Philip Eriksson missed the cut in last week’s tournament, and the extra day of practice he got on the three courses at Fancourt paid off on Sunday as he cruised to a three-stroke victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am.
The Swede carded a final-round of four-under-par 68 to pull clear of the pack in a tournament record-equalling 21-under par, finishing with a birdie on the last hole of the Montagu course to be comfortably clear of runner-up Justin Walters. Dean Burmester was third a further shot back, and Jaco van Zyl was fourth. Defending champion Jaco Ahlers shared fifth with Merrick Bremner and Jbe’ Kruger.
‘I’m speechless, really,’ said Eriksson in immediate reaction to his victory. ‘It feels like a dream come true. I’ve heard so much about this tournament though the years, even in Sweden. And even though it’s not a European Tour event or anything, it’s such a big event that a lot of people come here just to play this tournament. So playing here for the first time and winning feels unbelievable.’
It was a week during which he hardly put a foot wrong, making just three bogeys the whole week, with rounds of 66 to open with on Montagu, 67 on Outeniqua and 67 on The Links ahead of his final round on Montagu.
Then, paired with a resurgent Van Zyl, with whom he shared the 54-hole lead, he started with a birdie and then parred his way to the turn. Van Zyl, in contrast, made three birdies and two bogeys through the first nine as the two headed for home all tied up.
After the turn, Van Zyl faltered with four more bogeys and just two birdies to counter them, while Eriksson put his foot on the accelerator and made four birdies and just a single birdie.
‘It wasn’t as enjoyable playing today as you might think,’ said Eriksson. ‘Jaco played so well. He was firing at the pins, which were tucked in behind the bunkers and behind the water hazards. He just went straight at them all the time.
‘I played more defensively, or strategically. I just tried to get my four- or five-metre putts and then go for the easier holes.
‘But it was tough out there, windy as well. I didn’t really enjoy it until I hit the ball on to the 18th green. Then I felt like it should be fun. The walk on to the 18th was so cool with the people cheering and everything. Just playing with crowds gives me a lot of energy.’
It was clearly enough energy to get in some extra preparation, even though it was done in conditions very different to the warm weather during the tournament. ‘I couldn’t imagine while I was practicing that I could go this low,’ he said. ‘It was raining and cold and misty. But with nice temperatures and good weather, it was so much easier than I thought.’
And he adds his name to a trophy that includes the names of major championship winners Nick Price, Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen.
Final leaderboard:
268 – Philip Eriksson 66 67 67 68
271 – Justin Walters 64 69 71 67
272 – Dean Burmester 68 67 68 69
273 – Jaco Van Zyl 65 66 69 73
274 – Merrick Bremner 70 74 65 65, Jaco Ahlers 68 67 71 68, Jbe’ Kruger 66 68 68 72
275 – Bradley Neil 73 68 68 66, Jeff Winther 70 69 66 70
276 – Fredrik From 69 67 73 67, Jaco Prinsloo 71 67 68 70
277 – Thriston Lawrence 73 71 69 64, Daniel van Tonder 73 71 65 68
278 – Bryce Easton 70 73 66 69, Laurie Canter 68 71 68 71, Anthony Michael 67 71 73 67
279 – Peter Karmis 78 68 68 65, Garth Mulroy 72 71 68 68, Wallie Coetsee 73 68 70 68, Darren Fichardt 70 74 66 69, Herman Loubser 75 68 67 69, Steve Surry 67 68 71 73, Riekus Nortje 63 72 68 76
280 – Michael Palmer 68 73 72 67, Keith Horne 73 66 70 71, Jacques P de Villiers 69 69 71 71, Christiaan Bezuidenhout 68 70 70 72, Neil O’Briain 67 72 68 73, Daniel Greene 70 71 69 70, Martin Rohwer 70 67 73 70
281 – JC Ritchie 72 69 70 70, Cormac Sharvin 69 70 72 70, Antoine Rozner 70 71 69 71
282 – Hennie du Plessis 74 72 68 68, Vaughn Groenewald 70 69 69 74, Matthew Jordan 71 70 73 68
283 – Zander Lombard 71 73 70 69, Richard Bland 70 70 73 70, Jean-Paul Strydom 69 73 71 70, Jerome Lando Casanova 74 69 70 70, Toby Tree 66 70 75 72, MJ Viljoen 70 71 70 72, Jacques Blaauw 73 65 71 74, Victor Lange 74 73 67 69, Ockie Strydom 69 70 69 75, Ulrich van den Berg 72 71 70 70
284 – Estiaan Conradie 70 67 75 72, Tyrone Ferreira 70 74 68 72, Rhys West 73 70 67 74, Lyle Rowe 73 67 70 74
285 – Anton Haig 74 70 70 71, Stephen Ferreira 71 69 71 74, Christiaan Basson 70 73 68 74
286 – Derick Petersen 72 72 70 72, Rhys Enoch 71 69 73 73, Hennie Otto 70 72 70 74, Ross McGowan 71 69 72 74
287 – Mark Williams 69 72 73 73, CJ du Plessis 75 68 70 74, Jean Hugo 71 68 74 74, Dawie Van der Walt 70 69 72 76, Jack Harrison 69 70 71 77
288 – Luke Jerling 72 70 72 74, Jonathan Agren 73 67 69 79
289 – Ruan Conradie 75 68 71 75, Ruan de Smidt 68 73 71 77, Chris Hanson 73 65 74 77, Breyten Meyer 73 72 69 75
293 – Philip Geerts 72 73 69 79
