SUN CITY, North West – Daniel van Tonder echoed exactly what every South African golfer dreams of when he said, “I can walk around knowing I’m the South African Open champion”.
With his one-stroke victory at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday, Van Tonder joined the greats of South African golf in adding his name to this prestigious trophy.
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“This is a special win. This is the second oldest Open in golf, and winning it is big. Watching people win it has always looked so good. And now I can say I’m the SA Open champion,” said Van Tonder.
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On an overcast and at times wet Sunday at Sun City, Van Tonder produced a magnificent final round of 65 and birdied the final hole to win on 16 under par.
Oliver Bekker took second place on 15 under with a closing 66, and Hennie du Plessis finished third on 12 under with a final round of 69. The Freddie Tait trophy for the leading amateur went to GolfRSA National Squad member Yurav Premlall who finished in a share of 30th on two under par with a final round of 75.
Sunday morning began with the third round still to be completed, and with Justin Harding taking a commanding four-stroke lead at the end of it. But Van Tonder held his nerve and began his run with a birdie at the first hole. He turned in three under for his round and then produced the kind of back nine worthy of a champion as he made four birdies – including two in his last three holes – to take the title.
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“I’ve been seven shots behind before. I’ve even been nine shots behind before. So I just played my game and made my putts. My mindset was to just go for it,” he said.
The win caps a memorable year for Van Tonder in which he claimed his maiden DP World Tour title and played in two Majors for the first time.
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“This year has been incredible, but it’s also been long and hard. We’ve been away for six months because of the travel restrictions. So to come back home and to a golf course I love, and win the South African Open is very special,” he said.
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Amateur Premlall was delighted with his Freddie Tait triumph in his fourth appearance in the South African Open.
“I’ve waited a long time for this and it’s something I’ve always wanted. This one means a lot to me,” he said.
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