A battle to the very end

“Obviously it’s disappointing to finish like that but Graeme has played well all week."

January 17, 2017

Stephan Lehman 1 minute read

Graeme Storm, giving the BMW SA Open Golf Championship trophy a kiss after his victory against Rory McIlroy, on Sunday.

By: Stephan Lehman

English golfer Graeme Storm snatched victory away from international golfing heavyweight Rory McIlroy at the BMW SA Open Golf Championship.

The event was held at the Glendower Golf Club.

On the start of the fourth and final round on January 15, Storm started the day with a three-stroke advantage over McIlroy.

Despite the slight difference, McIlroy made a comeback and overtook Storm on the scoreboard.

McIlroy lost his lead after an unfortunate tee off at the 17th hole, giving Storm the opportunity to catch up.

At the 18th hole the pair were deadlocked on par 270 after 72 holes of regulation play over the course of the tournament.

McIlroy’s slip-up resulted in the playoffs.

In the third and final round of the playoff, Storm won the title.

Storm said he knew he would have a tough day ahead of him if McIlroy caught up with him on the course.

After his win, Storm said his victory felt surreal.

“I had a great battle out there with Rory. I just tried to hang in as best I could, but to win this trophy and get my name on it is just a dream come true,” said Storm.

Thama (Jeffrey) Nkonyane, who was the caddy for Storm, said the pair knew it would be a tough day for Storm as he had never played against McIlroy.

He said the crowd’s support assisted Storm.

“At almost every hole, for every shot, the crowd cheered just as hard for Graeme as they did for Rory and that really gave us a lot of confidence. Graeme didn’t have time to feel the nerves,” said Nkonyane.

“Obviously it’s disappointing to finish like that but Graeme has played well all week and what a story it is for him,” said McIlroy.

McIlroy said he was delighted for Storm.