It is never too late to give your career a twist. MJ Viljoen has done it today at the age of 30. After spending a lifetime on the Sunshine Tour, the South African golfer has given himself a new opportunity by winning the SDC Open, the first tournament of the season on the HotelPlanner Tour, held at the Zebula Golf Estates in his beloved Limpopo. The opportunity consists of advancing to the DP World Tour if he manages to finish the year among the top 15 in the Road to Mallorca. There is still a long way to go, but he has laid the first stone. And it is solid.
Viljoen achieved his first victory outside the Sunshine Tour today on his second attempt, where he had already accumulated three titles (2017, 2022, and 2024). And it was on the second attempt because it seemed he had already won with four holes to go. Or at least very well on track, but he did almost everything in his power to lose it.
With a two-shot lead over the second-placed golfer, the Bloemfontein golfer signed three consecutive bogeys on holes 15, 16, and 17 and found himself on the ropes. So much so that he had to seal a great birdie on the 18th hole to at least force a playoff against a waiting Deon Germishuys in the clubhouse. Both finished with a score of -16, two less than Maxence Giboudot and Jean Hugo. By the way, Giboudot, who was leading this Sunday, let his first victory slip away with a modest round of 73 strokes.
Viljoen won on the second attempt. It was in the playoff. He prevailed with a birdie on the 18th hole, while Germishuys complicated things with a double bogey. A duel between South Africans. Once again, it is demonstrated that what happens in South Africa, stays in South Africa, at least in the HotelPlanner Tour tournaments. Interestingly, Viljoen’s two best results so far in this circuit had been in Limpopo, the same place where he won, although his two previous top 10s were on a different course. We will see if he takes advantage of this triumph to make a leap in his career. On the other hand, Germishuys will have to keep waiting to claim his first victory.
As for the Spaniards, it was not the best Sunday. Pablo Ereño (-10) was the best of ours, in 22nd place, with a final card of 71 strokes. He leaves the SDC Open with four rounds under par. Not bad. Meanwhile, Lucas Vacarisas (-7) finished 33rd and Joel Moscatel (-6) ended 39th. Both played over par today.
The next stop on the HotelPlanner Tour is the CIRCA Cape Town Open, the second of four consecutive tournaments to be held in South Africa to kick off the season in the second division of European golf.
