Dylan Frittelli sealed a dramatic second career European Challenge Tour victory with a six under par final round of 66 that took him to 20 under par and two clear of his nearest rivals at the Rolex Trophy on Saturday.
Overnight leader Pep Angles was in front for much of the day before Frittelli drove the green on the par four 16th hole at Golf Club de Genève and rolled in the eagle putt to tie the lead.
Angles bogeyed 17 to fall a shot behind and could not birdie the last, giving Frittelli his first win since the 2013 Kӓrnten Golf Open – a result that takes the South African up to third in the Road to Oman Rankings.
‘I feel pretty good right now but I think it will really settle in later,’ said the 26 year old. ‘I’m extremely proud of what I did today and how I handled myself – there were a lot of ups, a lot of downs, all in one round, which is not something I’m used to.
‘I said to my caddie last night that I didn’t want to look at the leaderboards until 16 or 17, I didn’t want to hear about it, and he did really well with that and kept me focused and calm.
‘I had a look when I was on the 16th tee and saw Angles was already 20 under par so I figured birdie, birdie, birdie for me to get to 21 under wasn’t going to be good enough to win it.
‘I decided to go for the green which was a great decision, I hit a drive to about six feet which was probably the shot of the week for me and then I made the putt to capitalise – then I just had to wait for something to happen and, fortunately for me, it did.
‘I didn’t have a target in mind, I just wanted to play as well as I could, and 16 was a crucial moment. My form has been there now for two or three months and it’s finally great to get over the line after a bunch of seconds, thirds and top tens.
‘It was wonderful playing with the amateurs this week. A lot of pros find it more difficult but for me it’s great – you get to play with different people, a bunch of locals giving insight into the club and the city, and that camaraderie helps everyone I think.
‘This win will get me right up there in the Road to Oman Rankings and then if I can do well in the final swing of the season I should hopefully be able to cement my place in the top 15.’
Angles’ bogey on 18 dropped him level with Ryan Fox in a tie for second place, with Road to Oman Rankings leader Romain Langasque one shot further back and Sam Walker – winner of last week’s Vierumӓki Finnish Challenge – completing the top five on 16 under par.
