The Lowvelder Golf Challenge came to a thrilling conclusion on Wednesday, November 26, with the 2025 overall winner, Christo Bouwer, moving from ninth position to first in the final round.

The last competition day could not have been more exciting. With the best five scores counting for each golfer, the leaderboard chopped and changed. The exception was Rian Joubert, who topped the table from the second round. Yet nobody could have predicted the unlikely scenario that led to the final tallies, exemplifying the playing-field levelling Stableford scoring system.

Going into the finale, Joubert topped the log with 183 points. His 33 Stableford points on Wednesday did not make his top five scores and he remained on 183.

Bouwer was in ninth place after October’s round, on 177 points. He scored a remarkable 44 points last week – the highest of any golfer in any round in 2025 – to leapfrog eight places and claim the title of 2025 Lowvelder Golf Challenge Champion.

Leon Wait finished second on 183 and Joubert third.

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Bouwer’s five best scores were 38, 39, 37, 31 and 44. He played in seven of the nine competition days, whereas Joubert played all nine. His final total was six points higher than that of second-placed Wait, but only 10 points separated second to tenth places. Bouwer won a year’s free membership to Mbombela Golf Club.

Octopi Smart Solutions and Du Toit-Smuts & Partners Attorneys supported this year’s challenge as generous sponsors.

The 2025 Lowvelder Golf Challenge was scheduled for 10 rounds, but rain during the first edition in February reduced the series to nine rounds.

The challenge will be back next year, again at Mbombela Golf Club, with the first round scheduled for February 18, 2026.

This year will long be remembered for the spirit and camaraderie, both on and off the course, but Bouwer’s road to the title, particularly his final round, will be written in Lowvelder Golf Challenge folklore.

Rest of the top 10:
• 4th: Mary-Ann Braithwaite – 182
• 5th: Corrie van Niekerk – 178
• 6th: Johan Ferreira – 178
• 7th: Attie van Wyk -177
• 8th: Christo Smith – 176
• 9th: Jakes Potgieter – 176
• 10th: Franchoa Giliomee – 172.