MICHAEL VLISMAS, Cape Town | Sunday 7.15pm.
KWAZULU-Natal professional, Sean Ludgater, claimed his maiden Vodacom Tour victory when he won the R200,000 Vodacom Series: Western Cape by two shots at the Rondebosch Golf Club on Sunday.
Ludgater, who finished second in this event last year, birdied his first hole on the way to a final round one-under par 71 and a 54-hole total of 12-under 204.
Des Terblanche finished second on 10-under 206 after a 70 on the final day.
Ludgater’s four birdies and three bogeys were enough to earn him his first win in three years as a professional.
But with the experience of Terblanche and Ashley Roestoff chasing him, Ludgater began to feel the pressure over the final few holes.
“Des, in particular, made me very nervous coming down the final stretch. You expect nothing less from that calibre of player, though, and I just had to keep playing my own game and not try to get into a matchplay situation,” said the 25-year-old Ludgater, who has struggled with a ‘flu virus all week.
“I’ve been so sick that I wasn’t able to hit balls on the practice tee during the tournament, and that’s not like me.
Ludgater began the day with a two-shot lead on 11-under, and birdied the long-playing par-four first after expertly using the bank behind the green to roll a one-iron to within 12 feet of the hole.
But a missed three-footer for birdie at the second was the start of a frustrating day for Ludgater on the par-threes, which were the scene of two of his three bogeys for the round.
“That missed birdie on the second was purely nerves. It was a straight, uphill putt and I jabbed at it. I think I was just shocked to get off to such a good start.”
But a superb 35-foot putt for birdie at the par-five 11th gave Ludgater the mental strength to hold out for victory.
“That birdie was an absolute lifesaver. You just can’t help getting nervous, but my game was solid. However, I left a lot of shots out on the course. My putting was also far too tentative. But I holed the putts I needed to.”
The Western Cape tournament was the final one on the six-tournament Vodacom Series, which is run in conjunction with the main Vodacom Tour.
Nico van Rensburg finished as the overall Vodacom Series champion after amassing the most amount of money in the six events, with R76,000 to his credit. — MWP