Andre brings his A-game

– He had a chance to win it in regulation yesterday, but in the end, it took Andre de Decker (above) five extra holes before he was able to lift his first Sunshine Tour trophy as he won the Royal Swazi Spa Challenge.

He downed Michael Palmer on the fifth play-off hole after they both finished on 16-under-par 200 after 54 holes of regulation play in the tournament – but a bogey on 17 nearly cost him the title.

In the end, he three-putted on 17 and let Palmer, a winner two weeks ago in Kenya who had eagled the 17th on his way to a brilliant 64, in to the play-off.

They went to the par-three 18th three more times, and were unable to find a winner. On to the 10th, and Palmer’s approach to the short par-four through a deep valley hit the flag and dropped three feet from the pin. But he was unable to convert the chance.

Instead, it gave De Decker a chance to hit his tee shot on 18 (again!) to 10 feet, and, when Palmer was in trouble in the greenside bunker from which he was unable to extricate himself, De Decker coolly sank the winning putt.

“It’s very tough going through five extra holes,” said De Decker. “I felt it got a little easier as it went on, and it helped that I was playing with Michael, who is a good friend.”

Just one shot behind the pair were Michael Hollick and Louis de Jager, with Rourke van der Spuy, Keenan Davidse and Keith Horne a further shot back in a share of fifth.

For De Decker, it was his A-game which got him the win after what he felt were B-game efforts in the first two rounds.

“I started really hot, and from there, it was just trying to birdie every hole.” – Own Correspondent