Jacques van der Merwe claimed a come-from-behind victory in the ninth Betway Big Easy Tour event of the season, held at Krugersdorp Golf Club.
Thursday’s triumph was the third of the current campaign for Van der Merwe and thus, as Sunshine Tour regulations stipulate, a direct pathway to the main Tour of which the Big Easy Tour is the feeder.
Van der Merwe started the final round at nine under par and a stroke off the pace set by Andre van Zyl, setting up what would be a sizzling final round.
With Van Zyl struggling to maintain his momentum and eventually signing for an even-par round, Van der Merwe seized the moment with a brilliant 69 to total 12-under-par 204.
“Life happens quickly, hey,” Van der Merwe mused, reflecting on his hat-trick of victories this season. “I was thinking about it four holes ago; walking on the fairway and thinking how quickly things can happen, especially in this sport. If you work hard and forget about tournaments and results, things can happen on a blink of an eye.
“Being in contention for eight weeks in a row and then missing two cuts, and then coming back, makes it way more nerve-wracking than it usually is. I was definitely shaking a bit, but I’ve got that Delmas-boy confidence and I could deal with it nicely.”
With his win in Krugersdorp, Van der Merwe became the first player to win thrice this season, marking a sensational season even before it ends next year.
“It means a lot to me,” he said of his extraordinary achievement. “I don’t think that I would have been able to say I’d achieve all that by now. But if you work hard and focus on growth rather than the result, then the sky is the limit.”
Van der Merwe also praised the Big Easy Tour for carving out pathways for professionals to elevate their game and for the incentives with which success comes on this circuit.
This ninth event of the season was the last tournament of the year before the Christmas break.
The Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>
Photo: Big Easy Tour
Article Link: Van der Merwe secures Sunshine Tour card