Ahlers wraps up season with Tour Championship win

Jaco Ahlers left the best for last, in all respects. In the final tournament of the Sunshine Tour season, Ahlers chipped in from the bunker for birdie on the last to claim a four-shot victory in the Tour Championship at Serengeti Estates on Sunday.

Ahlers closed with a 71 and a total of 17 under par to claim his 11th victory on the Sunshine Tour.

“I didn’t expect that finish. I was actually just trying to keep it together there at the end. But what a way to finish. I couldn’t have asked for more,” said Ahlers after he was drenched in six bottles of champagne by a group of Serengeti fans with whom he has a special relationship.

“This one was always special. I have a big tie with Serengeti and the people here. My sponsor lives here and I have a lot of support here. This is like a second home for me. It’s a special win this one.”

Casey Jarvis finished second on 13 under par after closing with a 70. Luca Filippi, Ryan van Velzen and Pieter Moolman shared third on eight under par.

Ahlers went into the final round five strokes clear of Jarvis. After the par-three fifth hole, Ahlers was seven shots ahead of Jarvis as he threatened to surpass the record six-stroke victory by Tristen Strydom last year. But Jarvis then made three consecutive birdies from the sixth to cut Ahlers’s lead down to three.

But Ahlers remained composed, and when Jarvis bogeyed the 11th and 14th holes, Ahlers birdied the 14th to give himself a six-shot lead with four to play. He bogeyed 17 and then made the incredible birdie on 18.

With this being the season-ending tournament, Ockie Strydom claimed the overall Luno Order of Merit title thereby securing himself a place in two of the four Majors – the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and, via the Federation Ranking on the Official World Golf Ranking, the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill – as well as in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He also wins R500 000 in Bitcoin.

Casey Jarvis walked off with the Rookie of the Season award for a remarkable first season on the Sunshine Tour in which he challenged for a maiden victory on several occasions, shot only the second 59 in Sunshine Tour history, and finished seventh on the final Luno Order of Merit. – Michael Vlismas

Scores:
271 – Jaco Ahlers 66 65 69 71
275 – Casey Jarvis 67 67 71 70
280 – Luca Filippi 69 72 71 68, Ryan Van Velzen 70 69 72 69, Pieter Moolman 68 70 71 71
281 – Keenan Davidse 67 69 74 71
282 – Stefan Wears-Taylor 71 70 75 66, Wilco Nienaber 70 74 71 67, Hennie Otto 70 70 71 71
283 – Jayden Schaper 73 71 73 66, Benjamin Follett-Smith 73 71 71 68, Jacques Blaauw 68 74 69 72
284 – Jean Hugo 71 71 74 68, Hennie du Plessis 71 69 75 69, Jaco Prinsloo 70 71 70 73
285 – JJ Senekal 67 70 79 69, Heinrich Bruiners 68 73 71 73
286 – Herman Loubser 70 71 79 66, Wynand Dingle 72 72 73 69, Ockie Strydom 74 73 69 70, Dylan Mostert 72 76 68 70, Brandon Stone 71 75 70 70, Dylan Naidoo 72 71 71 72, Martin Rohwer 72 67 74 73, Daniel van Tonder 70 74 68 74
287 – Oliver Bekker 68 75 75 69, Jaco Van Zyl 71 68 76 72
288 – Malcolm Mitchell 73 73 73 69, Hennie O’Kennedy 71 69 71 77
290 – Martin Vorster 74 70 74 72, Kyle Barker 72 70 72 76
291 – Dan Erickson 72 77 73 69, Thriston Lawrence 72 73 77 69, MJ Viljoen 75 72 71 73
293 – Lyle Rowe 73 76 75 69, Bradley Bawden 73 72 74 74
294 – Combrinck Smit 72 78 73 71, Louis Albertse 72 69 79 74
295 – Jake Redman 71 75 78 71, Albert Venter 76 70 72 77
296 – Neil Schietekat 76 79 67 74
298 – Ruan Korb 75 73 78 72
299 – Keagan Thomas 76 74 72 77
300 – Stephen Ferreira 76 76 75 73, Sean Bradley 74 72 81 73