentum around the turn. But yes, 18 under. I didn’t think the winning score would be 18 under to be honest, and now I’m there after three rounds,” he said.

Lawrence won twice in his rookie season on the DP World Tour last year, becoming the first South African in history to win the Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.

And now he has the chance to add his name to one of the most historic trophies in world golf.

“It’s our country’s Open and I’m playing good golf. I’m enjoying it. We had a good crowd out there and I have most of my family here. It’s been fun.”

Sordet is also looking forward to a final round battle in a country where he won a Challenge Tour event earlier this year and experienced a trophy handover from an elephant.

“It’s been a lot of fun. I know Thriston is a really good player and he is playing well. It will be challenging to catch him but I’ll give it my best,” he said.

The talented amateur Christiaan Maas leads the race for the Freddie Tait Cup awarded to the leading amateur. Maas was right in the hunt for the main professional title at the start of the third round at only three shots off the lead. But a difficult third round of 72 dropped him to nine under par overall but still putting in a strong showing.

LANSERIA, Johannesburg (Gauteng) – Thriston Lawrence kept his hold on the Investec South African Open Championship as he moved into a two-stroke lead clubhouse lead headed into the weekend at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate.

The South African signed for a second round of 67 to climb to 13 under par overall. The second round was suspended for just over two hours because of dangerous weather. The second round will resume at 7am on Saturday, with the third round not scheduled to start before 10:15am.

Lawrence’s nearest challenger is fellow South African Ockie Strydom on 11 under. After Lawrence had equalled his own course record of 64 on day one, Strydom joked that if he wasn’t going to break his own record, somebody else might as well do it. Strydom obliged with a course record 63 on Friday.

South African amateur Christiaan Maas is tied third on 10 under following a 65 and is looking to become the first amateur winner of the game’s second oldest national Open since Denis Hutchinson in 1959. Frenchman Clement Sordet also heads into the weekend on 10 under par.

But Lawrence is looking very comfortable at the top of this leaderboard. “I’m having loads of fun, especially when making a few long putts which I haven’t done in the last three weeks. It’s just been copy and paste in terms of what I’ve been doing the last few months – hitting it well from tee to green. The driver has been probably the best club in my bag all year, and this is quite a forgiving golf course off the tee. I’ve been giving myself a lot of chances out there. But I’m definitely pleased with the putting and looking forward to the weekend,” said Lawrence.

Strydom also thoroughly enjoyed his 63. “It was a lot of fun. You don’t often have a round like this on this golf course. To go bogey-free here is very pleasing as well. I’m in a good position for the weekend. This championship means a lot to me. It’s one of those that every South African wants to win.”

As much as the South Africans will be pushing to win their national Open, Sordet is relishing being in contention in a country where he won a Challenge Tour event in March.

“I’m really enjoying my time in South Africa and I’m playing well. This tournament is pretty special. On the 18^th you can see the banner with all the past champions on it, and you have some great names. Gary Player won this 13 times. It’s amazing to see those names there.”

And 19-year-old Maas is looking to add to that history himself. Playing in his third Investec South African Open, Maas is looking to become the eighth golfer to win both the Freddie Tait Cup for the leading amateur and the main professional title in the same year. The last to do so was Hutchinson in 1959.

LANSERIA, Johannesburg (Gauteng) – A putting tip from his father helped Thriston Lawrence equal his own course record and lead the first round of the Investec South African Open at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate on Thursday.

The South African matched the eight-under-par 64 he shot here in a Sunshine Tour event over a year ago for a one-stroke lead over England’s Ross Fisher and Swede Jens Fahrbring.

“I’m quite familiar with this golf course. I played nicely and managed to drop a few putts thanks to a tip from my father,” said Lawrence.

“After last week’s Joburg Open my dad asked me for some time on the putting green and said I wasn’t looking comfortable and should stand a bit further away from the ball. He told me to just trust him, which I did, and it helped.”

It was the perfect start for Lawrence on a golf course that by its sheer length challenged the field on a warm day in Africa.

“It’s a very long golf course, but I like to play full shots into the greens. I think my mid to high irons are the key to my game. It is a long golf course but it suits me. I’m sticking to my gameplan and being aggressive off the tee. I love playing aggressively and this golf course gives you that opportunity. And to start like this in my national Open means everything. Everybody wants to get their hands on that trophy and it’s a good start.”

