Follett-Smith wins the Cape Town Open

Zimbabwean Benjamin Follett-Smith won his maiden Sunshine Tour title when he claimed a two-shot victory over Zander Lombard and Jean-Paul Strydom on a total of 13-under-par 275 at the RAM Cape Town Open on Sunday.

Still in his rookie season on Tour, Follett-Smith admitted that he came into the final aiming for a top-10 finish but got more than he’d expected at Royal Cape.

“I am happy to be able to show that I can win,” Follett-Smith said. “It is a great thing for me, at least, and not to prove anything to anyone else that I can win. I will be able to establish myself on Tour and be able to say I am actually worthy of being here. I came out here today thinking that I just need to finish in the top-10 so that I can get into next week at the Dimension Data Pro AM so I won’t have to play pre-qualifiers next week. It is really great for me to win this at this stage of my career.”

On a day when the wind was up and swirling for most of the time, it looked as though either of Lombard, Strydom or Peter Karmis would go on to win at Royal Cape, but a brilliant back nine catapulted the young Zimbabwean to the top spot.

He opened his round with a bogey and four pars later, made his first birdie. At the turn, he made another par as the wind made things difficult but from there on, there was no stopping him. He made three consecutive birdies from the 11ththrough to the 13th before taking a par on the 14th. Another three birdies on the trot got onto his card as he carded a bogey-free 30 on the homeward stretch.

“I played the back nine so well,” he noted. “My putter was hot and everything. I could read the lines and everything was just going well for me. It all started on the par-five eleven, where I made a birdie. I made a good up-and-down, which was nice. I made a good putt there and two more on 12th and 13th then made a par. After that I made three birdies and the last hole I was driving, I hit it on the left, it actually bounced when it hit the flag and I had to up-and-down.”

Tied for second on 11-under-par, Lombard and Strydom will feel they were in with a real chance at winning but when it’s not your week, it’s not your week.

Follett-Smith will now look forward to the rest of the season with a degree of confidence after his display at the oldest golf club in the country.

FINAL ROUND SCORES

275 - Benjamin Follett-Smith68 69 72 66

277 - Zander Lombard68 67 69 73; Jean-Paul Strydom62 72 69 74

278 - Peter Karmis63 66 77 72

279 - Hennie Otto71 64 76 68; Jack Harrison71 70 68 70; Jaco Ahlers70 71 68 70

280 - Jacques P de Villiers73 64 76 67; Adilson Da Silva71 63 75 71; Herman Loubser71 71 67 71; Jacques Kruyswijk67 72 69 72; Andrew Curlewis67 64 76 73; Thriston Lawrence66 68 72 74; Madalitso Muthiya67 69 70 74

281 - Victor Lange71 70 70 70; Daniel Greene67 71 72 71; Justin Walters66 69 73 73

282 - Richard Bland66 69 73 74

283 - Dawie Van der Walt71 67 76 69; Keith Horne69 71 70 73

284 - Rhys Enoch67 73 76 68; Scott Campbell67 70 76 71; Tyrone Ryan70 70 72 72; Jbe' Kruger69 67 75 73; Lyle Rowe67 71 70 76

285 - Anthony Michael71 71 69 74; MJ Viljoen66 70 73 76; Ockie Strydom69 70 70 76; Daniel van Tonder66 70 72 77; Michael Palmer68 70 69 78

286 - Doug McGuigan68 72 72 74; Vaughn Groenewald67 71 73 75; Wallie Coetsee69 73 69 75; Neil Schietekat70 72 69 75; Ross McGowan68 72 68 78

287 - Mitch Waite68 72 78 69; Trevor Fisher Jnr69 71 75 72; Damon Stephenson67 72 74 74; Jacques Blaauw68 72 72 75; Keenan Davidse72 69 71 75; Martin Rohwer74 67 71 75; Luke Jerling72 69 71 75; Luke Joy72 70 70 75; JC Ritchie66 72 73 76

288 - Stephen Ferreira69 70 72 77

289 - Ian Ansett70 72 78 69; Jake Roos71 70 78 70; Kyle McClatchie65 72 78 74; Jacquin Hess71 70 73 75; David McIntyre71 69 71 78

290 - Andrew van der Knaap71 71 75 73; Tyler Hogarty67 72 77 74; Teboho Sefatsa69 70 75 76; Jason Viljoen68 74 72 76; JJ Senekal67 71 75 77; Harry Ellis69 71 73 77

291 - Michael Hollick68 71 77 75; Wynand Dingle67 70 76 78; Christiaan Basson69 70 72 80

292 - Matias Calderon67 75 75 75; Rhys West70 72 74 76; Estiaan Conradie68 71 76 77; Garth Mulroy72 68 75 77; Ruan Conradie67 71 72 82

293 - Pieter Moolman70 71 79 73

294 - Heinrich Bruiners68 70 73 83

295 - Allister de Kock70 72 77 76; Philip Geerts70 72 77 76

296 - Bennie van der Merwe69 73 74 80

298 - Anton Haig71 70 78 79