Other than an approaching thunderstorm, defending champion Robin Williams had little to worry about in the final round of the Fortress Invitational at Glendower Golf Club on Sunday, cruising to a three-stroke victory as he shot a five-under 67 to finish on 22 under par.
Williams showed great focus and composure with a classy round which was faultless until the last hole, when a sudden gust of wind just before the storm broke led to a bogey five.
The 23-year-old had all but ensured victory, however, with his fifth birdie by the par-five 11th hole, and he added a sixth on the next par five, the 17th.
The big-hitting Williams once again took advantage of the par fives, birdieing all four of them on Sunday.
“It means everything to defend such an unbelievable tournament,” he said. “I just tried to focus on what worked last year and I didn’t think too much about the leaderboard. I set a target in my head and I knew if I got to 22 under then I would be difficult to catch. If someone did overtake me, then fair play to them.
“So I tried to get there as quickly as possible and then just hold on. I was a nervous wreck at the start, but I just kept telling myself that I was in the exact same position as last year and I just tried to build on those memories. I just had to grind and limit the bogeys, and I’m very proud I managed it even though it got very windy.
“It’s been an incredible year, I’m still trying to piece together what happened and my game is completely different to last year, I have improved so much. Hopefully I keep improving and can carry that through to a full schedule in Europe next year.”
There was an air of inevitability about Williams’ triumph, even though Daniel van Tonder, who has twice come from behind to win this season, shot a 67 as well, birdieing the last two holes to finish on 19 under par.
Yurav Premlall (68) and Keenan Davidse (70) shared third place on 15 under par, while Jonathan Broomhead (68), Jovan Rebula (72) and Kyle Barker (72) were fifth on 13 under.
Herman Loubser soared up the leaderboard into a share of eighth with his seven-under 65, joining Werner Deyzel (69) and Altin van der Merwe (74) on 12 under par.
Rookie Van der Merwe was tied for second at the start of the final round, as was Kyle de Beer, whose challenge was ended by three successive bogeys from the 3rd hole, as he shot a 75 to finish on 11 under par.
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Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour
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