Bjorn Akesson (-19) triumphs in a reduced Nelson Mandela Bay Championship. After completing the twelve holes that were missing from the third round this morning, the weather has prevented the players from returning to the field and the tournament has been concluded.
Yes, no, yes, no. The players ready to go out again and then back inside. That has been the exhausting tone after the end of the third round. Attempts have been made in all sorts of ways to play the fourth round at Hunewood Golf Club, but when the delays were so significant that they would prevent the tournament from finishing today, the Circuit decided to accept what happened in the first 54 holes. Joy for Akesson who was looking for his first ever win in the Challenge, disappointment for Slattery who was left with a bitter taste after having led for much of the day.
The Swede is experiencing a second youth. Seven years ago after losing his playing rights on the DP World Tour he decided to retire professionally. However, last year everything changed. Playing the Nordic circuit he rediscovered his game and after a stellar season he earned a place in the second division of the European Circuit and decided to return. In his second tournament after his return he tastes victory in the Challenge for the first time in his career. A story in true Hollywood style.
The tournament duel was with Lee Slattery, another player looking for golf to give him a new opportunity and who knows what it is to win the Challenge Tour back in 2004. A duel from another era.
Ángel Ayora continues to add good results to his bag although perhaps today he is left with a bitter taste. He went out on the field at hole 10 with a two and a half meter par for birdie and that could put him in the fight for a hypothetical top. The birdie disappeared but he immediately recovered and got the birdie to stumble right after. Very good week in which the coin has always been missing to fall face in the decisive moment. Things have turned back in his favour after a spectacular eagle on a short par four. A 292-meter hole that due to the weather was played from 270. Spectacular shot from the tee that left him three meters from the hole and this time he did convert. A joy that lasted very few minutes as he immediately signed a double bogey that cancelled it and took him out of the top ten in the tournament. The first top 10 as a professional will have to wait, but don’t worry, playing at the level shown this week it will arrive very soon.
The South African tour comes to an end after four consecutive weeks in the land of the Cape of Good Hope with a generally positive balance for the Spaniards who in one way or another have flirted with a great result in all the tournaments although no victory has been achieved in the end. Ángel Ayora was very close to the top positions in the inaugural tournament of the season and at the close, while Víctor Pastor has come out two Sundays with clear chances of victory and has achieved a very valuable third place. Although we only have four tournaments, the Cordovan would currently own one of the twenty cards that are granted on the way to the DP World Tour and Ayora is only six points away from this cut and within the Mallorca Final.
The Circuit now takes a two-week break before heading to India to play the Delhi Challenge at the Classic Golf & Country Club from March 14 to 17.
