By Mathews Mfubu
Willie Olivier shrugged off an indifferent season on the Altron Big Easy Tour to claim a one-stroke victory over Keegan McLachlan in the Blue Label Development Tour’s one-day tournament at Services Golf Club on Thursday.
“I had no expectations coming in,” said Olivier. “I was struggling for a few months on the Big Easy and I just came out and played – but luckily, I got some birdies out there today. I was happy with that because I have been working hard at improving many aspects of my game.
The 24-year-old Atlantic Beach Links player birdied the third, the fifth and the ninth holes for a blemish-free 33 on the front nine. The birdie on the par-five ninth gave him some confidence to go for more and he was rewarded with back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11. He gave nothing away on the next three holes before making further gains with a birdie on the par-three 15th.
“The wedges and the putting were great today and that’s why, I think, I was able to shoot a low one. Last night when I was jotting down my goals for today, one of those was to play a bit conservatively, because this course is not so long and it can punish you at any time.”
The 24-year-old Atlantic Beach Links player would be the first to admit that his has not been the best season – with five missed cuts in six Altron Big Easy Tour tournaments.
“It has been a tough season; I have made only one cut – at Randpark – but I am glad that the results are coming in,” he said. “I have worked hard to try and get back to the level I was at.”
But with this win under his belt, Olivier will be bringing renewed confidence to his swing on the rest of the tour.
“If you see you can go low in 18 holes, there’s nothing stopping you from going on for three or four days,” he added, “so this win gives me that confidence to say I can put together a few low rounds even on the Big Easy Tour. The difference is that you need to concentrate a little bit more over the three or four days.
But while Olivier who eventually walked home with the winner’s cheque, McLachlan will also be satisfied with his effort in Pretoria, as his 67 earned him a runners-up finish. He sits second on the Blue Label Development Tour’s Order of Merit, which is led by Coert Groenewald – who placed in a share of third in Thursday’s tournament.
There are 10 tournaments in the Blue Label Development Tour series, and all are being played in Gauteng. No entry fees are required from the participating players, ensuring more playing opportunities and expanding playing opportunities for players to sharpen their skills further – and each of the 10 one-day tournaments carries a R50 000 purse.
The winner of the Order of Merit after the tournament in Benoni next week will earn themselves an invite to the Sunshine Tour’s Blue Label Challenge at the iconic Gary Player Country Club in mid-October.
SCORES:
66 – Willie Olivier
67 – Keegan Mclachlan
68 – DK Kim, Jason Roets, Coert Groenewald
69 – Marthin Scheepers, Allister de Kock, Ricky Hendler
70 – Marcel Steyn Scholtz, Ryan Tipping, Lincon Denzy Cele, Gerhard Pepler, LB Boshoff, Regan Steyn
71 – Cameron Moralee, Philip Geerts, Luke Trocado, Jason Froneman
72 – Keanu Pestana, Tristin Galant, Reinhardt Blaauw, Carlos Laranja
73 – Francois van Staden, Wade Jacobs, Alphius Kelapile, Keelan Africa, Omar Sandys
74 – Jonathan Waschefort, Shaahid Mahmed, Jastice Mashego, Slade Pickering, Nicholaus Frade, Thabang Simon, Brandon Moodley, Mike Maile
75 – Ricco Motsa, Sipho Bujela, Gerard Moodley, Richard Kruger, Thabiso Ngcobo
76 – Stuart Krog
77 – Leon Visser, Carlo Heunis
78 – Shalan Govender
81 – Byron van der Merwe
RTD – Fezekile Kana
Edited by Nicklaus Kruger
