Jean Hugo held his nerve to cap a brilliant fortnight with back-to-back wins at the inaugural SAA Pro-Am Invitational at Paarl Golf Club on Saturday, just a week after breaking a six-year title drought at Arabella.
Hugo held off a valiant challenge from overnight leader Chris Swanepoel and his former caddy, Gerlou Roux, firing a final-round, four-under-par 68 to lift the title on a winning score of 16-under 200.
Hugo finished two strokes clear of 19-year-old Anton Haig, who shot to second with a final round seven-under-par 65, matched by Bradford Vaughan who tied up sole third on 13-under.
Roux (72) and Swanepoel (73) finished in a tie for fourth on 12-under alongside Lindani Ndwandwe, who carded a five-under 67.
One shot off the pace at the start of the day, the composed Hugo avoided any drama on Saturday, attacking early and coming home with uncharacteristic caution.
”The turning point was really at the ninth, where Chris had an unfortunate drop,” said Hugo, who started with a birdie but dropped at the very next hole. ”I made an eagle to catch up at the sixth, then birdied the ninth and the 10th. I had the lead and from there on I just wanted to keep my nose in front.”
While his playing partners rode the see-saw of birdies and drop shots during the nine-hole home stretch, Hugo meticulously erased an errand bogey at the 12th with birdies at the 14th and 16th.
”The last two holes I played a little more conservatively, knowing I had a two-shot lead coming in. Not the best time to be a cowboy,” said Hugo, who now leads the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit with R118 188 after the first three events.
”I guess the experience gained from leading by a large margin at last week’s Vodacom Origins at Arabella paid off, because I was much more focused today. I knew all the time where I was and what I wanted to do and I managed to stick to my game plan.
”It’s great to win again, but even greater to know that I could do it back to back,” Hugo added. ”I look forward to the next four weeks, especially the Swazi Open next week and then the Origins at the Wild Coast.
”I always play well at these venues, so hopefully I can take the current form with me.”
Southern African legends Gary Player and Mark McNulty jointly hold the record for successive Summer Tour wins with four each — Player during the 1979/80 season and McNulty in 1986/87.
If he could maintain the purple patch, a victory at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club would make Hugo the first player to win three in a row on the Winter Tour and take him one step closer to equalling the record held by Player and McNulty.
The next Pro-Am Invitational is scheduled to be played at Kempton Park Golf Club from May 18 to 20. — Sapa