The solid plan and clinical execution of Kieran Vincent made sure that any dreams of a challenge to him would be still-born as the Zimbabwean cruised to a four-shot victory in the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club on Sunday.
Vincent went into the final round tied for the lead on 15-under-par with James Mack, and there were 11 other golfers within five shots.
But the 26-year-old gave them no chance as he fired a brilliant, bogey-free six-under-par 66 on Sunday to finish on 21-under and clinch a comfortable victory.
The moment 🇿🇼 Kieran Vincent became a winner on the Sunshine Tour. 🏆#KitKatCashAndCarryProAm #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/AkWdc3nPtS
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 26, 2024
Vincent picked up his first birdie at the par-four sixth hole and the turn was fertile territory for him as he then reeled off a hat-trick of birdies from the ninth to 11th holes.
Vincent sank a superb 40ft putt for birdie on the par-five 10th, and then hit an equally excellent approach to a foot on the par-four 11th to pick up another shot.
The likes of Malcolm Mitchell and Jacques Blaauw did appear briefly in his rearview mirror, but Vincent settled the deal with birdies on the last two holes.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I’m here on an invite so I’m super-grateful to KitKat Cash & Carry for this opportunity,” Vincent said.
“I’m very excited because we did a lot of good things today and a lot of hard work has gone into making this first professional win with my caddie Alec a reality. To have my mother and sister in the crowd was also so special.
“Any time you win, it’s a huge boost, wherever it is. I have a long season ahead and there’s still a lot of work to do.”
🗣 "Thank you to everyone behind the scenes who have put in the work for me to be here today." Kieran Vincent.#KitKatCashAndCarryProAm #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/8yIpEXnx8G
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 26, 2024
Vincent is hoping part of that long season will be the Olympic Games tournament in Paris, and his golf in the first two events of the new Sunshine Tour season – he finished tied-fourth in the FBC Zim Open – certainly fits the bill in terms of climbing the world rankings.
He was number 439 in the world coming to Irene Country Club, but he is the leading Zimbabwean in the rankings.
“I’m not sure if I’m 100 per cent there yet, but playing good golf will take care of that itself,” Vincent said.
Kieran Vincent wins the Kit Kat Cash and Carry Pro-Am. 🏆👏#KitKatCashAndCarryProAm #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/lNcv0rs5qG
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 26, 2024
Vincent was stalked by Mitchell on the front nine, with the latter reaching the turn in four-under to be just a stroke behind at one stage.
But a double-bogey on the par-three 13th and another dropped shot on the 14th were crucial lapses by Mitchell.
Blaauw also legged it up the leaderboard with a round of 67 that included just one bogey, finishing in third place on 16-under-par.
Mack struggled to a 73 on Sunday and finished on 14-under-par, in a tie for sixth.
The team winners of the Kit Kat Pro-Am were Team B & H Sugar, including Mohammed Ahmed Essai and professional Joe Long.
They earned themselves a JVC 65-inch 4K Smart TV and a Mont Blanc pen.
