Dingle celebrates his move to Pretoria with victory at Silver Lakes
After his move from Hartbeespoort to Pretoria, the winner of the Race to Q-School # 2 tournament believes even bigger highlights await him in 2019.
Experience won out as local golfer Wynand Dingle pipped Sunshine Tour rookie Thriston Lawrence in a sudden-death play-off hole to claim his third victory on the IGT Challenge Tour at his new home course on Wednesday.
Lawrence had a three-shot lead starting the final round of the Race to Q-School #2 and he was four shots clear of Dingle, who moved to Silver Lakes Golf Estate in early January after more than a decade at Pecanwood Golf Club near Hartbeespoortdam.
Chasing his own hat-trick of wins, Lawrence stayed ahead of the pack with an eagle-three at the second and a trio of birdies for a three-under-par 69, but he couldn’t hold off a charging Dingle.
An eagle at the par five seventh and four birdies got Dingle within a shot of Lawrence’s lead after 14 holes. He birdied the closing hole for flawless 65 to tie Lawrence on 16-under at the end of regulation play and force the tournament into extra time.
The pair returned to the ninth hole and both players made par on the first try. Dingle emerged triumphant with a brilliant up-and-down for par on the second trip down the par three.
The Sunshine Tour stalwart had entered the first two events of the Race to Q-School series to get his game into competitive shape for the Eye for Africa PGA Championship next week and he was over the moon with the win.
“I’m chuffed beyond words with this win. I really battled with my swing during the first Race to Q-School at Centurion last week and it wasn’t much better in the first round here at Silver Lakes. I spend quite a bit of time on the driving range trying a few things and it started to click. I struck the ball much better in the second round and today I really hit some quality shots. Now I feel ready to take on the Eye of Africa,” said Dingle after his victory.
Dingle joined the pro ranks in 2008. After three wins on the country’s premier golf development circuit and success on the Big Easy Tour in 2008, he is still chasing that breakthrough on the Sunshine Tour.
“They say a change is as good as a holiday and after 11 wonderful years at Pecanwood, we moved to Silver Lakes at the start of the year. My girlfriend works in Pretoria and the daily commute finally got too much. A new home, a new home course, and now a win at the start of the season… I am taking this as a good omen and I believe that maiden win is just around the corner,” Dingle concluded.
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