Oliver Bekker produced a dominant display at Fancourt on Sunday to win the Dimension Data Pro-Am title by four shots in front of his home crowd.
Bekker took a five-shot lead into the final round and closed with a measured 68 on the Montagu course to win on 22 under par overall. Sweden’s Adam Blomme took second place on 18 under par with a final round of 66.
Bekker first won this title in 2012 and is now only the third player since the tournament’s inception in 1996 to win the Dimension Data Pro-Am twice, joining Nick Price (1997 and 1998) and Darren Fichardt (2004 and 2010).
“When you start with such a big lead it’s almost a relief that you didn’t waste it,” said Bekker. “It’s amazing to be here in front of my family and friends. It’s not often you play a golf tournament and you’ve got a hundred people following you and you know almost all of them. I’m just elated.”
On another magnificent day on the Garden Route, Bekker parred his way through the first seven holes before his first birdie of the final round on the par-three 8th hole. He added four more birdies on the back nine, and could afford a single bogey, to put himself well and truly beyond reach.
Hennie O’Kennedy came storming through the field with a bogey-free round of 65 to finish on 16 under par, and Frenchman Ugo Coussaud tried to make a contest of it with a sublime 63 to finish on 14 under. But Bekker had done more than enough to keep himself beyond any serious challenge.
“I did watch the scoreboard quite a bit and played rather safe. I didn’t try to be too aggressive and make any unforced errors. The course was there for the taking today, but I didn’t want to disappoint anybody and still go out there and put together a good final round.”
By Michael Vlismas
