JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s George Coetzee, needing a par to join a playoff, ended with a disastrous quadruple bogey eight on the final hole of the Shenzen International at Genzon Golf Club, in China, on Sunday.
Having birdied the 16th and 17th holes, Coetzee needed just a par four to join England’s Tommy Fleetwood on 16-under in the clubhouse. Instead Coetzee hit his tee shot way right into the water hazard, before re-teeing and driving it left into bushes left of the fairway.
It meant with two swings Coetzee had blown his chances of the win, and eventually settled for a one-under 71 in the final round despite seven birdies on his card.
Austrian Bernd Wiesberger would go on to beat Fleetwood on the first playoff hole, while Coetzee watched on the sidelines after settling for a share of 11th place.
Instead of competing in the playoff for the R6.1m winners cheque, Coetzee will have to be content with R635 998 for his week’s work. He will also not want to work out that his final hole potentially cost him over R5m.
Countryman Dylan Frittelli, meanwhile, battled a cold putter on the final day to fire a two-under 70 to get to 14-under overall and a tie for fifth. For the 26-year-old, it was a top payday of 93 872 Euros (R1.3m) after carding three impressive consecutive rounds of 68 coming into day four.
"I wanted to show them I was up for it and I did."
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 23, 2017