Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith became only the second player to win two Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open titles when he claimed a one-stroke victory at Royal Cape Golf Club on Sunday.
In windy conditions and with a group of players vying for the lead coming down the back nine, Follett-Smith closed with a 70 to win on 15 under par and add to his 2019 victory in this tournament. He joins JC Ritchie as the only two-time winners of this tournament.
“I’m so happy to be a two-time winner on the Sunshine Tour. I think the second time you win is when you really prove yourself. Cape Town is such a special place and I love coming back to this golf course. I feel very at home here,” said Follett-Smith, who also claimed his second Sunshine Tour title and his first on the European Challenge Tour, who co-sanction this tournament.
Congratulations to ???? Benjamin Follet-Smith on winning the 2023 Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open.??#BainsWhiskyCTOpen | #GreatnessBeginsHere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/QrmHdoCRAY
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) February 5, 2023
Follett-Smith went into Sunday’s final round tied for the lead with Darren Fichardt. .
At one stage he was locked in a battle with five players who were tied for the lead on 14 under par on the back nine. .
Follett-Smith broke free of that group with his birdie on the 14th for a one-stroke lead on 15 under par.
On the par-four 17th, he flew the green with his approach and was in danger of slipping back into a four-way tie for the lead. .
But the Zimbabwean produced a touch of magic with his incredible up-and-down for par to retain a lead he carried through to victory.
“That up-and-down on 17 was the key to the win. I thought I’d hit the second shot perfectly but the wind combined with adrenalin took it over the green. I’m glad the wind picked up in the final round, though, because that’s where I’m good. When there were so many players vying for the lead, my caddie just said to let the guys run and fight each other and we just do what we normally do. I’m just so grateful to have won,” he said.
The gratitude stems from the the hard work Follett-Smith has put in over the past two years to get to this point.
“The last two years were a big learning curve for me. It’s been difficult and I’m just so happy to have won again. It’s been a lot of hard work. I came out on tour and was Rookie of the Year and won in my first year, and everything was kind of simple. But I’ve figured out you just need to keep working hard every week. I’ve been confident in the work I’ve been doing and what my game is capable of.”
Ugo Coussaud and Jaco van Zyl shared second place on 14 under par.
FINAL SCORES:
273 - Benjamin Follett-Smith 68 68 67 70
274 - Ugo Coussaud 69 74 65 66, Jaco Van Zyl 70 65 70 69
275 - Andrea Pavan 72 71 67 65, Alfie Plant 68 72 69 66, Martin Vorster 70 69 67 69
276 - Ivan Cantero Gutierrez 71 68 70 67, Brandon Stone 68 72 69 67, Benjamin Rusch 76 67 66 67, Conor Purcell 68 73 65 70, Manuel Elvira 66 72 67 71, Dylan Mostert 71 65 68 72, Darren Fichardt 70 71 62 73
277 - JJ Senekal 70 69 70 68, Lyle Rowe 72 69 68 68, Renato Paratore 73 71 65 68, Bradley Bawden 67 71 69 70, Sam Bairstow 71 69 67 70, Pieter Moolman 70 70 67 70, Ashley Chesters 69 67 70 71
278 - Clement Berardo 74 70 68 66, Jamie Rutherford 70 70 70 68
280 - Dylan Naidoo 72 71 69 68, Casey Jarvis 73 70 69 68, David Drysdale 71 70 71 68, Hennie Otto 70 70 69 71, Craig Howie 76 68 64 72
281 - Wilco Nienaber 70 74 68 69, Javier Sainz 69 73 69 70, David Boote 69 74 68 70, Borja Virto 73 65 72 71, Victor Rufian 68 75 71 67, Jared Harvey 67 75 66 73, Luca Filippi 74 67 66 74, Daniel O'Loughlin 70 69 67 75
282 - Jacques Blaauw 74 68 69 71, Jacques P de Villiers 73 70 68 71, Velten Meyer 68 71 67 76
283 - James Hart du Preez 71 70 71 71, Niklas Regner 71 71 68 73, Felix Mory 70 72 71 70, Derek Ackerman 70 69 70 74, Madalitso Muthiya 70 71 73 69
284 - Joel Sjoholm 71 73 68 72, Jonathan Thomson 70 74 68 72, Lars van Meijel 70 72 70 72, Hennie O'Kennedy 71 69 72 72, Yurav Premlall 69 75 69 71, Steve Surry 71 70 72 71, Anton Karlsson 74 70 70 70, Jayden Schaper 72 71 66 75<
285 - Marco Penge 74 70 69 72, Mateusz Gradecki 71 72 67 75, Alvaro Quiros 72 70 71 72, Mathieu Decottignies-Lafon 69 73 72 71, Joel Girrbach 74 70 71 70
286 - Francesco Laporta 71 72 68 75, Chris Paisley 72 72 72 70, OJ Farrell 70 72 74 70
287 - Herman Loubser 75 69 68 75, Victor Riu 68 76 69 74, Albert Venter 70 70 73 74, Gregg Upton 71 72 72 72, Matteo Manassero 73 70 72 72
288 - Tom Murray 69 70 73 76, Euan Walker 72 71 70 75, Jaco Prinsloo 70 72 75 71, Louis Albertse 73 68 78 69
289 - CJ du Plessis 74 70 72 73, Erhard Lambrechts 76 68 72 73
293 - Stefan Wears-Taylor 70 73 76 74
294 - Ruaidhri McGee 72 72 70 80, Lorenzo Gagli 72 72 72 78, Mikael Lundberg 72 72 75 75
296 - Clancy Waugh 68 76 73 79
299 - Nikhil Rama 70 74 80 75