Argentina’s Ariel Canete closed with three birdies in the final four holes at the East Course of the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club on Sunday to become the inaugural winner of the Jo’burg Open and the first Argentinian to win in South Africa.
The 31-year-old former Challenge Tour graduate closed with a round of 67 over the East Course for a total of 19-under-par 266, two strokes clear of South African Andrew McLardy in second place.
On lifting the winner’s trophy, Canete became the first Argentinian to win on the Sunshine Tour — another success story for both the Sunshine and European Tours, underlining their policies of giving the up-and-coming players as many playing opportunities as possible.
Having finished 146th on the European Tour Order of Merit in 2006 and then failing to regain his full playing privileges when he finished 53rd at the qualifying school in San Roque in November, Canete started the new season with two appearances on the Challenge Tour.
Along came the Jo’burg Open and its 204-strong field, which gave many of the less established European Tour players a valuable start. Opportunity knocked and the Argentinian, encouraged by his friend and manager at home, answered the call in commanding fashion.
Canete, who led by one stroke going into the fourth round, bogeyed the par-three second hole, but then picked up two birdies on the front nine and two more coming down the home stretch.
He sealed his victory with a brilliant up-and-down from a greenside bunker for birdie on the 18th, which earned him a three-year exemption to the European Tour international schedule and five years on the Sunshine Tour.
”I was in Argentina and it was the holidays. My category has not been so good and I was sitting there doing nothing. I thought to myself, ‘Let’s go to South Africa and give it a try, you never know.’ Now I am very, very happy,” said Canete.
”I putted really well all week. The lines always seemed very clear in my mind, while my South African caddie, Joseph, helped a lot with club selection, as the ball travels farther here than it does at home in Argentina.”
McLardy, who equalled his best performance on the European Tour international schedule following his runner-up spot in Madeira in 2005, shot to fourth on the current Order of Merit and has every chance of catching Charl Schwartzel, who still leads the way behind Ernie Els and Alvaro Quiros.
Another South African, Hennie Otto, was alone in third place on 16 under par after shooting a 67. Compatriot Alex Haindl briefly threatened the leaders, before bogeys on the 14th and 17th saw him finish on 13 under, along with countryman Mark Murless.
Earlier in the day Haindl had been one of the biggest movers when 36 players returned to complete their third rounds after Saturday’s play was terminated in the early afternoon by lightning and thunderstorms.
The 23-year-old South African, who is 19th on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, put himself into contention with a 66, while Canete and McLardy both completed 65s to go into the final round first and second on the leader board, which was exactly where they would finish. — Sapa