Fisher nets Tshwane Open

THE charge from South African golfers did not have any effect on Ross Fisher from England, when he took full control of the Tshwane Open and won by three strokes.

The Tshwane Open Golf tournament, which is part of the Sunshine and European Tour, was held from Thursday February 27 to March 2 at The Els Club at Copperleaf.

During the opening two days some of the top local and overseas players made their moves to avoid the cut-off on Friday. Unfortunately the defending champion, Dawie van der Walt, didn’t make the cut-off and the field was open to crown a new Tshwane Open champion.

Fisher made his presence felt already on day two of the open and he was well in front of the field at the tee-off on the third and final day of play.

Fisher claimed his first victory in almost four years, winning the Tshwane Open. On a rainy day Fisher took a five-stroke lead into a final round and withstood a strong charge from Michael Hoey to close with a 70 and win on 20 under par.

It’s his first win on the European Tour since 2010 and ends a slump in the career of a man once ranked as high as 17 in the world, and who has now started the process to get back there with a win that lifts him into the top 65 in the world.

“It feels great. It wasn’t quite the spectacular golf I was hoping for, but obviously I saw the weather wasn’t going to be too kind to us all day. It was just a tough day,” said Fisher.

Hoey made the biggest run at Fisher’s lead, but the Irishman’s charge was halted by his double bogey on the par-four twelth when he found the water. He closed with a 68.

Fisher then made his own breakthrough, when he eagled the par-five 15th to surge four ahead of the field.

Hoey took second place on 17 alongside South Africa’s Danie van Tonder, who closed with a bogey-free 66.