It has been 10 years since he tasted success as professional golfer and Graeme Storm made his second victory as memorable as can be as he defeated world number two Rory McIlroy on the third play-off hole earlier today in the BMW SA Open hosted at Glendower Golf Club.
Rory McIlroy to play in SA Open
The pair was deadlocked on 18-under-par 270 after 72 holes of regulation play, and Storm managed to take advantage of a wayward McIlroy drive on the third extra trip up the 18th at Glendower, making par while the Northern Irishman was unable to get up and down to lengthen the play-off.
He started the day with a three-stroke advantage over McIlroy, but, as he expected, the four-time major winner got out of the blocks fast with two birdies in the first two holes to close the gap to one. Storm hit back with a birdie of his own on three, but then came the inexorable pressure of McIlroy pressing for victory. It looked to be signed and sealed as McIlroy birdied 13, Storm bogeyed 14 and the pair traded birdies on 16. Pars on 16, and it seemed that McIlroy would romp home, ahead by one with two to play.
An errant tee-shot from McIlroy on 17 saw him with a horrible lie in the greenside bunker on the par-three. The resultant bogey – and Storm’s calm par, saw matters level going up 18.
“It was more difficult playing the 72nd hole than the play-off holes,” said Storm. “In the play-off, I knew what was going to come my way. He was going to hit driver and blast his way up there, as he can and I can’t. I just had to stick to my game plan and hope it goes my way. It looked like I just kept it in the same position, and that’s what I was trying to do.”
By the time the third play-off hole came around, Storm’s consistency was enough – McIlory pushed his drive far enough right so that a tree branch hindered his swing enough for him to come up short and left of the green. Storm’s birdie putt grazed the hole, McIlroy’s chip was five feet past the hole, and, when he missed his return putt, Storms tap-in par had proved enough.
Behind that duo, England’s Jordan Smith carded his third consecutive 68 to finish in third, while Dean Burmester birdied the 18th to jump ahead of fellow-South Africans Trevor Fisher Jnr and Thomas Aiken to finish in fourth, the leading South African.
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