Ballito’s Gerhard Pepler stuns field to claim Sunshine Tour victory in Pretoria
The golfer recently moved to Ballito and has since enjoyed an improvement in form.
Gerhard Pepler secured his second Sunshine Tour title with a commanding wire-to-wire victory at the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club in Pretoria last week.
The Ballito golfer finished on 24-under-par (264) after closing with an impressive seven-under 65, sealing a two-shot win over Graham van der Merwe, who surged into second place with a brilliant final-round 61 for a 22-under-par total on Sunday.
This victory marks Pepler’s first Sunshine Tour win since 2023 and comes after consistently strong performances at the event, where he tied for second last year and finished sixth in 2024. He is now third on the 2026 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
“I was hoping it would come, I just didn’t expect it to be this early in the season. I am very happy,” said Pepler.
The 26-year-old laid the foundation for his triumph early in the tournament. On Friday, he fired a bogey-free nine-under 63 to take a three-shot lead, which he extended further with another flawless 64 in the following round.
However, Saturday brought a moment of vulnerability. Despite starting the day with a six-shot cushion, Pepler carded a level-par 72, including four bogeys in his first 10 holes, allowing challengers such as Jack Davidson, Jaco Prinsloo and Van der Merwe to close the gap.
“I was really nervous going into the final round, especially after Saturday,” he admitted.
“But I knew I was playing well and that I could win.”
Pepler responded to the pressure in style on Sunday. Back-to-back birdies at the start of his round restored control, but Van der Merwe and Prinsloo continued to threaten, repeatedly edging closer on the leaderboard.
READ MORE: Ballito golfer Gerhard Pepler claims top 10 finish at Zim Open | North Coast Courier
The decisive moment came at the par-five 17th hole, where Pepler drained a crucial putt for eagle to move two shots clear before paring the 18th to secure the title.
“When that putt went in for eagle, I totally blacked out,” he said.
Pepler credited his mental focus for getting him over the line.
“Coming down the stretch on Sunday, I was surprisingly calm and focused. I tried to stay in the moment and keep fighting until the last shot.”
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