SA golf celebrates epic weekend

In Portugal, young star Garrick Higgo, a product of the GolfRSA National Squad, achieved his maiden victory on the European Tour in the Open de Portugal and in only his seventh start on the Tour.

Higgo’s one-stroke victory made for back-to-back wins on the European Tour by South African golfers following George Coetzee’s triumph in the Portugal Masters the week before. And Coetzee continued his good form with a finish of third in this event.

Higgo’s win comes amidst what has been an incredible start to his professional career. After only turning professional in 2019, Higgo broke through on the Sunshine Tour with victory in the 2019 Sun City Challenge and then claimed the season-ending Tour Championship in February 2020 to be crowned the Tour’s Rookie of the Year.

“It feels awesome,” Higgo told the media after his triumph in Portugal. “I just really enjoyed it and I just made sure I had fun out there. It feels pretty surreal to be honest. I’m sure it’s going to kick in tonight but my family and everyone is excited, I’m excited, it’s an awesome feeling.”

OOSTHUIZEN THIRD AT US OPEN

In America, Louis Oosthuizen finished third in the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club and eight shots behind winner Bryson DeChambeau. The US Open is now the one Major where Oosthuizen has had the most top-10 finishes of four.

And this was also a week in which the South African broke a US Open record previously held by Jack Nicklaus. Oosthuizen’s first round of 67 was his eighth career 67 or lower in a US Open, which is one more than the previous record held by Nicklaus.

“Finishing third in a Major is always great,” Oosthuizen told the media. “I mean, it was going to be tough. This golf course definitely showed its teeth with the firmness of the greens and the fairways and the wind, and it was just tough.”

ELS AND GOOSEN FLYING THE FLAG

South Africa’s veteran campaigners weren’t about to be outdone either this past weekend. On the PGA Tour Champions, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen both finished within the top five in the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.

Els finished on 11-under-par and just one shot out of the eventual playoff on 12-under between Jim Furyk and Jerry Kelly, which Furyk won. And Goosen took a share of fourth place on nine-under.

“I just missed the putt, kind of misread it,” Els told the media after the two-foot putt on 18 that cost him a place in the playoff. “I battled hard. I didn’t quite have my swing.”

And on the LPGA Tour, Ashleigh Buhai lost a playoff for the Cambia Portland Classic as she chased a first LPGA Tour title in Main. Buhai closed with an impressive final round of seven-under-par to tie England’s Georgia Hall on 12-under-par. After sharing the first playoff hole in pars, Hall took the title with a second par to Buhai’s bogey.

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing with my swing. I felt very confident this week,” Buhai told the media after her second career runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour. “I’m proud of myself. Even in the playoff, I executed it the way I wanted to.”

Selwyn Nathan, the Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, congratulated the South Africans on their stellar performances.

“What a fantastic weekend for South African golf. We had everybody from one of our young stars to our current stars to our Sunshine Ladies Tour star and then also our legends competing and in contention for titles. That is such a powerful reflection of the great structures we have in South African golf thanks to GolfRSA and all of the parties involved, and another great reminder of our slogan that GreatnessBeginsHere on the Sunshine Tour,” he said.