Darren Fichardt was edged out by Jake Roos at the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open as he took the title by one stroke at Royal Harare Golf Club.
With his 14 under par total of 274, he edged ahead of overnight leaders Fichardt and Italy’s Francesco Laporta who shared second, while Doug McGuigan and Lindani Ndwandwe shared fourth another stroke further back on 12 under par.
“It was a clutch final round that pulled it off for me,” said Roos, who started the final day four shots behind the leaders. “It started well, and then got a little slow in the middle when I made a bogey on the seventh. I finished strongly with birdies on 13, 15 and 16.”
On a day on which the leaders seemed unable to get anything going – Fichardt’s round contained six bogeys and six birdies, and the rookie Laporta made two bogeys and a triple-bogey before settling down to sign for level-par – Roos knew what he had to do.
“At the beginning of the back nine, I saw that no-one was really pulling away, so I knew I still had a great chance, and, from there on, things started to happen for me,” he said.
They certainly did, and nowhere more so than his delicate chip in for birdie on the 15th, where a local Royal Harare player pointed out he’d need great hands to get it close. He did better than that as the ball hit the flag stick and fell into the hole.
Another birdie on 16, and he was in front for good – but it still was a nail-biting wait for him, as both Fichardt and Laporta had putts to force a play-off.
“I was getting ready for it,” he laughed. “You don’t want to be surprised and suddenly go down the 18thagain for a play-off.”
Fichardt’s lengthy putt from the back of the green hit the hole at speed and stopped right next to it, while Laporta’s 12 footer slid just millimetres by the edge.
