‘Zombie’ Stone triumphs in Cape Open
PUNDITS are talking up Brandon Stone as the future of South African golf.
And they may just be on the right track after the 22-year-old’s maiden victory as a professional in Cape Town yesterday.
The Pretoria golfer saw off a quality field at Royal Cape to win the R1.2-m Lion of Africa Cape Town Open by five shots.
Stone fired a final-round two-under-par 70 to go with previous scores of 73, 66 and 63 to finish on 16-under 272. Ockie Strydom and England’s Steve Surrey tied for second place on 277, with Zimbabwe’s Scott Simpson in fourth.
Stone, pictured right, who turned pro in 2013, began the fourth and final day with a three-stroke lead and never really wavered.
He dropped a couple of shots on his inward loop at holes 14 and 16, but with a big buffer over the chasing pack, it was no big deal for the big-hitter who staked his claim for victory in the penultimate round, a fine nine-under 63 taking him from joint eighth place to the top of the leaderboard.
Home club member Erik van Rooyen played alongside Stone in the final pairing yesterday and would have harboured hopes of challenging for the title and the R192 200 winner’s cheque, but the 25-year-old never found his mojo. A closing 75 saw him drop to a tie for fifth place alongside fellow Capetonian JP Strydom (69) and Peter Karmis (71), the trio netting R43 560 each.
“It’s a great day. A very special one,” said Stone during his victory speech. “To win my first tournament and to have done it in Cape Town on the country’s oldest course, what can I say but ‘Wow!’.
“I feel like a bit of a zombie right now, but a braai with the family later on will no doubt see the emotions settling down and I’m sure then that the reality of what I have done will sink in.
“Having my dad Kevin (who played the tournament and made the cut) around... it was another very special moment for me,” added Stone, who just recently secured his playing card on the lucrative European Tour, courtesy of his top-15 finish on the Challenger Tour.
“My dad’s been there every step of the way. I’ve got some way to go to match his 10 tournament wins on our local Sunshine Tour. There are many others who have played their part, be it behind the scenes to make things easier for me, or those who’ve helped fine-tune my game.
“Right now I think every aspect of my game is on the up. Now for the next tournament – the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
“It’s a big one for us local guys as it is a European co-sanctioned event.”
Stone’s first event as a pro was by sponsor’s invite when he teed off in the European Tour’s BMW International Open.
He claimed a top-10 finish, a clear indication that he was indeed a special talent. While it has taken him a couple of years to break his duck in the paid ranks, the way he goes about his business without much fanfare separates him from the rest of the young brigade.
Watching Stone work his magic on the 130-year-old Royal Cape layout, one was impressed by his overall calm, friendly demeanour.