SCORES:
267 - Kieran Vincent 67 67 67 66
271 - Malcolm Mitchell 73 67 65 66
272 - Jacques Blaauw 69 67 69 67
273 - Kyle Barker 68 72 68 65, Joe Long 67 70 67 69
274 - Gerhard Pepler 65 75 66 68, Stephen Ferreira 67 68 69 70, James Mack 67 62 72 73
275 - Jonathan Broomhead 68 69 69 69, Martin Vorster 69 67 71 68, Rupert Kaminski 68 66 71 70, Martin Rohwer 66 65 73 71, Luke Jerling 68 70 70 67
276 - Yurav Premlall 72 67 70 67, Ricky Hendler 73 67 67 69, MJ Viljoen 69 67 71 69
277 - Travis Ladner 72 69 65 71
278 - Danie Van Niekerk 68 68 71 71, JC Ritchie 71 67 70 70, Ruan Korb 70 69 69 70
279 - Heinrich Bruiners 70 70 72 67, Ethan Smith 73 66 72 68, Hennie O'Kennedy 70 68 69 72, CJ du Plessis 73 66 67 73
280 - Callum Mowat 70 69 71 70, Werner Deyzel 73 68 69 70, Michael Hollick 72 70 68 70, Sean Bradley 69 70 70 71, Keenan Davidse 68 68 73 71, Christian Kriek 73 65 71 71, Wynand Dingle 68 68 71 73
281 - Keegan Mclachlan 70 72 72 67, Jean-Paul Strydom 69 69 70 73, Nikhil Rama 70 69 69 73
282 - Stuart Krog 69 71 72 70, Luca Filippi 71 67 72 72, Stefan Wears-Taylor 66 71 68 77, Herman Loubser 74 68 67 73
283 - Jovan Rebula 72 70 70 71, Thabiso Ngcobo 71 69 71 72, Fredrik From 69 74 67 73, Otto Van Buynder 69 69 71 74
284 - LB Boshoff 70 67 76 71, Jake Redman 73 69 72 70, JJ Senekal 69 68 73 74
285 - Neil Schietekat 73 69 71 72, Estiaan Conradie 70 72 71 72, Gregory Mckay 72 69 74 70, Hennie Otto 70 73 70 72, Irvin Mazibuko 68 73 68 76
286 - DK Kim 72 71 69 74, Ruan de Smidt 69 72 71 74, Rhys West 73 69 74 70, Jack Hawksby 68 75 70 73
287 - Lyle Rowe 72 71 73 71
288 - Keagan Thomas 68 69 74 77, Haydn Porteous 70 71 76 71
289 - Jason Roets 69 73 75 72
290 - Ruan Groenewald 72 71 71 76, Jaco Van Zyl 69 73 76 72, Jacques P de Villiers 70 73 75 72
291 - Combrinck Smit 75 68 78 70
292 - Rourke van der Spuy 72 70 74 76, Dylan O'Leary 73 70 73 76
298 - Luke Brown 70 73 78 77
Missed the cut:
144 - Conner Mackenzie 73 71, Jared Harvey 74 70, Daniel van Tonder 72 72, Gerard du Plooy 70 74, Quintin Wilsnach 75 69, Jacob Oakley 69 75, Trevor Mahoney 73 71, Doug McGuigan 71 73, Christiaan Basson 70 74
145 - Thanda Mavundla 67 78, Dayne Moore 74 71, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 76 69, Pierre Pellegrin 71 74, Adam Breen 72 73, Robson Chinhoi 73 72, Jean Hugo 72 73, Leon Vorster 65 80, Matthew Spacey 71 74, Steven Le Roux 73 72, Anthony Michael 73 72
146 - Nick Cunningham 75 71
147 - Thabang Simon 76 71, Jbe Kruger 73 74, Kyle De Beer 71 76, Kayle Wykes 73 74, Samuel Simpson 73 74, Tristin Galant 75 72
148 - Allister de Kock 71 77, Sentanio Minnie 73 75, Stals Swart 77 71
149 - Hayden Griffiths 74 75, Jabulane Mabilane 74 75, Austin Bautista 77 72, Merrick Bremner 76 73
150 - Keelan van Wyk 76 74, Dylan Mostert 76 74, Jastice Mashego 74 76, Teboho Sefatsa 74 76, James Kamte 78 72
151 - Andre De Decker 74 77, Sipho Bujela 75 76
152 - Makhetha Mazibuko 74 78, Madalitso Muthiya 73 79, Toto Thimba Jnr 74 78, Ruan Conradie 79 73
154 - Jacquin Hess 74 80, Franklin Manchest 80 74
155 - Slenda Sithebe 80 75
156 - CJ Levey 83 73, Mike Maile 77 79
157 - Jordan Duminy 82 75
158 - Tumelo Molloyi 80 78
159 - Lyle Pedro 85 74
163 - Umar Davids 79 84
RTD - Christiaan Burke 77 RTD RTD