Coetzee triumphs on home soil
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The Tshwane Open at Pretoria Country Club was dominated by home-based South African players and saw George Coetzee return to the scene of his first golfing triumph to claim the spoils.
South African Coetzee put home advantage to full use to win his second European Tour title, carding a flawless final round of 65 to finish one shot ahead of compatriot Jacques Blaauw.
Coetzee had a distinct advantage: he has been a member of the host venue since taking up the game and it’s where he won his first junior competition aged ten.
He said: “To win at your own club in front of all your friends and family – the crowds were amazing, I could just feel the momentum building and the crowd getting bigger and bigger towards the end.
“It’s a great experience and a very special day for me,” said Coetzee, whose previous European Tour win also came on home soil at last year’s Joburg Open.
He added: “I think I’ve got this course down after 18 years of playing golf! I think it played to my advantage knowing when to be aggressive and when not to.
Blaauw had charged through the field with a stunning closing 61 to equal the course record and set the clubhouse target at 13 under par, with the final groups still having nine holes to play.
It was a memorable weekend for the South African contingent as well as Scotland’s Craig Lee (-9) who pulled out all the stops to finish tied 3rd alongside a trio of South Africans.
