Golfer rises to the occasion

ATHOUGH Steven van Heerden demands perfection in his bakeries, he was still surprised to cook up a perfect result in the IGT KZN Tour’s KZN Winter Swing last Friday.

The 28-year-old former pro turned baker fired a two-under-par 70 to edge out Sunshine Tour regular, Jared Harvey, for a one-stroke victory at Kloof Country Club.

Van Heerden said he did not expect to win, because he has hardly touched a club in eight months.

“It is great to dust off the clubs and get this kind of result,” he said.

Van Heerden mixed three bogeys with five birdies to set the early clubhouse target. He thought he might have to face Harvey in a play-off when the Mount Edgecombe player reeled in back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 to get to even-par, but Harvey blew his chances with a double bogey at 17.

“The conditions were tough out there, so it was really a good test.

“I would like to take another shot at the pro circuit, though, I think I have matured enough to handle the pressure, the travelling and all those qualifiers a lot better now.”

He added that the IGT Tour is the perfect place to keep your hand in it.

“It is great for the amateurs and for guys like me. There are always a couple of tough competitors to beat and it keeps you competitive,” said Van Heerden.

Top 10 results

68 – Steven Van Heerden, 71 – Jared Harvey, 72 – Marc van Deventer (AMA), 73 – Clayton Mansfield (AMA), 75 – Shaun Coetzee; Malcolm Mitchell (AMA); Gareth Atkinson (AMA), 77 – Luke Mayo (AMA); Kevin Rundle, 78 – Rajen Sewgolum (AMA); Ashley Vermaak (AMA).