James Kamte raised his hands in praise after scoring a breakthrough victory in 2008 with an explosive five-birdie back nine to overhaul his rivals and win the R1.8-million Dimension Data Pro-Am at Gary Player Country Club at Sun City.
In doing so, he also became the first black South African to win on the tough summer swing of the Sunshine Tour.
The 25-year-old from Queenstown, whose first victory came at the Seekers Travel Pro-Am on the winter swing in 2007, shot a final-round 70 for a winning total of 11-under-par 277, three shots clear of local favourite James Kingston.
The 2007 South African Airways Open champion carded a 74 to finish alone in second on eight-under, one shot ahead of Clovelly’s Peter Karmis, who finished alone in third at seven-under with a final-round 71.
Six-time Sunshine Tour winner Thomas Aiken, who held a share of the lead through the 16th, birdied the last after signing for an eight at the 17th to claim a share of fourth, with Norway’s Peter Kaensche and 2006 winner Alan McLean at six-under.
The deeply religious Kamte, who was two behind at the turn, said the turning point came during the cart trip from the 9th green to the 10th tee.
‘Coming up the 9th, I hit a great 5-iron in, but messed up the hole. I looked at the leaderboard and saw I was only two behind,’ said Kamte, who stayed focused by reciting scriptures to himself on the course.
‘I prayed all the way to the 10th [course 1st hole] and when I got out of the cart, I turned to my caddie, Stanley Moeng, and said to him: “We are going to win this.”
‘I just heard God talking to me so clearly. From there, He did all the work.’
Aiken, playing a couple of matches ahead, was the outsider who made the biggest run at it. He turned in 33 and added birdies at 11 and 14. He was heading for a 67 or lower, but what was looking like a potential playoff went to ashes with his eight at 17.
By the time Aiken closed with a birdie for a 70, Kamte had effectively ring-fenced the R285 300 winner’s cheque with a birdie-three at the 14th. One shot ahead of Kingston, he set up another four-footer at the 15th and holed that to widen the gap to two.
‘I thought to myself, “Wow, now I’m two ahead, now they have to catch me.”’
Kamte hit the perfect tee shot to split the fairway at the 17th and pitched his 8-iron approach four feet from the pin to set up birdie No 6.
For the first time in a week, the clouds had truly lifted to let the faded denim sky through as the sun baked down on the course. For some of the players it meant a ray of hope; for Kamte the sun shone brightly on his champion’s walk to the 18th green.
‘I told Stanley we can play the last in par; with three shots, everyone had to catch me,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t going to do something stupid.’
All in all, Kamte’s victory on Sunday was unique and rather special, and on the Monday the newly crowned Dimension Data Pro-Am winner jetted off to the Middle East for the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic.
‘I hope I can take this form with me; it’s what I worked on this week and I really want to do well in Dubai. I have a working game plan now and if I can apply it there, it will pay off. I will do the work and let God do the driving.’
LEADERBOARD
1 James Kamte 67 69 71 70
2 James Kingston 65 69 72 74
3 Peter Karmis 70 69 71 71
4 Peter Kaensche (NOR) 70 70 71 71, Alan McLean (SCO) 68 69 67 78, Thomas Aiken 66 77 69 70
