Super recovery shot at 16th seals maiden Tour win for Kruyswijk

JACQUES KRUYSWIJK has been a professional golfer for three years without a win on the Sunshine Tour, but that all changed at Royal Cape yesterday as he won the R1.5m Cape Town Open by two strokes.

The Pretoria resident (pictured) posted a final-round two-under 70 to end on 17-under 271, the same score as 2015 champion Brandon Stone, who tied for second with local hope Justin Harding.

Kruyswijk, 24, started the final day with a three-shot cushion over Harding, who plays out of Stellenbosch Golf Club, and the final pairing gave it their all over the closing stretch – playing the par-five 16th they were level at 16-under. This is when Kruyswijk made his move. He produced a magical third shot from the left-side rough to get to within metres of the hole and then calmly rolled in the putt for birdie to break the deadlock. “It was probably one of the best recovery shots of my life and it probably won me the tournament,” said Kruyswijk, who pocketed R237 750 to take his career earnings to beyond R1.3m.

“The confidence levels were up playing 17 and 18 and fortunately I was able to play them to par and it proved to be good enough to get me over the line,” he continued. “I have to say well done to Justin, he pushed me all the way.

“And to Brandon. When he won it was also his first win on the main tour and then he went on to win the SA Open, so maybe there’s something to read in that. I’ve worked really hard over the past couple of years and come close to breaking my duck, so this title means a lot to me and it’s definitely a stepping stone...”

Kruyswijk’s victory has earned him a two-year exemption on the Sunshine Tour.

Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen kept their nerve and shot a six-under-par 66 (for a 20-under overall score) in the final-round fourballs to give Denmark a first World Cup of Golf triumph by four strokes at Kingston Heath in Melbourne yesterday, reports Reuters. France, China and the US were joint second.