Coetzee crowned Joburg Open champion
In addition to winning to coveted Joburg Open title, George will join Jin and Justin at the Royal Liverpool in July after they each won an invitation to The Championship Open.
Pretoria’s George Coetzee surprised everyone when he came from behind to win the Joburg Open 2014.
The final round of the tournament was played on Sunday, February 9 at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
The 27-year-old scored six-under-par 66 on the east course to finish 19 under par overall, three shots ahead of fellow countryman Justin Walters, Jin Jeong of South Korea and England’s Tyrrell Hatton who were tied for second spot on 16-under-par.
George looked strong from the moment he took on the opening hole, birdying the first and fourth and two-putting the par five sixth for another birdie.
Soon after, overnight leaders Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters both bogeyed the eighth to signal a dramatic change in the lead.
Coetzee stretched his lead to three shots on the back nine as he finished a faultless round with a total of six birdies.
His win came after 24 top-10 finishes on the European Tour.
In addition to winning to coveted Joburg Open title, George will join Jin and Justin at the Royal Liverpool in July after they each won an invitation to The Championship Open.
The invitation ticket came as the Joburg Open was announced as a qualifying tournament for the prestigious event.
“Let me take this opportunity to congratulate George, I think he is a deserving winner. Every time we host the Joburg Open, we look out to see which one of the South Africans can win it. We are very happy that George has won it and I think you one of the role models of South African golf,” said executive mayor for the City of Johannesburg, Clr Mpho Parks Tau.
Clr Tau also welcomed the inclusion of the Joburg Open in the Championship Open.
“I think the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and the City of Joburg have become partners to the extent that this tournament has been recognised as a qualifying series for the Championship Open is a privilege to us the City of Joburg. It shows our commitment to this tournament over the past eight years is yielding the results we wanted,” Clr Tau said.
