Ferdie van der Merwe sealed a sensational maiden victory when he clinched the SA Senior Amateur Championship title in dramatic fashion at Hermanus Golf Club.
The 51-year-old from Wellington stunned the field when he shot into contention with successive rounds of 72 in his debut on the senior amateur national circuit. Not surprisingly, the ‘rookie’ earned overwhelming applause after he defeated reigning Players champion Andre van Dyk at the first extra hole of a sudden-death play-off.
Van der Merwe started the final day three shots off the pace from former SA mid-amateur stroke play champion Graeme Watson, another SA senior amateur championship debutant.
He trailed by five strokes after a double bogey at nine, but just when it looked as though Watson would set an imposing clubhouse target, his title bid abruptly collapsed. The Ekurhuleni golfer gave eight shots back to the field over the first six holes of the back nine, and the chasing pack pounced.
A birdie at 12 helped Van der Merwe to shoot to the top of the pile, with Stephen Johnston from Gauteng and fellow Boland golfers Van Dyk and Francois le Roux also in pursuit.
Van Dyk, who stayed within two shots of his lead, bogeyed the last hole and set the target at six-over-par 222 with a round of 75. Van der Merwe – playing in the final group – had a two-shot lead coming down the 18th hole.
‘I hit two good shots, but I duffed my chip and three-putted for a double bogey,’ said Van Der Merwe after closing with a 78 to join Van Dyk at six-over-par 222.
The pair headed back to the 10th tee, where Van der Merwe mailed his tee shot straight down the middle. Van Dyk hit a huge drive that drifted down the left and finished just short of the fairway bunker. His approach to a pin, tucked back right, flew the green, while Van der Merwe hit his second pin high right.
Van Dyk chipped, but his effort raced past the hole and Van der Merwe also put too much pace on his birdie putt. However, when Van Dyk missed the return putt for par, Van der Merwe drained the ‘putt of his life’ and his ball dropped to the bottom of the cup.
Le Roux closed with a 75 to finish third on 223 in a tie with Watson, who signed for 82.
LEADING SCORES
222 Ferdi van der Merwe 72 72 78 (won on first hole play-off), Andre van Dyk 71 76 75
223 Francois le Roux 74 74 75; Graeme Watson 72 69 82
224 Stephen Johnston 74 73 77
225 Craig Poulton 77 73 75; Rurik Gobel 75 75 75; Morgan Phillips 75 72 78
226 Jock Wellington 73 73 80
227 Brian Mampies 80 75 72; Stanley de Beer 75 76 76; Richard Bruyns 74 72 81
228 Archie Steyn 77 75 76; Colin Mavuso 75 71 82
Photo: Supplied
