Shaun van Tonder carded a five-under-par 67 on Wednesday to rack up a come-from-behind one-stroke victory in the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour’s Race to Q-School #5 at Modderfontein Golf Club.
He started the day eight shots behind the lead held by Thomas Strandemo, but as the American battled the effects of the stomach bug which has torn through some regions of the country and stumbled to a six-over 78 to close, Van Tonder could only play what was in front of him.
Van Tonder had a quiet opening nine, with just one birdie coming on the eighth as he reached the turn in one-under, and four-under for the tournament. At the halfway stage of the round, Strandemo had slumped to four-over, and was seven-under with nine to play. The American held it together until he made a triple-bogey seven on the 15th. Van Tonder, in the meantime, remained bogey-free on the homeward nine, with two birdies and an eagle on the par-five 13th took him to eight-under for the tournament.
Van Tonder was one clear of Ricky Hendler, who had three bogeys in his final five holes for a closing one-under 71. That saw him relinquish the chance that was offered him for a second victory in the space of just a few weeks.
Arno Pretorius carded a level-par 72 to finish third on six-under for the tournament, while Strandemo, Ruan Groenewald, Willie Olivier and Gerhard Pepler shared fourth on five-under. Herman Loubser, who won last week, and Dylan Kok shared eighth on four-under, and Richard Kruger was in 10th on three-under.
