Erik van Rooyen’s chances of a maiden European Tour win fizzled out on the back nine as he finished three shots behind Alex Levy at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Van Rooyen finished his week with a one-over-par 73, the lowest round of the four South Africans on Sunday.
Playing in the final group, Christiaan Bezuidenhout exited the stage early with three bogeys in his first six holes. His hopes of a strong finish with dreams of winning evaporated with bogeys on the 13th and 14th before his lone birdie of the day at the 15th. A double at the 16th sent him spiralling down the leaderboard where he joined Brandon Stone and Richard Sterne in a share of 22nd place.
Stone finished with a birdie for a 75 with Sterne shooting a 74. Stone dropped 10 places on Sunday with Sterne finishing five places lower than his starting position.
Van Rooyen had his name behind Levy’s all day as he looked like the nearest challenger. Looking for his first European Tour win, the South African missed a number of chances to close the gap on the front nine as he turned -1 for the round with only a birdie at the par-five 4th to show for his efforts.
A wild tee shot on the 10th saw him drop two behind Levy, who came into his own down the stretch on Sunday. Van Rooyen was three behind after a bogey at the 15th and managed to save par on the last from behind the green to finish inside the top 10 for the third time this season.
The Frenchman playing alongside him showed his class to hold off a field which, in truth, did little to cause him any real moments of concern. Levy made two bogeys in the final round but crucially bounced back on each occasion with a birdie, including one at the par-three 17th.
A sweetly struck 6-iron landed softly next to the pin and when he fist-pumped as he watched the ball drop, he was two ahead, playing the last which allowed him the luxury of laying up.
His birdie try stayed out which left the door only slightly ajar for overnight leader Alviro Quiros and Mikko Illonen in the final group.
Both needed an eagle to force a playoff. Neither could deliver, handing Levy his fifth European Tour victory.
Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
