It might not have all gone Erik van Rooyen’s way on Sunday, but a share of 12th was a good result for him after a closing two-over-par 73 in the DP World Tour’s Amgen Irish Open at Royal Country Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
On a day when even Rory McIlroy battled under the pressure at the top of the leaderboard, Van Rooyen made four birdies, but six bogeys hampered his efforts to stay in touch with the top of the leaderboard. In the end, his one-under-par finishing total left him eight shots off the winning total of none-under-par set by Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark. Hojgaard held off McIlroy, who shockingly three-putted the 17th for bogey and narrowly missed an eagle-putt on 18 to force a play-off.
Casey Jarvis, Brandon Stone and Thriston Lawrence were the next-best of the South Africans, finishing in a share of 26th on one-over-par. Jarvis had a final round of level-par, and Lawrence put his second- and third-round woes behind him with a four-under-par 67. Stone matched that fourth-round performance with a four-under of his own.
Jaco Prinsloo closed with a two-over-par 73 to finish in a share of 30th on two-over-par, while Thomas Aiken had a two-under 69 to finish in a share of 36th on three-over.
