Benjamin Follett-Smith claimed the RAM Cape Town Open at Royal Cape after a sensational final round 66 saw him set an unassailable clubhouse lead at 13-under par.
The Zimbabwean, in his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour, was one of just seven players to shoot a sub-70 round on the last day as the leaders struggled to cope with the demands of the grand old Cape layout.
Follett-Smith’s day began with a bogey, and with just one front side birdie it was unlikely that he would be the one to usurp the likes of JP Strydom and European Tour member Zander Lombard playing in the final group.
But the eventual champion turned on the style as he roared home in 30 strokes to post the tally at -13 which ultimately proved too good for both Strydom and Lombard.
Strydom, a local, and the overnight leader, went out in 38 and could only manage a level par inward run which was not good enough to catch Follett-Smith, leaving Lombard as the only contender to force a playoff.
Lombard was also over par on his way out, but birdies at 12 and 14 left him firmly in the mix. A par on the 530m 16th left the VOG Zebula champion level with two holes to play.
His nerve failed him as he finished with consecutive bogeys to fall back to -11 alongside Strydom, with the rookie left to celebrate in style.
‘I am happy to be able to show that I can win,’ Follett-Smith said.
‘It is a great thing for me, at least, and not to prove anything to anyone else that I can win. I will be able to establish myself on Tour and be able to say I am actually worthy of being here. I came out here today thinking that I just need to finish in the top 10 so that I can get into next week at the Dimension Data Pro AM so I won’t have to play pre-qualifiers next week. It is really great for me to win this at this stage of my career.’
2018 runner-up Peter Karmis was fourth alone.
Final leaderboard:
275 – Benjamin Follett-Smith 68 69 72 66
277 – Zander Lombard 68 67 69 73, Jean-Paul Strydom 62 72 69 74
278 – Peter Karmis 63 66 77 72
279 – Hennie Otto 71 64 76 68, Jack Harrison 71 70 68 70, Jaco Ahlers 70 71 68 70
280 – Jacques P de Villiers 73 64 76 67, Adilson Da Silva 71 63 75 71, Herman Loubser 71 71 67 71, Jacques Kruyswijk 67 72 69 72, Andrew Curlewis 67 64 76 73, Thriston Lawrence 66 68 72 74, Madalitso Muthiya 67 69 70 74
281 – Victor Lange 71 70 70 70, Daniel Greene 67 71 72 71, Justin Walters 66 69 73 73
282 – Richard Bland 66 69 73 74
283 – Dawie Van der Walt 71 67 76 69, Keith Horne 69 71 70 73
284 – Rhys Enoch 67 73 76 68, Scott Campbell 67 70 76 71, Tyrone Ryan 70 70 72 72, Jbe’ Kruger 69 67 75 73, Lyle Rowe 67 71 70 76
285 – Anthony Michael 71 71 69 74, MJ Viljoen 66 70 73 76, Ockie Strydom 69 70 70 76, Daniel van Tonder 66 70 72 77, Michael Palmer 68 70 69 78
286 – Doug McGuigan 68 72 72 74, Vaughn Groenewald 67 71 73 75, Wallie Coetsee 69 73 69 75, Neil Schietekat 70 72 69 75, Ross McGowan 68 72 68 78
287 – Mitch Waite 68 72 78 69, Trevor Fisher Jnr 69 71 75 72, Damon Stephenson 67 72 74 74, Jacques Blaauw 68 72 72 75, Keenan Davidse 72 69 71 75, Martin Rohwer 74 67 71 75, Luke Jerling 72 69 71 75, Luke Joy 72 70 70 75, JC Ritchie 66 72 73 76
288 – Stephen Ferreira 69 70 72 77
289 – Ian Ansett 70 72 78 69, Jake Roos 71 70 78 70, Kyle McClatchie 65 72 78 74, Jacquin Hess 71 70 73 75, David McIntyre 71 69 71 78
290 – Andrew van der Knaap 71 71 75 73, Tyler Hogarty 67 72 77 74, Teboho Sefatsa 69 70 75 76, Jason Viljoen 68 74 72 76, JJ Senekal 67 71 75 77, Harry Ellis 69 71 73 77
291 – Michael Hollick 68 71 77 75, Wynand Dingle 67 70 76 78, Christiaan Basson 69 70 72 80
292 – Matias Calderon 67 75 75 75, Rhys West 70 72 74 76, Estiaan Conradie 68 71 76 77, Garth Mulroy 72 68 75 77, Ruan Conradie 67 71 72 82
293 – Pieter Moolman 70 71 79 73
294 – Heinrich Bruiners 68 70 73 83
295 – Allister de Kock 70 72 77 76, Philip Geerts 70 72 77 76
296 – Bennie van der Merwe 69 73 74 80
298 – Anton Haig 71 70 78 79
Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images
