Eagle aid to Garcia’s win
NICOLE Garcia rocketed to second in the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies Points on the back of a stunning wire-towire victory in the Dimension Data Challenge at Fancourt yesterday.
The 27-year-old Benoni golfer produced a sensational eagle at the par five 17th and boxed her final putt for birdie for a flawless five-under-par 67.
The victory on 10 under 216 earned Garcia her second Sunshine Ladies Tour title, a payday worth R70 000 and 650 points in the points race for the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies Final.
She finished three shots clear of former SA Women’s Open champion Tandi von Ruben and six strokes ahead of defending champion Lee-Anne Pace.
Von Ruben notched a trio of birdies on the back nine for a 69, while Pace’s bid for successive titles died a watery death at the par five 17th and she had to settle for third after closing with a 72.
Garcia carded rounds of 68 and 71 at George Golf Club, but even with a one shot cushion over Von Ruben and Pace, there were nerves on the first tee.
Garcia inched two strokes clear with a birdie at the second and a run of seven straight birdies carried her to the turn in six under.
Pace birdied the eighth and moved to six under with a gain at 10, but Garcia answered with a birdie of her own at 11 to go seven under, keeping the gap at two strokes. Von Ruben, meanwhile, joined Pace at six under with a brace of birdies at 11 and 15.
This status quo held until Pace reached the penultimate hole, where she leaked her tee shot right and found trouble in the trees. She punched out, but hit another tree and her third shot ended in the water surrounding the green.
“I knew I needed to make a few birdies over the last few holes, because I thought LeeAnne would birdie the 17th and probably the last hole, too” Garcia said.
“We had no idea that she had been in trouble. All I could think standing on the 17th tee was that I needed to make a birdie. I hit a great tee shot and pulled off a tricky approach to leave myself an eight-footer for eagle. I timed that putt perfectly.”– Sunshine Tour