Weekly Tour Wrap-up #18th Feb

Last week, two players in the lower echelons of the world ranking recorded the best victories of their respective careers.

On the European Tour, a veteran South African won his third fully sanctioned European Tour event and his first since the 2003 Qatar Masters.

In America, a seasoned professional won his first PGA Tour tournament in his seventh season as a member in his native California.

Fichardt on fire in South Africa

Darren Fichardt shot a closing 71 to record a 16-under-par 72-hole total and win the Africa Open by two shots from Gregory Bourdy and Jaco Van Zyl at the East London Golf Club.

Fichardt has now won twice in the last eight months, having claimed the European and Challenge Tour’s co-sanctioned AA St Omer Open last June.

The South African started with a solid four under 68, but he trailed Adlison Da Silva by six shots after round one.

The Brazilian opened with a brilliant 62, which included eight birdies and an eagle, to lead by four from Van Zyl after round one.

On Friday, Da Silva shot a 68 to reach 14-under-par at the halfway stage, but Van Zyl had trimmed his lead to three with a second-round 67.

Englishman John Parry was four back on 10-under-par, two clear of Fichardt and three in front of the in-form Ricardo Santos.

In round three, it was Fichardt who made the biggest move. He opened the day with a birdie and followed it with a 20-foot eagle putt on the third hole to move to 11 under.

He notched further birdies at four, seven and eight, and after a hat trick of birdies from the 13^th, he was eight under par for his round.

He would bogey 17, but it all added up to a round of 65 and a 15-under-par 54-hole total. He was tied for the lead with Van Zyl (68) heading into Sunday, with overnight leader Da Silva falling back to 13 under with a Saturday 73.

Both players started fast on Sunday, and extended their lead to four shots with two birdies apiece in the first three holes.

Fichardt added another and the seventh but Van Zyl bogied the ninth to fall two off the pace.

Another bogey followed on the 12^th, and after a Fichardt three at the par-four 13^th, his lead was four.

Unsurprisingly, the pressure began to tell.  A clumsy bogey on 14 was followed by two more on 16 and 17, and after a wayward drive on 18, it seemed as if a play-off was on the cards.

But he played a fine approach to the centre of the green, and two-putted for his first Tour win on home soil after his compatriot failed to get up and down from the side of the green.

Bourdy, who shot 70, finished alongside Van Zyl in second, with Garth Mulroy taking outright fourth on 13 under.

Masterful Merrick wins at Riviera

John Merrick beat Charlie Beljan in a play-off to record his first PGA Tour victory at the Northern Trust Open.

It was a special occasion for the America, who lives 30 miles down the road and attended the University of California as a youngster.

“Growing up here as a kid, I just wanted to play in this tournament. This is unbelievable,” said an emotional Merrick on the 18^th green.

He started the tournament with a three-under-par 68, but trailed Matt Kuchar by four shots after round one.

The American Ryder Cup player opened with a 64 to lead Sergio Garcia – who was making his 2013 PGA Tour debut – by one shot heading into round two.

Both Garcia and Kuchar fell back in round two, with Sang-Moon Bae and Fredrik Jacobson taking full advantage.

The Korean, playing in the morning, started with four birdies en route to a second round 65. He was joined later on nine-under-par by the Swede, who birdied the two hardest holes on the course.

They led Merrick (66) and John Rollins by one stroke, with Luke Donald – also making his PGA Tour season debut – two behind on seven-under-par.

On moving day, a whole host of world class golfers game to the fore. Starting the day on six under, Webb Simpson and Charl Schwartzel moved through the field to sit on nine-under-par alongside John Merrick, with Donald and Jacobson a shot further behind.

They were all chasing Bill Haas, though. The defending champion fired a superb 64 – the best round of the day by three shots – to reach 12-under-par and move three clear of the field.

It was all to play for on Sunday, and after nine holes, it was anybody’s tournament.

Hunter Mahan and Beljan were making strides up the leaderboard, but Merrick took the outright lead when a birdie on the 11^th took him to 12 under.

He fell back with a bogey at the next, but standing on the 18^th tee, he and playing partner Jacobson – who birdied 15 and 16 – held the lead.

But they were joined five minutes later by Beljan, the charismatic American making a brilliant birdie on the stroke index one 18^th to reach 11-under-par.

Both Jacobson and Merrick missed the 18th green, but Merrick got up and down. Jacobson, however, pulled his four-foot par putt to miss out on a play-off by one shot and finish on 10-under-par.

In the final group, Schwartzel – who missed six footers on 16 and 17 – needed a birdie to join Beljan and Merrick, but his birdie putt missed on the high side.

In the play-off, Beljan made a superb save on the 18^th to stay in the contest, but a wild drive and a missed five-footer on the short but treacherous par-4 10^th handed Merrick his first PGA Tour title.

This week, the world’s top 64 head to Arizona for the Accenture Matchplay – the first WGC of the season.