Lawrence has just come off a rookie DP World Tour season in which he won twice and became the first South African to be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. And he’s clearly picked up from where he left off in this new season.

“I just kept doing what I’m doing. I’m a big believer in not changing what works. I’ve been doing the same things for the last few years and am a big believer in not changing what’s already working.”

Fahrbring, who admits he’s not a long hitter, put everything into his opening 65 to be one off the lead alongside Fisher. “I tried to hit my driver as hard as I could and today it went straight and fairly long for me. I hit some quality iron shots and made some putts, which was good. I’m quite tired, so home, rest, get some food and drink a lot of water,” he said.

LANSERIA, Johannesburg (Gauteng) – It’s been described as “strong”, “a beast”, and “massive”. At 7 462 metres, the Blair Atholl Golf & Country Estate course that will host this week’s Investec South African Open is the longest in DP World Tour history. And it is certainly going to be a worthy adversary for this star-studded field.

Considering it was designed by Gary Player, the winner of a record 13 of his national Opens, it is perhaps only right that this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour field here this week should expect a test worthy of the 112^thInvestec South African Open.

When PGA Tour campaigner Dean Burmester, one of the longest hitters in the game, says it’s a long course, that is also enough of a warning to the rest of the field.

“It’s long. You’ll see quite a few long hitters in contention this week for sure. Whoever is coming to watch, wear a good pair of trainers. But it’s in great condition. The golf course lends itself to some good mid-iron play, and the greens are great,” Burmester said.

“Oh it’s massive,” said last week’s Joburg Open champion Dan Bradbury. “We’re going to be putting the mid- to long-irons to work this week. Sometimes we tend to just use the top end and bottom end of the clubs in the golf bag, and the middle kind of gets forgotten about. I like a mix. This week it’s nice to be hitting a lot of seven and six irons into greens. As much as it’s harder it’s nice to mix it up.”

Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel believes a solid iron game will be key to success this week as he hunts a maiden win in his national Open following several near misses, and on a golf course where he used to have a home.

“It’s one of the longest golf courses in South Africa. I’ve always thought that it’s a second shot golf course. The greens are the defence. They’re big but they’ve got angles to them which means you need to be pretty precise with your distance control. Good iron play will serve you well,” he said.

Brandon Stone, looking for a second victory in his national Open, said, “I think Blair Atholl will be an absolute test of the game. It’s a beast. The Blair Mile on the back nine is a true test of ball striking. You cannot miss a shot there. A par on those few holes is great. If the wind gets up the course will be even tougher.”

But as far as Dylan Frittelli is concerned, that’s exactly the way it should be for the second oldest national Open in golf.

“This is the Investec South African Open – we don’t want 23 under par winning, so make it as tough as it can be,” he said.

LANSERIA, Johannesburg (Gauteng) – Brandon Stone predicts that this week’s Investec South African Open at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate will be a true showcase of the growing strength of South African golf.

Stone returns as the 2016 winner of the second oldest national Open in golf and forms part of what he says is a field and a week that is going to display everything of the strength and future potential of South African golf.

“I have no doubt there will be a strong South African showing this year. You look at the field and the South Africans in there, and then a championship golf course designed by Gary Player, and I think this is one week where the fans can come and see first-hand how South African golf has moved to another level over the past few years. With the amount of golfers we have shining on the global stage, this is only a taste of what this country’s golfers have to offer for the years to come. I’ve just got a real feeling that this year’s Investec SA Open will be a true showcase of this,” said Stone.

The South African challenge this week is indeed a tantalising one and includes Charl Schwartzel, Dylan Frittelli, MJ Daffue, Branden Grace, Thriston Lawrence, Erik van Rooyen and Dean Burmester.

A second title this week would see Stone join a select group including Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Mark McNulty, Tony Johnstone and David Frost as having won their national Open twice.

“Being privileged enough to have my name alongside the likes of Ernie Els, Gary Player, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and so many others is something I hold very close to my heart. Any time you get to win your national Open it’s something special in your golf career. I know this year there will be a lot of top South African golfers looking to add their names to the trophy. I’m looking to get my name on there again,” he said.

And Stone said he is looking forward to the challenge that the Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate course will pose.

“I think Blair Atholl will be an absolute test of the game. It’s a beast. The Blair Mile on the back nine is a true test of ball striking. You cannot miss a shot there. A par on those few holes is great. If the wind gets up the course will be even tougher.”