It was something of a victory lap for Oliver Bekker as he carded a four-under-par 68 on Sunday to win the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt by four shots and get greeted by his twins in the 18th green of the Montagu course.
In fact, it was five-and-a-half years since his last Sunshine Tour title, and, although he started the final round with a five-stroke edge and the knowledge that he was playing at home to keep him comfortable, he really wanted to get this one done.
“I’ve been knocking on the door for a long time, playing some really good golf, and to finally get that win on home soil in front of the whole family, it’s really special,” Bekker said. “I don’t think anything can beat that.”
With that kind of margin, it really was a case of waiting for the appropriate moment to pounce without taking any risks. So Bekker made his first birdie after a procession of seven birdies on the par-three eighth. Then came two fairly uneventfully easy birdies on 10 and 11 which pretty much sewed things up for him, although he was to drop a shot on the par-three 12th with an inexplicably missed short putt for par.
He just kept his head together, and birdies on 14 and 16 merely sealed the deal with Adam Blomme unable to chase him down, even though the Swede did his best with a six-under-par 66. That was eventually not enough, and even Hennie O’Kennedy’s early seven-under-par 65 fell six short as the big South African finished in a share of third with former South African Open champion Chris Paisley, who closed with a six-under 66. In fifth was Brandon Stone, showing signs of a return to his best with a closing 67 lifting him to 15-under for the week.
Part of what brought Bekker his eighth Sunshine Tour title – and his first Challenge Tour win, as the tournament was co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour – was what appears to be increased distance off the tee. He has always been a fine ball-striker, and the birdie on 10th epitomised the advantage that that gives him. He was out of position off the tee on the par-five, but was able to play safely to the fairway and then rifle an approach to inside three feet and make the birdie.
“I don’t know what’s made me longer, but I certainly felt that there were some bunkers in play this week that I normally don’t reach,” he said.
He’s a fully fledged DP World Tour player now, and came home to South Africa to support the tournament over playing in Singapore. “It’s fantastic the opportunity tournaments like these give players on both the Sunshine Tour and the Challenge Tour,” he said. “You really are able to pave your way on to the DP World Tour, just as I started to do when I won this tournament back in 2012.”
With the 2023 trophy in his possession now, Bekker will head to the rest of the DP World Tour 2023 season with renewed confidence.
“I’m off to India next week, and then I play Kenya and the South African events,” he said. “So at least I’m close to home.”
