Jaco Ahlers showed the experience of a mature golfer and the determination that comes from plenty of hard work as he withstood the threat of the on-fire duo of Shaun Norris and Brandon Stone to claim a one-stroke victory in the SunBet Challenge hosted by the Wild Coast Sun recently.
The 42-year-old held a four-stroke lead going into the final round, but with the weather having turned favourable after two days of strong wind, Norris and Stone launched a ferocious charge for the top of the leaderboard.
Norris, who has won 13 times around the world, produced a tremendous round after an early bogey on the par-four second hole.
Thereafter, the 2021/22 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy winner reeled off three birdies and an eagle on the front nine and collected another six birdies on the back nine.
Norris played the stretch of holes from the seventh to the 12th in six-under-par, and he needed a birdie at the last to shoot 59.
He could only make par on the par-four last hole, leaving him with a 60 for 11-under-par overall.
Stone, meanwhile, produced a superb, bogey-free seven-under-par 63 to finish on 12-under for the tournament, just failing to add to his five professional titles.
When Ahlers double-bogeyed the par-four ninth and then dropped another shot on the par-three 13th, he slipped to 11-under, tied with Norris and with Stone charging.
But the now 12-time winner overcame a tough day for him by knuckling down when it really mattered and birdied the par-four 15th and then the par-five 16th before finishing with two pars.
SCORES:
197 – Jaco Ahlers 64 64 69
198 – Brandon Stone 68 67 63
199 – Shaun Norris 68 71 60
201 – Keegan Mclachlan 66 66 69
202 – Pieter Moolman 67 73 62, Gerhard Pepler 67 66 69
Others:
206 Jaco van Zyl 67 71 68
208 Colin Nel 69 67 72
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