Malcolm Mitchell and Theunis Bezuidenhout walked away with the biggest spoils in the Big Easy IGT Tour Championship, while Boland rookie Hennie O’Kennedy caused a major upset in an enthralling finale at Centurion Country Club last week.

With 2020/2021 Sunshine Tour season cards up for grabs for the top six ranked players on the final Road to Sunshine Tour, the tension on the first tee was palpable.

Mitchell, a former GolfRSA Protea and National Squad member, moved into the number one spot on the Order of Merit with his first win at Akasia Country Club in July. Two more turns in the winner’s circle and a runner-up finish in the penultimate event at Soweto Country Club cemented his dominance and Mitchell secured the Order of Merit title with a tie for ninth on nine-under 209.

“I don’t even have words to describe how happy I am at this moment, not having that dreaded Q-School hanging over my head. It’s great to know I can let my hair down over the festive season and then go out there and start the next stage of my career on the Sunshine Tour,” Mitchell said after his final round on the Big Easy IGT Tour.

Bezuidenhout and O’Kennedy also had reason to celebrate – a maiden professional title for the Mooinooi golfer, while O’Kennedy came racing through the pack to claim one of the coveted Sunshine Tour places.

Bezuidenhout began the final round three shots behind overnight leader, former TuksGolf star Reinhardt Blaauw and O’Kennedy was a further stroke adrift at the start of the round.

As Blaauw battled a balky putter, big-hitting O’Kennedy set the clubhouse target with a flawless eight-under-par 64 and Bezuidenhout joined him in pole position with a six-under-par 66. Blaauw’s flat-stick let him down once more on the final hole and a final round 69 meant a three-way sudden-death play-off on the par four 18th.

O’Kennedy lost to birdies on the first extra hole and Bezuidenhout edged out Blaauw with a birdie on the second trip down the closing hole.

The second season Sunshine Tour pro was delighted with his maiden victory.

“I entered this week to build some confidence for the New Year and I’m pleased as punch with the result,” said Bezuidenhout, who banked a tidy Christmas bonus worth R32 680.

Mitchell topped the final money list on R74 097. Irene golfer Jason Smith and Matthew Spacey from Dainfern – both two-time winners this season – claimed the second and third Sunshine Tour cards with their respective earnings of R57 706 and R53 543.

Former Sunshine Tour campaigner Desne van den Bergh from Vaal de Grace finished fifth on R49 558 and Houghton golfer Coert Groenewald secured the sixth and final card on R49 219.

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