Jonathan Broomhead claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title in the Tour Championship delivered by The Courier Guy at Serengeti Estates on Sunday and which also wrapped up another thrilling Sunshine Tour season that has opened doors for a new generation of South African stars. MICHAEL VLISMAS reports.
In the final tournament of the 2023-24 season, Broomhead closed with a 69 to win by two strokes on 16 under par over Louis Albertse and Rupert Kaminski.
The tournament also finalised the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.
Ryan van Velzen finished first here in a breakthrough season where he won twice. His triumph saw him secure a DP World Tour card, a place in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and Major exemptions into The Open and the US PGA Championship.
“I just played so consistently and had some good finishes in big events,” said Van Velzen, who also earned a R500,000 bonus for his first-place finish on the Order of Merit.
“I’m really excited for my DP World Tour season to start later this year and to play in my first Major. I’m also very excited about playing in the Nedbank Golf Challenge which I’ve been watching since I was a kid and now I can compete alongside the players I watched on TV.”
“We’re delighted to see how the season turned out and we’ll continue to support in the next season as well,” said Craig Pitchers, chief executive officer of The Courier Guy. “We’re very pleased with the incentives we could make for the golfers, both financially and career-wise for them.”
Robin Williams finished second on the Order of Merit and also earned himself a DP World Tour card as well as a R200,000 bonus. Williams was also crowned the Fortress Rookie of the Year, earning a R200,000 bonus.
“It’s amazing. It was one of my goals at the start of the year. It opens a lot of doors for me and I’m looking forward to that,” said Williams.
“We’re thrilled to be a small part of Robin’s remarkable story and we look forward to his continued success on and off the course in the future,” said Ryan Eichstadt, Fortress head of investor relations. “He won the Fortress Invitational this season and it’s exciting to follow him and the other up-and-coming stars on the Sunshine Tour.”
Louis Albertse finished the season in third place on the Order of Merit thereby claiming the last DP World Tour card on offer and a R100,000 bonus.
It was certainly a Sunday of incredible rewards for the Sunshine Tour professionals, with Broomhead leading the celebrations.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and there were going to be so many players around me giving it ago,” he said. “I knew I just had to stick to my game, and my caddie and I worked really hard on not getting ahead of ourselves and staying in the moment. I was on edge coming down the last few holes but it all worked out.”
🎥 The moment rookie, Jonathan Broomhead secured his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour. 🏆#CourierGuyTourChamps | #GreatenssBeginsHere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/DzjtwmqIQQ
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) April 14, 2024
Earlier in the round, Stefan Wears-Taylor decided to put the fact that he was drawn alone as the last player in the field to good use.
Wears-Taylor raced around the Serengeti layout in one hour and 27 minutes, breaking the PGA Tour record for 18 completed holes in a professional tournament set by Wesley Bryan in 2017 of one hour and 29 minutes.
Wears-Taylor shot a 79 in the process.
“When I saw I was playing alone the thought came to mind to play some speed golf,” he said. “I sent my caddie a message to unload the bag with all the heavy stuff and come to the golf course with his running shoes on.
“It worked out well. I’m not sure if it’s an official world record, but we just pipped Wesley Bryan’s record. Perhaps the biggest challenge was putting with the faster greens and Sunday flags.”
Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour
