Van den berg takes gholf title
2005-04-14
THE East London professional, Ulrich van den Berg, captured the R300 000 Parmalat Classic title by one stroke to deny hopefuls Lindani Ndwandwe and Peter Karmis their day of glory at the Paarl Golf Club at Boschenmeer on Saturday.
Van den Berg marched to his fourth Sunshine Tour victory with a final round three-under-par 69 and a total score of 15-under-par 201, ahead of Ndwandwe and Karmis on 14-under-par 202 and waiting in the wings hoping for a play-off.
Van der Berg’s winning cheque of R47 100 launched him straight to the lead of the 2005/2006 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, ahead of Nico van Rensburg, who led for two weeks following his victory in the season opening FNB Botswana Classic.
“I’m over the moon,” said a smiling van den Berg, winner of the Seekers Travel Pro-Am a mere four months ago.
“I’ve been in this position often in the last few months and I’m really glad I could nail it again.
“Today I played the best final round of a tournament, ever. Coming in over the last nine holes, I really felt like a seasoned professional - clinical, measured, thinking about the best way to play each shot.
This is by far my best win ever.”
Van den Berg began the final round one stroke behind overnight leader Bradford Vaughan at 13-under-par, but cancelled the deficit immediately with a birdie at the par-5 first.
And while van den Berg parred his way around the next seven holes, Vaughan’s round took a rollercoaster ride of birdies and drops.
By the time van den Berg dropped on the par-5 ninth, Vaughan was back to 13-under and the game was on again.
Vaughan took a page from van den Berg and parred his way to the 17th, while van den Berg picked up three birdies to take the outright lead.
Two drops at 17 and 18 saw any chance of redemption slip from Vaughan’s grip.
“There wasn’t much in the lead, no-one was charging away with it, so I figured it was there for the taking.
“I very nearly dropped a shot at 17, but I hit a great rescue sand-wedge to about 60-foot from the hole and managed to leave myself a 15-foot putt for par.”
A drop at 17 would have meant the play-off was on, but van den Berg left himself a one-shot cushion playing the last.
“I played it safe up the 18th. I knew I only needed par to win and that two-foot putt was all it took - I didn’t need to be a hero at the last.”
Van den Berg was full of praise for Ndwandwe and Karmis, both of whom he considers very talented players.
“Lindani is one of the most consistent players on Tour and Peter played to his potential today. They were both very worthy opponents.”
Ndwandwe and Karmis obliterated the course shooting 62 and 63 respectively on a day when scores were markedly higher than the first two days.
They finished joint second with a total of 202 with scores of 70, 70, 62 and 70, 69, 63 respectively.
The Englishman, Chris Williams, was third with figures of 64, 70 and 69.
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