Emotional maiden win for local golfer Simon du Plooy
The unheralded Simon surged into the lead with a second round six-under-par 66 and carried a four-shot lead into the final day.
Krugersdorp amateur golfer Simon du Plooy dedicated his maiden IGT Challenge Tour victory to his 16-year-old sister Nadia, after he had showed nerves of steel to win by one shot.
The 19-year-old holed several tricky putts for pars on the back nine in an enthralling battle with professional, Quintin Wilsnach and fellow amateurs Brandon Gildenhuys and Zachary Chegwidden from England in the Race to Q-School #4 at Wingate Park Country Club.
The most important of all came at the 18th where, under the most intense of pressure, the teenager rolled it into the cup for a one over 73 and victory on seven under.
“I’ve never really featured on the amateur circuit and definitely not on the IGT Challenge Tour until now, so this is really big for me. It was a different Simon du Plooy out there today. I’m so pleased to have done this for my younger sister,” he said.
His sister was diagnosed with Kearns Sayres Syndrome at a young age, a very rare neuromuscular and progressive disorder. She is the only documented sufferer of the condition in South Africa.
Read more about Nadia here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/346715/watch-nadia-remains-hopeful-nadia-is-ready-for-high-school/
https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/341826/wednesday-nadia-will-give-you-the-hope-you-need/
The unheralded Simon surged into the lead with a second round six-under-par 66 and carried a four-shot lead into the final day.
“I was very solid all week and even in my third round I was comfortable, although I did drop some shots,” he said. “I got off to a par start that settled the nerves and on the second, I hit a drive with a small draw and a 7 iron from 181 metres out to 18 feet and drained the putt for eagle.”
The young gun dropped a shot on the par three eight and let two more slip on 12 and 13, but he kept his cool as the pressure mounted from the chasing pack.
“It’s fantastic to have my first win under the belt,” Du Plooy said.
“I’ve gained a lot of experience since I started campaigning on the IGT Challenge Tour, and I hope to play the last two before the Sunshine Tour Q-School. I’ve jumped to third in the rankings, and the top 15 at the end of the Race to Q-School Series will go straight to Final Stage.
“I’m starting my BCom Accounting degree this year through UNISA and I’ll take fewer subjects so I can continue to play golf competitively. I’ve been discussing my career path with my coach, Hendrik Buhrmann and my dad. We want to go through the experience of Q-School, but if I’m successful, I will probably not take up a card. I think I will benefit from another year on the IGT Challenge Tour and hopefully also on the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour. It’s been a brilliant week and I’m over the moon, because the conditions were tough. I just want to build on this now.”
* It is with great sadness that the News learnt of Nadia’s passing on Friday, 14 February. Our deepest condolences to Simon and his family in this difficult time. Click here for more information about Nadia du Plooy.
