The lead changed hands repeatedly on the final day of the Telkom PGA Championship at the Woodhill Golf Estate on Sunday but in the end it was Warren Abery who came home best of all to claim the spoils.
The Mount Edgecombe Country Club professional rounded the course on Sunday on three-under-par 69 to complete the tournament in 15-under-par 273 and claim the R277 375 first prize in the R1,75-million event. He had rounds of 68, 68, 68 and 69.
Abery ended just one shot clear of Charl Schwartzel and overnight leader Jaco van Zyl. Sharing fourth spot on 12-under-par 276 were Scotsmen Alan McLean and Doug McGuigan, while Nic Henning ended alone in sixth spot on 11-under.
Abery has been rewarded for his consistency this season, with his best finish before Sunday coming at the co-sanctioned European Tour Dunhill Championship where he claimed third spot behind Schwartzel.
Life has been tough for Abery in the golfing world and he hopes this win takes him to another level.
”The lesson here is to never stop believing in yourself. With this game you never know what’s around the corner,” he said.
This is Abery’s third tournament win and undoubtedly the biggest of his career. Most important for the 31-year-old from Umhlanga Rocks is that the win moves him to third spot on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, which means he could be lining up at the $7-million WGC American Express in October — as long as he can hold on to that position after next weekend’s Tour Championship.
Abery began the day at 12-under, two behind Van Zyl, as rain came down steadily over the course.
”I thought we were in for a tough day when the rain came but fortunately by the time I teed off the weather cleared and the conditions were perfect,” said Abery.
He birdied the par-five fifth but then dropped on the par-four eighth to turn at level par 36 for the front nine. He took the lead after birdies on holes 10, 11 and 12 but then dropped a shot on 13 when he three-putted.
Fortune, however, was on his side and he pulled it back courtesy of a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-four 14th.
”That was definitely the turning point. Once I had that putt, I felt I was in control.”
Louis Oosthuizen hit the front at the turn and looked to be going further ahead when his tee-shot at the par-three 12th landed two feet from the pin.
But once he missed that birdie putt, Oosthuizen literally fell apart.
Overnight leader Van Zyl had a horrid start to his round and the bogeys on holes three and four cost him dearly. He did birdie 11 and 18 but it was too little, too late.
Schwartzel made a late charge with an eagle at 15 and a birdie on the last but it still meant that Abery had to come back to the field.
”I kept thinking that Louis was my main threat because he had a lot of support and I could hear all the cheers coming from him. I didn’t realise Charl was 14-under until I was on the 18th,” said Abery. ”I knew I just had to make a par to win, so I aimed for the middle of the green and looked for a two-putt.”
Abery left himself with a three-footer to win the tournament, which he sunk without too much fuss.
The final event on the Sunshine Tour is the R2-million Vodacom Tour Championship, which begins at the Country Club in Johannesburg on Thursday. — Sapa