The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Coetzeeleftspeechless afterJoburgtriumph
HOME FA VOURITE George Coetzee produced a closing 66 to claim the Joburg Open by three shots yesterday.
Fellow countryman Justin Walters had held the overnight lead alongside another South A frican in Thomas A iken but neither of the leading duo could break par in their final rounds, leaving the way open for Coetzee to claim his first win on the EuropeanTour.
Victory at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club was also enough to earn the 27-year-old a spot at this year’s Open Championship where he will be joined byWalters and South Korea’s Jin Jeong.
The top three were handed a place at Royal Liverpool but Englishman Tyrell Hatton, who also finished on 16 under, misses out due to his 276th position in the world rankings being lower than that of Walters and Jeong.
Coetzee had begun the day four shots off the lead but birdies at the first, fourth, sixth and eighth holes saw him move into the lead.
He picked up a further shot on 10 and another birdie at 15 helped him to a flawless six-under-par round and a three-shot victory.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” Coetzee told www.europeantour.com.
“I’m lost for words. I’ve been waiting a while and I started doubting, so I’m very happy.
“I got to share this with my family and my friends. It was my mum’s birthday on Saturday and I wanted to do it for her as I forgot to buy her a present.”
Hatton also fired a 66 as he recovered from a bogey on the par-three second to roar back up the leaderboard with seven birdies including a pair on 17 and 18.
Walters never really got going in his round and a bogey on the par-five eighth which dropped him back to level par for his round allowed Coetzee to leapfrog him into the lead.
Two further dropped shots and a birdie followed on the back nine as the 33-year-old ended his week with a 73.
Jeong recorded a one-under-par 71 after reaching the turn level and picking up a shot on the back nine.
A iken was left frustrated by his inconsistency as he picked up four birdies but gave back six shots, including four on the back nine, to finish with a 74, four shots off the lead.
A lso on 15 under was England’s A ndy Sullivan who recorded the round of the day with a 65.
Scot Craig Lee, who led by one shot after the second round, endured a real collapse with a 75 yesterday following Saturday’s 74 to leave him 13 behind Coetzee.
The leading Scot was A listair Forsyth who was three shots better after carding a final round 76— eight strokes more than his four-under par third round 68.
David Drysdale finished on two under for the tournament after scoring 74 yesterday.