Smit joins SA stars with Vodacom Origins Final victory

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South Africa is one of the most prolific producers of world-class golfing talent in the world, and the Sunshine Tour has been integral to our nation’s success. The Tour has produced some of the most successful golfers on the PGA and DP World Tour both past and present, such as Gary Player, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman, Charl Schwartzel, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Erik Van Rooyen, and Garrick Higgo.

The Sunshine Tour has partnered with various organisations, brands, and stakeholders to create a platform for golfers from the southern African region and abroad to display their talent and become successful golfers on the global stage. These partners include the DP World Tour, Golf RSA, the South African Golf Development Board, the South African Golf Association, and the PGA of South Africa, with all these organisations contributing to the Sunshine Tour becoming one of the premier golf tours in the world.

In addition, hosting tournaments in the southern African region and visiting a variety of regions, climates, and courses helps stimulate economic growth and activity by involving local communities in varying capacities. These Sunshine Tour events have become highly anticipated both for players and golf fans. Of these events, none are more anticipated than the Joburg Open, the Investec SA Open Championship, and the Alfred Dunhill Championship; all are Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned events. These tournaments have seen some of the most well-known players in the world compete, including Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, and Henrik Stenson.

The Sunshine Tour’s mission statement is Greatness Begins Here. As it continues to grow, it provides a platform for more golfers to achieve their own greatness while asserting South Africa’s position as a vibrant and competitive golfing nation.

MOSSEL BAY (29 October 2022) – Combrinck Smit added his name to an impressive list of Sunshine Tour stars who have all won on the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series as he clinched the Final of this year’s series in a playoff at the Pinnacle Point Estate on Sunday.

Smit overcame a double-bogey on the 16^th in regulation play and then battled through a sudden-death playoff against the experienced Jake Redman to claim victory.

With his win on this series, Smit joins the likes of Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester, George Coetzee, Justin Harding, Thriston Lawrence and a host of others Sunshine Tour stars to have won a Vodacom Origins of Golf title.

The KwaZulu-Natal professional had to birdie the 18^th to make it into a playoff with Redman on eight under par. Redman had earlier signed for a 68 to lead in the clubhouse and was then joined by Smit following his 72.

Both played parred the par-five 18^th as the first playoff hole. Playing the hole again, Redman pulled his drive into the fynbos on the left and was forced to take a penalty drop, from where he went on to make a double bogey. Smit parred the hole to take the title.

“It’s never a great thing playing against a good friend and such a great guy as Jake in a playoff. But somebody has to win and thank goodness it could be me,” said Smit.

He started the final round with a one-stroke lead and admits it was a hard day on the fairways, which began with a bogey at the first and then included that double bogey on the par-five 16^th.

“I don’t really know what happened today. There were some surprising shots out there. I’ve clipped the fynbos quite a couple of times this week and I was a bit shocked after the 16^th. But I just told myself to keep going and that I still had a great chance to win the tournament. I got it done in the end,” said a relieved Smit, who also wins a Jaguar F Type for use until the end of the 2022/23 season.

The tournament marked the end of yet another successful season of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series, which since 2004 has been the backbone of the Sunshine Tour’s winter schedule.

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