Hennie Otto
Hennie Otto secured the first victory by a European Tour member outwith The European Tour in 2011 when he triumphed in the Dimension Data Pro-Am on the Sunshine Tour.
The 34 year old South African carded a final round 68 on the Montagu Course at Fancourt for a 16 under par total of 273 and a four shot victory over another European Tour member and compatriot James Kingston, who also closed with a 68 for 277.
In many ways, Otto’s approach shot to the 18th on Sunday typified the golf he played throughout the week – depositing a wedge just a foot from the flag for a tap-in birdie to complete a dominating performance.
“I was hitting those kinds of shots well all week and my putting also started coming right after I went back to my old putter,” said Otto who claimed his tenth title on the Sunshine Tour, and his first since his 28-under-par tour-de-force at last February’s Vodacom Championship.
“It was a bit of a quiet patch after that but I have been working hard all the time and I’m starting to reap the fruit of that.”
Overnight leader George Coetzee stayed right in contention with battling golf through 12 holes – he made one bogey and a birdie – until a bogey on the 13th took the fight out of his game, and the deflation was compounded with another bogey on the 16th.
Coetzee eventually finished alone in third place after his 74, with Kingston matching Otto’s four under par 68 to take his second runner-up finish in two weeks after his second place finish in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic last week.
As well as a first prize of 475,500 rand, Otto also gained an exemption into the $8.5-million World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in August.
“It means a lot for players like me who are on The European Tour because it counts for The Race to Dubai and therefore quite important. I have been there four or five times before, and I’m looking forward to going over again this year. I hope I can have a good one this year.”
Leading final scores (all players from RSA):
273 - Hennie Otto 68 71 66 68
277 - James Kingston 67 72 70 68
278 - George Coetzee 70 65 69 74
280 - Branden Grace 73 67 69 71, Warren Abery 69 71 70 70
