Share of 5th for Van Tonder in DS Automobiles Italian Open

May 7, 2023 | Featured, South Africans abroad

In the end, he wasn’t able to hang on to the coattails of the winner on Sunday, but Daniel van Tonder had his best finish on the DP World Tour for six months with his share of fifth in the DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.

Van Tonder, who shared third in the Joburg Open last November, carded a closing round of one-over-par 72 to finish on seven-under for the week. That put him six strokes behind the winner, Adrian Meronk of Poland, who signed for a two-under 69 to hold off Romain Langasque of France, who had a 70 to finish, by one shot. Julien Guerrier of France was third on 10-under, and Sweden’s Alexander Bjork was fourth on eight-under.

Van Tonder made five birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey, and he shared fifth with Germany’s Maximiliam Kiefer and Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark.

It was only the second top-10 finish of the season for Van Tonder, but it marked a turnaround in his fortunes after he missed two cuts in February and had a best of a share of 32nd twice on home soil in the SDC Championship and the Jonsson Workwear Open. He is projected to climb 44 places on the Race to Dubai rankings to 48th, which puts him in a much better position than he looked likely to end up in if his indifferent form continued.

Bryce Easton also had a closing 72, and he finished in a share of 23rd on two-under. Zander Lombard, who had a hole-in-one in his final round, closed with a 67 to finish on one-under for the week in a share of 26th. JC Ritchie was in a share of 32nd on level-par after a closing 69, and Justin Walters was on one-over in a share of 40th after a closing three-over 74. Louis de Jager had a six-over 77 to close, and finished on seven-over in 66th.

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