04/11/2024 5-Minute World Tour Newsletter

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SA win Team Champs and Broomhead sweeps all before him.

Amateur Golf

Boland International Junior Open: Phigeland and Goussard win at Devonvale

Photo credit: GolfRSA

The inaugural Boland International Junior Open took place at Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate with Mitch Phigeland pipping England’s Oliver Scriven by a shot in the Boys’ event while Alessia Goussard swept to a 31-shot win over Ellandri van Heerden in the Girls section, both fine illustrations of the exciting talent rising up the ranks of the South African game.

Atlantic Beach Links’s Phigeland followed up an opening 2-under 70 with a 5-under 67 while Scriven carded 68 and 69 over the first 36 holes. 

The pair were in a class of their own all week and engaged in a fantastic tussle in the last round. After Scriven carded a 2-under 34 to open a 2-shot lead at the turn, Phigeland got a shot back at 11 before dropping a shot at 16 which restored Scriven’s 2-shot advantage with as many to play.

The 17th was the site of a stunning 3-shot swing with Phigeland carding a timely eagle-3 while Scriven could do no better than bogey before Phigeland completed his dramatic come-from-behind win with a par at the last.

In the Girl’s event, Goussard rebounded from an opening 3-over 75 with a fantastic 4-under 68 during which the Pearl Valley member mixed seven birdies with three bogeys

A solid 54-hole showing was punctuated with a level-par final round which completed a resounding victory over Van Heerden who carded rounds of 87, 81 and 78.

All Africa Team Championship: Burnard wins individual title with playoff eagle, SA crowned Team Champs

Photo & Graphics: GolfRSA

Jordan Burnard defeated Ivan Verster with an eagle on the first extra hole to win the All Africa Team Championship Individual title while South Africa romped to a 31-stroke victory over Zambia at Bulawayo Golf Club.

Burnard dealt in 2-under 70s for three of the four rounds with the exception being a second-round of 69. Verster meanwhile began with rounds of 69 and 68 before closing out regulation play with back-to-back 1-under 71 efforts to send the event to extra holes.

Burnard though came up trumps with an eagle-3 over his teammate. The other members of SA’s quartet, Astin Arhur and JP van der Watt posted top-10s with  Arthur finishing in a share of 3rd alongside Zimbabwe’s Michael Wallace and Van Der Watt in sole-possession of 9th.  

Professional Golf

LPGA: Takeda beats Alex in six-hole playoff

Photo credit: LPGA/X

Rio Takeda won her maiden LPGA title after defeating Marina Alex on the sixth extra hole to win the Japan Classic.

Tropical Storm Kong-Rey caused Saturday’s play to be washed out and the event reduced to 54 holes. The unheralded Hana Wakimoto had led through 36 holes after following up a 9-under 63 with a 68 but her pursuit of a life-changing victory was derailed by a closing round of 73.

Instead it was Alex (66) and Takeda (67) who rose to the top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of regulation. Three shots adrift with three to play, Takeda stormed home by eagling the 16th before making a a birdie at 18 which was an impressive way to book her playoff berth.

The pair matched each other shot for shot over the first five playoff holes, making birdie-4s at the first hole of sudden-death before matching pars followed over the next four holes.

After her birdie effort grazed the edge of the cup at the 5th extra hole, Takeda earned another good look at birdie at the sixth hole. 

Takeda judged the pace and line of her left-to-right putt to perfection to earn a life-changing win of her own.

Sunshine Tour: Broomhead wins Blue Label Challenge

Photo: Shaun Roy/Sunshine Tour

Jonathan Broomhead continued his impressive start to life in the paid ranks with a 4-point victory in the Blue Label Challenge at Sun City.

The event, played across the Gary Player Country Club and Lost City, uses a modified Stableford scoring system which awards 2 points for a birdie, 5 points for an eagle and 8 points for an albatross. A bogey meanwhile costs players 1-point and a double-bogey or worse 3-points.

So despite building up a 5-point advantage over Jack Hawksby after three rounds through scores of 19, 12 and 7 points Broomhead’s advantage was far from safe with 18 holes to play.

The Durbanite played steadily in the final round, gathering 4 front-9 points with birdies at the 3rd and 6th. As it turned out, it was Ricky Hendler rather than Hawksby who posed the greatest threat on Sunday. Beginning the round with three straight birdies, an eagle-3 at the 11th placed Hendler squarely in the centre of the back-9 narrative.

Dropped shots at the 12th and 18th thwarted his challenge however which meant that despite collecting just 3 points on his inward-9, Broomhead completed a wire-to-wire win and collected the third Sunshine Tour victory of his career.

Challenge Tour: Reitan wins Grand Final, earns DP World Tour card

Photo credit: Challenge Tour/X

Kristoffer Reitan shot a final round of 4-under 68 to win the Challenge Tour’s Rolex Grand Final by a shot and secure his DP World Tour card for 2025.

Beginning the round alone in 3rd-spot and needing to retain his place among the top-3 in order to earn his card, the Norwegian made the perfect start with an eagle-3 at the 1st hole before a birdie at the next. Bogeys at the 4th and 10th followed but Reitan kept his composure superbly as he birdied the 11th, 13th and 15th holes.

Parring his way to a 23-under tournament total, Reitan eclipsed Angel Ayora (71) and Challenge Tour No. 1 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen who closed with a level-par 72. 

South Africa’s Robin Williams finished the season 14th on the Road To Mallorca rankings while Deon Germishuys finished 15th as both earned DP World Tour cards for next season. 

South Africans at DP World Tour Q-School 2nd Stage

Dylan Mostert (TBD)

Dylan Mostert has had an eventful week at the second stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School. After beginning with a 2-under 70, Mostert struggled to a 78 in the second round before rebounding incredibly well with a third round 64. In 52nd place and five-shots behind the projected 23 players who advance to Final Stage, he’ll need another low final round to advance at the weather-affected event.

Dylan Naidoo (FTQ)

Dylan Naidoo was behind the proverbial 8-ball from the outset, carding a 5-over 76 in round 1 during which he managed just two birdies. Though he improved by 10 shots in round 2 and matched the score in round 3, he finished three-shots outside of the top-24 who progressed to the Final Stage after a closing round of 70.

JC Ritchie (Q)

Despite making a slow start with a level-par 71, JC Ritchie played his way into the qualifying-places with a second round of 5-under 66 before backing it up with a 69 in round 3. Saving his best for last, the 30-year-old closed his final round with 5 successive birdies to sign for a 65 which helped him finish in a share of 9th-place and ultimately move on to the Final Stage of Q-School. 

Kyle Barker (FTQ)

Kyle Barker’s hopes of advancing were undermined by a week which featured three rounds in the 70s. Having begun with a 1-under 70, a Friday 66 was unable to deliver the impetus he hoped it may, signing for weekend rounds of 71 and 70 as the 26-year-old finished three-shots outside the qualifying places.

Fun Facts & Scary Stats

Billy Andrade was the first player to win a professional golf tournament using a Titleist ProV1 golf ball in competition, achieving the feat at the PGA Tour’s Invensys Classic in 2000.

Rio Takeda’s victory at the Japan Classic marks her 8th victory of the 2024 Japan LPGA Tour season.

During Justin Rose’s now-famous run of 21 Missed Cuts to begin his pro career, he had 6 rounds in the 80s and just 1 sub-70 round. He now has 11 wins apiece on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour including the 2013 US Open.