A bogey at the last hole on Sunday cost Brandon Stone a shot at the title in the Challenge Tour’s B-NL Challenge Trophy at Twentsch Golf Club in Delden, Netherlands, but the former South African Open champion will be well pleased with his week’s work.
Before that final hole, Stone had made a valiant charge for the title, with his bogey-free front nine of four-under-par 32 putting him right in contention. A bogey on 10 set him back, but consecutive birdies on 15 and 16 put him in front. He dropped that fateful shot on 18, while the eventual winner, Jesper Svensson of Sweden, was making birdie on 17 to hit the front.
In the end, three consecutive rounds of three-under 68, followed by his closing four-under 67, took Stone to 13-under for the tournament, just one behind Svensson. It gave the South African second place on his own, with the English duo of Will Enefer and Alex Fitzpatrick sharing third on 12-underm a further stroke back.
The win projects Stone to climb to second from 16th on the Road to Mallorca rankings, and that puts him in a good position already to regain his DP World Tour playing rights by the end of the season.
Martin Vorster closed with a four-over 75 to slip to a share of 48th, Haydn Porteous had a final-round three-over 74 to finish in 58th on five-over for the week, and Casey Jarvis closed out a forgettable week with a 10-over 81 to finish 62nd on 14-over.
