Late charge propels Prinsloo to victory at Jo’burg City Masters

Jaco Prinsloo with the trophy after winning the Jo'burg City Masters on Thursday. (AN photo)

JOHANNESBURG: Jaco Prinsloo birdied four of his last seven holes to hold off a spirited challenge from fellow South African Omar Sandys and win the Jo’burg City Masters at Country Club Johannesburg on Thursday.
One back at the start, Prinsloo closed with a solid 68 to reach 12-under for the tournament, beating Sandys, who carded the day’s low score of a 67, by two shots for his first Big Easy Tour win since 2013.

England’s Jeff Inglis joined the South African duo Jacquin Hess and Francois Coetzee for a share of third on seven-under as MENA Tour’s Jamie Elson, who led by one shot overnight, returned a final round 75 to settle for solo sixth a further shot adrift.

“It’s been a while since I won on the Big Easy, but, it’s very nice to win the co-sanctioned event with the MENA Tour. It just feels like it’s a step higher,” said Prinsloo.

“The last leaderboard was on hole No. 15’s green,” Prinsloo said of the pressure that was being applied by the chasing pack, “and, I still had a three-shot lead there. I thought ‘OK, this looks pretty simple’, and all of a sudden on 17, Omar (Sandys) was on 10-under and put some pressure on me. But luckily I kept calm and put the ball in the right spaces, and yeah got it done.”

“I just had to keep doing the things I have done the last two days,” said 27-year-old South African, “and, it’s always a little bit tougher to do that on the last day; a little bit more pressure. But, I managed to stay calm.”

Elsewhere, Sweden’s Henric Sturehed signed for a 71 to finish in a three-way tie for seventh on five under, one ahead of fellow MENA Tour member Antonio Costa of Chile and two better of Fredrik From, the winner of the Pattana Golf Championship in Thailand last month.

England’s Sam Hobday took the honors in the amateur division on eight over after closing with a 78 as Brazil’s Tiago Lobo, who hit the front on day one with a 73, failed to keep the momentum going, missing the cut on Wednesday after a second-round 78.

Next up is The Roar, the third and final co-sanctioned event on MENA Tour’s South Africa swing, which will be played at Waterkloof Golf Club in Pretoria from June 20 to 22.