Wilco Nienaber was just edged out of what would have been a first Challenge Tour victory on Sunday in the Abu Dhabi Challenge at Abu Dhabi Golf Club when Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia eagled the last hole to take the win.
Nienaber bogeyed the 16th to slip to four-under-par for his final round and 17-under for the tournament, and, when he parred the par-five 18th, he was in a share of second with Spain’s Ivan Cantero Gutierrez and Englishmen Tom Lewis and Joshua Grenville-Wood. That left the door open for Gouveia, who needed no second invitation to go charging through, and his eagle took him two strokes clear to 19-under.
It was a good week for Nienaber, with all four of his rounds in the 60s, and his second round of seven-under-par 65 catapulting him into contention.
His performance capped a good week for Sunshine Tour players as the Challenge Tour becomes an increasingly important route to the DP World Tour for South Africans: Benjamin Follett-Smith, the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open champion, finished sixth after a closing 66 put him two strokes behind Nienaber.
Brandon Stone signed off with a one-under 71 in a solid week which saw him to a 12-under-par total and a share of 11th. JJ Senekal had a three-under 69 to finish in a share of 27th on eight-under and Keenan Davidse had a two-under 70 to finish in a share of 35th on six-under. Jaco Prinsloo was on three-under after a 71 in 48th, Casey Jarvis was in 54th on two-under after a 74 and Dylan Mostert was on two-over after his 71.
