Quadruple IGT Tour delight for Naicker

[Wednesday, November 23, 2016 19:44:58]

Damian Naicker banked his fourth IGT Tour title this season when he captured the Race to Q-School #8 at Killarney Golf Club on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Modderfontein pro wiped out a two shot deficit early in the final round and was in imperious form as he cruised to a six-under-par 64 to triumph by two shots over Terence Boardman on seven-under-par 203.

 

“I set a target of four under, so I’m seriously pleased with this final round,” said Naicker. “I played nicely in the first round to myself in contention with a 67, but I struggled off the tee in the second round and I was disappointed to shoot 72. I was only two shots behind the leaders. I knew I could give myself a chance if I made a good start and if I picked up some birdies on the back nine. You have to hit fairways and greens at this course and today I hit the targets and the putter was hot. Once I caught up through the turn, I knew I could take it home.”

 

Naicker reeled in birdies at one, three and five to catch up to overnight leaders Bryce McCabe and Matthew Spacey and offset a bogey at seven with a birdie at nine to tie Boardman for the lead at the turn.

 

“Bryce fell away a little, but Terence eagled the fifth and Matt was level at the turn and just one behind, so the race was on,” said Naicker. “I birdied 11, 12 and 15 to get to seven under and that took the pressure off, because no-one was really making a run at me. Terence had eight pars and a birdie at 18 for a 66. Matt birdied 11 and 12, but he bogeyed 14, birdied 15 and dropped another shot at 17.

 

“I had a comfortable three shot lead with three holes to play, but I think the adrenaline got the better of me at 16. I had 162 metres to the pin and I flew the green with a nine-iron. I made a great birdie at 17 to cancel the bogey at 16, and I didn’t take any chances on the last hole. I just drove it down the middle, got the approach on the green and two-putted for par and the win.”

 

Naicker turned pro in 2012 and spent three years campaigning on mini-Tours in Europe before he returned home early this year. The GFG Academy player banked his first IGT Tour title at the Zwartkop Match Play Championship in May and notched his second at the second event of the 18-tournament Race to Q-School Series at Waterkloof Golf Club in October.

 

He established himself at the top of the Race to Q-School Money List with a win, a runner-up finish and three top 10s and came into the eighth event on the back of his third victory in the Race to Q-School #7 at Wingate Park Country Club last week. His fourth victory took Naicker’s tally to just over 44,000 points and he is well clear of two-time winner Dean O’Riley in second on 24,256.

 

“The top five players on the Money List at the end of the Race to Q-School Series will automatically qualify for the Final Stage of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, so it’s a huge deal to have a big lead with 10 events to play. We have three events left before the Tour breaks for the festive season. I’ve worked incredibly hard on my game this year, so I’m looking forward to the holidays, but I will definitely be targeting at least one more victory to increase my cushion.”

 

Spacey closed with a 69 to take third on his own at four under, while Coert Groenewald and England’s Gregg Blainey shared fourth at two under after respective rounds of 68 and 69.

 

 

 

Final Result

 

All competitors RSA unless otherwise indicated and amateurs indicated as AMA

 

203 - Damian Naicker 67 72 64

 

205 - Terence Boardman 69 70 66

 

206 - Matthew Spacey 70 67 69

 

208 - Coert Groenewald 71 69 68, Gregg Blainey (ENG) 70 69 69

 

211 - Dean O'Riley 70 70 71

 

212 - Francesca Cuturi 69 73 70, Bryce McCabe 66 71 75

 

213 - Jacques De Villiers 69 73 71, Johary Raveloarison (MDG) 72 70 71

 

214 - Conway Kunneke 73 70 71, Stephan Erasmus AMA 72 70 72, Duane Keun 72 69 73, Ruan Conradie AMA 70 70 74

 

215 - Carrie Park 69 72 74, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWA) 73 74 68, CJ Levey 71 77 67

 

216 - Paul De Beer 74 71 71, Andi Dill 75 71 70

 

217 - Ivanna Samu 70 70 77, Richard O'Donovan (IRE) 71 76 70, Werner Van Wyk 72 67 78

 

218 - Lejan Lewthwaite 73 71 74, Ruan Korb AMA 72 72 74, Juan Langeveld 70 73 75, Andrew Van Der Knaap AMA 74 68 76, Quintin Crause 70 71 77

 

219 - Stephan De Beer 72 71 76, Shaun Barrett AMA 72 71 76, Wayne Stroebel 74 68 77

 

220 - David Ashley (ENG) 70 76 74, Thabang Simon 72 74 74, Philip Geerts AMA (ITA) 75 72 73, Teagan Moore 76 74 70

 

221 - Estiaan Conradie AMA 72 73 76

 

222 - Leon Visser AMA 72 73 77, Dylan Docherty 70 76 76, Ruhan Van Dijk AMA 71 71 80, John McClean (NIR) 76 70 76, Dongkwan Kim (KOR) 71 76 75

 

224 - Warrick Druian 74 72 78, Dwayne Coetzee 77 72 75, Otto van Greunen 77 73 74

 

225 - Gareth Anderson AMA 70 76 79, Jason Ackerman AMA 75 74 76

 

226 - Richard Tsai AMA 71 76 79, Hayden Griffiths AMA 74 74 78

 

227 - Michael Schutz 71 74 82, Kyle Barker 73 77 77

 

228 - Bryce Myburgh 78 71 79

 

229 - Johan Van Der Wath 75 70 84, Michael Kok AMA 77 71 81


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