A brilliant 62 from Hennie Otto was not enough to stop Jaco van Zyl from taking a play-off victory in the inaugural Investec Cup.
Otto produced a scintillating round on the Lost City Golf Course with ten birdies to reel in the high-flying Van Zyl and force extra holes after 72 failed to separate the pair on the Millvale Private Retreat course, Rustenburg Golf Club and concluding with 36 holes at the Lost City.
“I watched the leader board all day,” said Van Zyl, “and I saw Hennie was 16 under through nine. And the next time I got a glimpse was on the 15th, and I saw he was 19 under at that point.
“After that, the next time you see anything is when you walk onto 18 green, and I’d been thinking he had finished on 20 under! I was 20-under playing the last, and I thought I needed four to win, and now I knew I had to work really hard.”
He’d put his approach shot on the left side of the green on 18 in regulation, and had a teasing chip towards the pin. He rolled that three feet past and had a knee-trembler for the birdie which secured him a place in the play-off against Otto who had played with such flair all day.
But Otto’s first mistake of the day came when he had his opponent on the back foot in the play-off: Van Zyl had dumped his approach to the 18th in the water, and all Otto had to do was find the heart of the green on the par five closing hole.
Instead, he tugged it left and long, and his first chip only reached the fringe of the green.
And when Van Zyl salvaged par, Otto was unable to match him from three feet as his effort lipped out.
Dejected, he strode from the green, and left Van Zyl sympathetic to the plight of a man he likes and respects. “It’s not good to win like that,” he muttered as he strode to the presentation ceremony.
Not only did he take his third title of the Sunshine Tour summer, but he cruised to the winning share of the Chase to the Investec Cup Bonus Pool.
“I was always told if I play good golf, the money will take care of itself,” he said. “I’ve got a wife and two boys who will take care of the money – I’ve got a career to worry about.”
