By Michael Vlismas.
Photo Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour.
Edenvale (Gauteng) – For a man who isn’t fond of playoffs, Deon Germishuys certainly looked at home in one as he pulled off an incredible shot to win the Stella Artois Players Championship at Glendower Golf Club on Sunday.
Germishuys and Cole Stevens finished regulation play tied for the lead on 19 under par.
Stevens led going into the final round, while Germishuys was five shots behind him.
Germishuys surged through the field with a final round of 68 while Stevens signed for a 73 to take them into a playoff that at one point could also have included Jonathan Broomhead.
On the first playoff hole, Germishuys hit his second to less than half-a-metre from the hole and tapped in for a birdie, while Stevens made par.
“I don’t have a very good record in playoffs,” said Germishuys. “I’ve lost in one earlier this year so I wasn’t very positive going into this playoff. It’s very surreal. I can’t really explain it to anyone. As soon as the ball came off the clubface I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do but you never know as the wind swirls here on the 18th hole. When I saw it pitch and spin back to the hole it was just a lot of relief. But overall I played the back nine nicely and fought hard, my putter was also quite hot and that helped. I just stuck to the basics, stayed patient and got the deal done.”
This was Germishuys’s fourth victory on the Sunshine Tour, coming almost a year after his last win in the South African PGA Championship.
“It feels great. I’m very happy as it came a lot quicker than I thought. Up until now it was a tough year and it wasn’t easy out there. I am glad I could get it done,” Germishuys said.
While he came up short for a maiden win on the Sunshine Tour, the week was still a rewarding one for Stevens as he claimed the top spot on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings in what has been an outstanding rookie season for him so far including two runners-up finishes and a third place finish. He also moves into fifth place on the Courier Guy Order of Merit.
Jonathan Broomhead earned a fourth top-five finish this season, finishing third on 18 under par. The medallion for the winning caddie was awarded to Brett Whitehouse.