Tour win for Edenvale golfer

Edenvale golfer, Bryandrew Roelofsz, scored a seven-under-par 65 to claim his second career win on the IGT Pro Challenge Tour.

He beat overnight leader, Tyrone Mordt of Bedfordview, at the Sunshine Tour professional who dominated the first two rounds.

At the Jack Nicklaus-designed championship course, it was a searing hot short stick that did the trick for the 21-year-old Bryandrew at the Houghton Golf Club.

Tyrone was set for a win after hitting six birdies over the first 13 holes, but bogeys at the 14th and 16th opened the door for Bryandrew, who had already stockpiled five birdies at the third, fourth, 10th, 12th and 13th holes. Another pair of birdies at the 16th and 17th holes put the seal on a flawless display and a one-shot victory on 14-under-par 202.

Tyrone’s 68 left him two shots clear of joint first-round leader, Tyrone Ryan.

The Bedfordview professional also threatened the lead with six early birdies, but destroyed his title hopes with a trio of bogeys for a closing 69.

“I had a top 20 at Modderfontein and top 10 at ERPM and Kempton Park, so it was really important for me to try and win at least one of the events,” said Bryandrew. “I am off to the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School in January, and to win this close to the end of the Race to Q-School is a really good omen for me. It is the breakthrough I have been working towards and it has come at the right time,” he said.

Bryandrew explained that he focussed on his own game without paying attention to what Mordt and Ryan were up to. “I realised in the first round that course management at this track is critical,” he said. “If you have a solid tee to green game, you give yourself a chance to score. If you veer into trouble, this course is designed to punish you. It is always in the back of your head, but I consciously think about winning when I teed off. I just played the round exactly as I imagined, and it paid off,” he said.

After posting earlier rounds of 74 and 79, two-time IGT Race to Q-School winner, Robbie Lupini, scorched the course in 64 strokes to pocket R500 for the lowest round of the day.

Bryandrew’s AMA final result was 202, 68 69 65.