Vorster claims emphatic victory in Big Easy final

Parys Golf and Country Club member, Leon Vorster overturned a two-shot deficit to win The Final of the Altron Big Easy Tour by four on 13-under-par 203 at Blue Valley Golf and Country Estate on Thursday.

Not only did Vorster’s victory hand him his maiden Altron Big Easy Tour title, but it also earned him and the other top 11 players on the Order of Merit their Sunshine Tour playing privileges for next season.

Vorster carded a final round 67 which was characterised by six birdies and a solitary drop en route to claiming the championship in Centurion.

“I played really well today,” said a delighted Vorster after his win. “I got off to a strong start and that helped with the momentum going forward. The front nine was very important for me to set myself up on the leaderboard. Then, I made some crucial par saves on the back nine and that really gave me some confidence to finish it off.

“Being confident in this game can take you a long way, especially for me. So, I think my attitude helped me a lot today.”

Congratulations to Leon Vorster on winning the Altron Big Easy Tour Final and the 2023/24 #AltronBigEasyTour Order of Merit. 📊🏆 pic.twitter.com/LEqQLIGVWj

— Altron Big Easy Tour (@bigeasytourgolf) April 18, 2024

Vorster’s win also catapulted him to the top of the Order of Merit, unseating Royal Cape Golf Club’s Samuel Simpson who had occupied the summit before this event.

He credited the Altron Big Easy Tour for ensuring his swift return to the Sunshine Tour which is every player's aspiration.

'OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AGAINST THE BEST'

“You can’t put into words, the impact that Altron has made in our lives as professionals,” Vorster said.

“The Big Easy is our way into the Sunshine Tour and to have a sponsor like Altron coming in to invest in us and our dreams is just wonderful. We have a full schedule where we play and don’t have to sit at home and it’s all thanks to such organisation and the Sunshine Tour.

“Personally, this win means a lot to me. There are so many people who are part of this journey and for me to be able to win a tournament and to know I’m going to be playing on the Sunshine Tour again is exciting.

“My focus now will be on trying to keep my Sunshine Tour card and making a few cuts. But, I just want to get better at golf in general and now that I have an opportunity to compete against the best, it just feels amazing.”

Ricky Hendler, Jason Roets and Keegan Mclachlan had already secured their cards for next season ahead of this final tournament of the regular Big Easy season.

Both Hendler and Roets finished within the top 12 on the standings and having already secured their cards even before this event teed off, their places will be taken by the next two players on the list: Andrew Williamson and Philip Geerts. Roets finished outside the top 12 but won’t be awfully bothered.

The other players who earned their Sunshine Tour cards via the Altron Big Easy Tour are Simpson, Werner Deyzel, Stals Swart, Ruan de Smidts, Dylan O’Leary, Dayne Moore, Travis Ladner, Andre De Decker, Therion Nel and State Mines Country Club’s Vaughn Van Deventer.

FINAL-ROUND SCORES

203 - Leon Vorster 70 66 67

207 - Stals Swart 69 69 69, Werner Deyzel 69 69 69

208 - Xander Basson 68 74 66, Pierre Pellegrin 69 73 66, Ricky Hendler 70 72 66, Andre De Decker 68 70 70, Jason Roets 68 66 74

211 - Ruan de Smidt 72 73 66, Vaughn van Deventer 69 72 70, Dylan O'Leary 73 67 71

212 - Andrew Williamson 71 75 66, Travis Ladner 70 66 76

213 - Andrew McLardy 69 73 71

214 - Warwick Purchase 74 70 70

215 - Toto Thimba Jnr 75 71 69, Slade Pickering 70 73 72, Samuel Simpson 75 68 72

216 - Harry Konig 72 75 69, Coert Groenewald 72 74 70, Dayne Moore 72 71 73

218 - Philip Geerts 74 71 73

219 - Therion Nel 69 78 72, Christopher Long 76 71 72, Keegan Mclachlan 70 75 74, Jordan Duminy 74 71 74, Reece Mc Kain 73 71 75

221 - Andre Van Dyk 73 76 72, Paul Boshoff 71 75 75

229 - Nicholaus Frade 76 79 74