Clutch putt seals Ekurhuleni Open for Beckley
North West amateur Aubrey Beckley held his nerve over a 2.43m clutch putt, at the closing hole, to thwart a brave bid by Pretoria duo Zander Lombard and Jason Smith, to seal his maiden provincial victory at the Ekurhuleni Open, on Sunday, October 6.
The 19-year-old from Potchefstroom had put himself in contention at Benoni Country Club with rounds of 68-66-73, and signaled his intention with a birdie-eagle start in the final round.
Beckley was three under after a bogey-birdie combination just before the turn, and birdied the 10th and 15th to edge ahead of the field.
However, a three-putt bogey at the 17th left Beckley tied for the lead with Lombard and Smith.
“I knew I needed to birdie the 18th to win, and just forced myself to take it shot for shot,” he said.
“My tee shot landed to the right, slightly off the fairway.
“I had 208m to the pin, so I threw a six-iron at it and the ball landed just to the right, off the green.
“I was definitely feeling the pressure, but I kept my focus on the chip and didn’t think about anything else.”
Beckley executed a perfect chip shot and boxed the birdie putt for a 67 and victory on 14-under-par 130.
The young gun was bathing in the glory of his march to victory, but his parents agonised about news they intentionally kept from him, to give him the chance to win.
He only learned the next day that his cousin had unexpectedly passed away in a shooting accident.
Beckley immediately dedicated his victory to Thinus Kok.
“Thinus was a great friend, and one of my biggest supporters,” he said.
“He always encouraged me to do better.
“When I had a bad day at the office, he would always have a positive message waiting to put me back on track.
“He believed that you could do anything if you put your mind to it, even if it took a lot of tries.
“His death does not detract from my achievement. I am really proud that I can dedicate this victory to him.”
“You always remember your first win and he will always be part of this memory.”
The victory also boosted Beckley from 41st to 27th in the South African Golf Association’s rankings.
“That is a real bonus, especially this late in the year,” he said.
“I will be basing myself in Johannesburg next year, to play golf full time, and, hopefully, I can improve my ranking and break into the top 10.”
