Paul Boshoff claimed a two-stroke victory over Xander Basson in the seventh Betway Big Easy Tour tournament of the season at CMR Golf Club on Thursday.
His final-round 67 took his tournament total to 17-under-par 199, two clear of Basson who produced a near-perfect round of 63 to take solo second.
The victory at CMR was Boshoff’s second on this circuit, having won at Randpark Golf Club in 2018. Ironically, that victory also came in the seventh tournament of that season.
“I think it’s a lot of relief,” said Boshoff, describing his feelings in the aftermath of his triumph. “It’s been a lot of hard work and struggles over the last couple of years. So, for it to start getting together; I got the win, so it came together; it’s just relief.
“I have been playing very nicely for the last six, seven, eight, nine weeks but there’s always a bad round in there or a couple of bad holes that derail me, so I’m just relieved and very happy right now.
“It means a lot to me to win against such a strong field. People tend to underestimate the fields of the Big Easy, but the winning score was 17 under par to win by two shots. You need to play good golf and every week is sort of a grind. It’s a building block to where you want to be and I think it prepares you for the higher levels of the game.”
His win certainly went a long way in boosting his chances of earning his Sunshine Tour card for next season by lifting him to third on the Order of Merit. It also brought his six-year winless streak to a halt.
“My first victory was in 2018, the year before I got my Sunshine Tour card,” Boshoff recalled. “It was also a Big Easy event at Randpark but obviously a long time ago. Very different emotions back then. This one means a little bit more, I would say. I think back then I sort of took it for granted a bit but this one means a bit more.
“This win sets me up nicely because, obviously, I want to play on the Sunshine Tour again and move on from there. I want to play all over the world and I think South African golfers have proven that we can compete wherever we want to compete.”
A man fully aware of the impact the Big Easy Tour has had in launching some of the country’s fines golfers’ careers, Boshoff will look forward to the rest of the season with some renewed confidence as destiny beckons.
The top 12 players on the Order of Merit standings will earn their Sunshine Tour cards, come end of the season, and Boshoff has thrown his name in the hat.
The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s development circuit and enjoys the support of South African golfing legend, Ernie Els among other patrons.
