Forty-One is not old these days, especially if you’re as fit as Darren Fichardt. But the man certainly played like a wily “old pro” on his way to a thrilling victory in the Joburg Open at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington on Sunday.
“It’s been four long years since I’ve won on the European Tour, so this one is very sweet,” said the new champion after sinking the winning put on the club’s par-72 East Course and being doused with champagne by Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner 23-year-old Brandon Stone, who learnt his golf at Centurion Country Club as a junior where he looked up to Fichardt.
Fichardt birdied the par-5 18th for a 68 and a 15-under-par aggregate of 200 in this R16.5million event, which was reduced to 54 holes because of the deluge of rain – over 200mm of it – that fell on the two Royal courses during the week.
Playing partner Paul Waring from England also needed to birdie the last to get to 15-under, only to see his seven-footer for four hit the hole and, agonisingly, stay out.
He tied for second with Wales’ Stuart Manley on 201, with Stone, fellow South African Jacques Kruyswijk and England’s James Morrison sharing fourth place on 202.
“Not only does this victory feel fantastic, but it’s an enormous relief because now my European Tour card is secure until the end of 2019, and I can plan my season to suit me – playing with a freedom knowing that I don’t have to worry about the card,” said Fichardt.
The champion picks up R2.615million in prize-money and, along with Waring and Manley, earns a coveted spot in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale as the Joburg Open is an Open International Qualifier.
Not only did Fichardt with all his experience play smart golf – he only had two bogeys all week – but his chipping and putting was of the top order, which he puts down to hard work and also placing a new putter in the bag, and adopting the increasingly popular ‘claw grip’.
“It really has made a difference, but it’s brand new to me and I did wonder if it was going to work at the last, where I hit a really good chip and was faced with a nervy little downhill putt of about three feet with a little break. But in it went, and I can’t tell how much this means to me.
“I have been swinging well this year, even though I went through a bad patch with chipping and putting last year. But now that’s fixed, I’m delighted that the hard work is paying off. This really is a bomber’s course and a lot of the younger guys hit the ball miles past me.
“I haven’t done really well here in the past, but this year I remembered advice that Mark McNulty once gave me, and that was just to play my own game. I did that this week, and didn’t try to hit the ball extra hard like I’ve done here in the past.”
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Fichardt paid tribute to both Stone and the powerful, grip-it-and-rip-it Kruyswijk, who also plays out of Centurion, was one of his playing partners on Sunday, and won the Cape Town Open late last year.
“That kid has got so much talent and I said to my caddie at the start of today’s round that we’re going to have to play some to beat him. He’s going to be a player to watch. He made one mistake today, just a mental error which cost him a double-bogey at the 14th. Other than that, he was really impressive.”
Kruyswijk’s opening round here was a sizzling 63 on the par-71 West Course, so the man can play some.
George Coetzee started the Joburg Open third round in joint 43rd place, but after playing 15 holes in 8-under-par and had moved into joint first position, at that stage, on 13-under.
He then bogeyed 16 and 17 to lose momentum, but a birdie at the last saw him sign for a day’s best 7-under-par 65. He shared seventh place on 203 with Keenan Davidse, England’s Aaron Rai and American Paul Peterson.
The South African leg of the European Tour now moves to Pretoria Country Club for the Tshwane Open, beginning on Thursday. That’s Coetzee’s home ground, where he won two years ago, and he certainly could be the player to watch.
Stone, meanwhile, heads for Mexico City because he qualifies for this week’s WGC-Mexico Championship.
Prize money is a massive $9.75m there, which translates to about R120m and with no cut, we can’t blame him for missing the Tshwane Open.