Home sweet home for Coetzee
GOLFERS talk with trepidation about the back nine on a Sunday and the great pressure when a player is contending for a win in a bigmoney tournament.
This is precisely what George Coetzee faced yesterday in the final round of the Tshwane Open at his home course, Pretoria Country Club.
But he handled the tensionpacked final nine holes with nerves of steel to sign for a five-under-par 65, a 14-under 266 aggregate, and a one-shot victory over fellow South African Jacques Blaauw.
In the process he secured a cheque for a hefty R2.9 million.
“To win in front of friends and family at my home club is particularly sweet,” said Coetzee. “I could feel the crowd behind me, and the momentum grew as the round progressed. It was just a fantastic feeling.”
Two hours earlier, Blaauw, who had been in the middle of the pack at the start of play, had signed for a brilliant course record 61 (the lowest round by any player on the 2015 European Tour) to take the clubhouse lead on 13-under 267.
Coetzee, then, knew exactly what he had to do as he entered the back nine with his score on 12 under.
With precise shots still needing to be played, and a lot of money on the line, it was enough to get the nerves jingling.
He birdied the par-four 10th, parred the 11th, and then failed to birdie the par-five 12th where players look to pick up a shot.
Pretoria CC’s tough closing stretch of six holes loomed. None of these holes, bar perhaps the short 330m par-four 17th, offer easy pars.
The 28-year-old knew that one little mistake could cost him, and any chance of lifting the title.
He also knew he had to play those six holes in one under.
Rock-solid pars at 13, 14, 15 and 16 were followed by a birdie at 17, where he drove into the trees but played a marvellous recovery to five feet and rolled in the putt.
Only the par-four 18th remained, but at a back-breaking 455m and littered with nasty bunkers and trees lining the fairway, he had to be spoton with the drive and the demanding second shot. He was. His bold approach found the green before two-putting for par from about 25 feet for his second victory on the European Tour following his breakthrough win at the Joburg Open a year ago.
“I’ve been a member here for 18 years and what did help me today was remembering club championships I won here as a youngster,” Coetzee said.
Aggressive
“I knew where to be aggressive and where to hold back. The 17th was key. I once lost a club champs there because I played it conservatively.
“Today I knew I had to be aggressive and I went for the green with my drive.
“Okay, I didn’t make the green, but I was close enough to hit a great little punch shot from out of the trees and make my birdie (a crucial one as it turned out).”
Blaauw’s brilliant bogeyfree 61, which included nine birdies, earned him R2.1 million as runner-up.
Fellow South Africans Dean Burmester (67) and Tjaart van der Walt (67) shared third place on 271 with Scotland’s Craig Lee (70).
Jaco Ahlers (66) and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui (71) were next best on 272.
The day started with six players tied for the lead on nine under – Coetzee, Lee, Otaegui, Wallie Coetsee, England’s David Horsey and Trevor Fisher jr, who won the Africa Open at East London GC eight days ago.
But Fisher jr, with a 75, Coetsee (76) and Horsey (73) all fell out of contention with error-strewn final rounds.