Morten Orum Madsen said he was hoping to give his father, Soren Madsen, a special finish, and that’s exactly what he did as he shot a five-under-par 67, on November 24, to win the 103rd South African Open, at Glendower Golf Club.
“My father doesn’t get to attend many tournaments and I didn’t really play that well at those he attended last year,” said Madsen.
“It’s great to finally play a good tournament with him around; he has been walking with me every step of the way.”.
Madsen began the final round a stroke behind overnight leader and tournament favourite Charl Schwartzel.
The Dane had said he just needed to roll in a couple more putts in the final round, and that’s what he did as he collected five birdies, including decisive ones on the 15th and 16th holes.
“Down the stretch I made some good putts from inside 10 feet, and my dad was as happy as I was,” Madsen said after his first European Tour win.
“It was so special to win in front of him, because it’s really hard for him and my mom to just sit at home wondering how I’m doing.”
Schwartzel had said he needed something better than an average final round otherwise he’d lose, and that’s also exactly what happened, as the world number 22 could manage only a one-under-par 71 that included catastrophic sixes at the par-three sixth and the par-four 10th hole.
Before Madsen became the 14th foreign golfer to mug the South African contingent and steal their national open trophy, it looked a near-certainty that Ekurhuleni-based Hennie Otto would win the SA Open for the second time in three years.
But Otto was not able to convert a three-stroke lead into victory, with just four holes to play, as he followed three successive birdies, which took him to seven-under for his round, with a bogey at the par-five 15th and then a disastrous double-bogey at the par-four 16th.
He parred the last two holes and had to settle for a four-under-par 68, that left him on 17-under overall, tied with compatriot Jbe’ Kruger for second place,two shots behind Madsen.
Kruger, who began the day five shots behind, had a superb start to the final round as he claimed three successive birdies from the second hole.
He had a hiccough with a bogey on five, before gaining another shot on the seventh, but then bogeying the ninth.
The 27-year-old, who had never contended at an SA Open before, had another hot streak on the back nine, starting with an eagle on the par-five 13th, which was followed by three successive birdies.
The other golfer who gained plenty from the tournament was Italian Marco Crespi, a Tour School graduate who played consistently through all four rounds to finish in a tie for fourth, three strokes behind Madsen and level with Schwartzel.
South African Trevor Fisher Jnr was another to have influence on the final day, finishing early with the round of the day, an eight-under-par 64, to climb to 14-under-par.
He eventually had to settle for a share of seventh,as Spain’s Alejandro Canizares shot a 68 to finish on 15-under.
Madsen, who confessed to feeling right at home in South Africa, said he had not expected to win,because he had spent so much of the round playing in the wake of Schwartzel and Otto.
Schwartzel had surged ahead with three successive birdies from the second hole and Otto looked in control on the back nine.
“The way Schwartzel started, playing awesome strokes on the first four holes, I thought he was going to leave us behind,” Madsen added.
“I thought I was playing pretty well, but I didn’t expect to win.
“And then, unfortunately, Schwartzel had some misfortune, but I still had to catch Otto.
“I didn’t think I could until those birdies on the 13th and 15th, when I thought I could make a playoff.
“But then I hit a really great wedge into 16, to a foot or two, and on 17 I found out that I was two ahead.
“I can’t describe that feeling.”
The 25-year-old, who studied in the United States, finished 81st in last season’s Race to Dubai, but has now earned a two-year exemption on the European Tour and a place in the lucrative — both in terms of money and ranking points — Nedbank Golf Challenge, at Sun City, early next month.
