George Coetzee claimed the 15th title of his Sunshine Tour career with a three-stroke victory in the Serengeti Playoffs on Sunday, and with it also secured the first win of the new Courier Guy Playoffs Series.
Coetzee signed for a solid 69 to win on 19 under par at Serengeti Estates.
Daniel van Tonder finished second on 16 under par with a final round of 69.
After a slow and steady start with regular pars on the first seven holes, Coetzee made an eagle on the par-five eighth hole and added a further two birdies and just one bogey that was enough to ensure him a victory.
The moment George Coetzee claimed his 15th win on the Sunshine Tour. #SerengetiPlayOffs #CourierGuyPlayOffSeries #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/ebrvO8MNUH
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) March 23, 2025
“It was a very busy day for me in my head. I tried to stay in my lane and do what I have to do, follow my routines and to follow my gameplan to play as well as possible. Things worked today, but you never know. It took me like five holes just to feel like it was me playing, and around the middle of the round it started to feel a little better,” he said.
For Coetzee, after returning from injury and celebrating the birth of his child in this time, this victory was very special.
“You want to do stuff that your kids can be proud of, like I am proud of my parents and I want my kid to be proud of me.”
With the victory Coetzee moves up with 48 places on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy to the 28th spot, securing a place in next week’s tournament – the season-ending DNi Tour Championship presented by RMB.
Win number 15 on the Sunshine Tour for George Coetzee. 🏆😘#SerengetiPlayOffs #CourierGuyPlayOffSeries #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/DtOptbQPrX
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) March 23, 2025
The top 50 players on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy after this event progress to the DNi Tour Championship presented by RMB at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate, which will bring down the curtain on the 2024/2025 season.
Playing in the leading group on Sunday, Daniel van Tonder, the current leader on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy leader, pushed hard on the final day but could not close in on Coetzee.
Stefan Wears-Taylor’s eight-under-par 64 in the final round moved him into a share of third place on 14-under-par with youngsters Kyle de Beer (67) and Stals Swart (70).
Altin van der Merwe ended the tournament in a share of sixth place on 13-under-par with a 68, and thereby secured his place as the current leader on the Fortress Top Rookie of the Year standings with the final tournament of the season to come.
SCORES
269 - George Coetzee 65 66 69 69
272 - Daniel van Tonder 69 70 64 69
274 - Stefan Wears-Taylor 72 68 70 64, Kyle De Beer 69 71 67 67, Stals Swart 67 68 69 70
275 - Shaun Norris 67 70 73 65, Herman Loubser 70 69 68 68, Altin van der Merwe 66 71 70 68
276 - JJ Senekal 65 72 69 70, Jonathan Broomhead 69 65 70 72
277 - Yurav Premlall 74 66 68 69, Malcolm Mitchell 72 67 68 70, Jaco Ahlers 71 66 70 70, Pieter Moolman 67 68 71 71, Martin Vorster 70 67 69 71
278 - Dylan Naidoo 66 71 75 66, Darren Fichardt 70 69 69 70, Christiaan Burke 69 69 69 71, Kyle Barker 67 69 71 71, Jean Hugo 74 65 68 71, Ricky Hendler 69 66 71 72
279 - Ruan Korb 70 69 71 69
280 - Otto Van Buynder 69 74 67 70
281 - James Mack 68 73 72 68, Jacques Blaauw 71 69 71 70, Gerhard Pepler 72 69 66 74
282 - Jaco Van Zyl 73 71 70 68, Ethan Smith 70 72 70 70, JC Ritchie 71 71 70 70, CJ du Plessis 71 70 70 71, Simon du Plooy 71 68 72 71, Rourke van der Spuy 70 70 70 72
283 - Ruan de Smidt 68 72 74 69, Martin Rohwer 72 74 68 69, Heinrich Bruiners 74 68 72 69, MJ Viljoen 69 74 69 71, Fredrik From 71 69 69 74, Michael Hollick 72 71 66 74
284 - Hennie Otto 70 74 68 72
285 - Jean-Paul Strydom 73 67 76 69, Luke Jerling 72 71 70 72, Louis de Jager 71 73 69 72, Keenan Davidse 71 68 72 74, Joe Long 74 70 65 76
286 - Rhys West 75 70 71 70, Quintin Wilsnach 73 69 74 70, Ruan Conradie 72 70 72 72, Jovan Rebula 71 68 75 72, Graham van der Merwe 67 70 74 75
287 - Jason Roets 69 71 71 76
288 - Danie Van Niekerk 71 74 72 71, Rupert Kaminski 68 73 73 74, Franklin Manchest 73 66 73 76
289 - Stuart Krog 73 71 72 73, Jack Hawksby 71 73 72 73
290 - Luke Brown 77 71 71 71, Samuel Simpson 70 80 69 71, Nikhil Rama 73 71 72 74, Trevor Fisher Jnr 72 72 70 76
291 - Stephen Ferreira 75 77 70 69, Kyle McClatchie 71 70 73 77, Keegan Mclachlan 69 77 67 78
292 - Wynand Dingle 75 71 71 75
293 - Lyle Rowe 71 78 75 69, Hennie O'Kennedy 76 73 71 73, Matthew Spacey 74 72 70 77
295 - Robson Chinhoi 72 77 74 72
297 - Dayne Moore 76 73 73 75
301 - Werner Deyzel 74 75 73 79
302 - Jacques P de Villiers 78 77 72 75
WDN - Tristin Galant 81 WDN WDN, Callum Mowat 79 73 RTD RTD