GOLF NEWS - Oklahoma City University student Rupert Kaminski soared on eagle’s wings to beat Merrick Bremner and Makhetha Mazibuko for his maiden IGT Challenge Tour victory at the Kyalami Challenge on Wednesday.
He got within striking distance of the Sunshine Tour campaigners courtesy of a brace of eagles on the front nine and birdied the last two holes for a superb seven-under-par 65 and a one shot victory on 12 under 204.
Home on his summer break after completing his second year studying broadcasting at Oklahoma City University, Kaminski was absolutely delighted with the result.
“I can’t lie; I’m over the moon to win in my second start,” said Kaminski. “If you just practice, you quickly run out of steam, so it’s great to have IGT Challenge Tour here in Gauteng. It’s close to home, so I can compete and still feel like I am on holiday the rest of the week.”
Kaminski played the country’s premier golf development tour to prepare for his first year abroad. In his first season, he helped his institution to win the NAIA National Championship and last season, he won seven individual titles.
“We are heading straight into the autumn season when I head back to Oklahoma at the end of August, so I need to be at my best,” he said. “Playing the IGT Challenge Tour helps me to keep my game sharp and keep competitive.”
Kaminski racked up birdies at the first and fifth and eagles at the two par fives – the fourth and the ninth – and offset two bogeys with birdies at 13 and 14. He birdied 17 to catch up to Bremner and Mazibuko for a second time and a birdie at the last sealed the deal.
“I birdied the first hole in the first two rounds, and to birdie it again, put me in a positive frame of mind,” said Kaminski. “I also had my former Central Gauteng Inter-Provincial team-mate and a great friend, Andi Dill, on the bag, and I must give him credit for keep that positive vibe going.
“I had a soft drop at the third, but made up for it with the eagle at four. I like the way this hole sets up for me and I eagled it in the first round, tool. I hit driver down the middle and a five-iron from 185 metres to 10 feet and holed the putt. I hit another good driver at nine and three-iron to five feet and boxed that one to go 10 under. That’s when I knew I had a chance.”
Kaminski three-putted 10 for bogey, but boxed a tough 15-foot downhill putt at 13 for birdie to get back to 10 under and keep the round going.
Bremner turned in the lead at 13 under at the turn, but bogeyed 12 and 14, which saw Mazibuko grab a share of the lead at 11 under after birdies at 12 and 13.
“I was two behind, but I drained a 30 footer for birdie at 14 to join the lead,” said Kaminski. “Then I dropped back to 10 under after another bogey at the par-four 16th. That bogey was annoying. I hit my tee shot way right, but I had a good line to the green. I hit my second just short and chipped it to eight feet and two-putted.”
Kaminski hit a seven-iron to 10 feet at the par-three 17th and made the birdie putt to get back to 11 under and knew he needed to birdie the last to have a chance.
“I hit three-iron off the tee and had 220 metres to the pin,” he said. “I took a four-iron and fired it straight at the pin. It rolled off the back of the green, but I had 15 feet left, so I lagged it close and tapped in for birdie.”
He watched as Mazibuko’s birdie putt looked in and rolled past and Bremner’s effort lipped out.
“I’m really stoked about this win,” he said. “Credit has to go to my coach here in South Africa, Ashleigh Roestoff, who taught me everything I know and the head coach back at Oklahoma City University, Kyle Blazer. They have both helped me to mature as a player.
“Going to college was definitely the right thing. If I hadn’t received a scholarship I probably would have studied here at home, because I believe you need to give yourself a few years to mature so you can be ready for the rigours of pro golf.
“This week was particularly great, with so many Sunshine Tour players in the field. It’s an awesome feeling to come back and to see that my game has improved and I that I can hold my own against players of that calibre.”
Final Result
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as AMA
204 - Rupert Kaminski AMA 69 70 65
205 - Makhetha Mazibuko 66 71 68, Merrick Bremner 64 69 72
206 - Ruan Korb 72 63 71
207 - Pieter Moolman 69 70 68
208 - Jason Roets 72 70 66
209 - Breyten Meyer 78 63 68, Jake Redman 69 71 69
210 - Tyrone Ferreira 74 68 68, Callum Mowat 73 67 70, Garth Wolter 69 69 72
212 - Herman Loubser 74 70 68
213 - Dylan Mostert AMA 69 73 71
214 - Matt Carvell 74 73 67, Rhys West 70 73 71, Jason Froneman 69 71 74
215 - Steven Ferreira 72 71 72
216 - Michael Schutz 71 73 72, Mohit Mediratta AMA (KEN) 67 76 73
218 - Roberto Lupini 70 77 71, Andrew Carlsson AMA 75 68 75
219 - Ruan Groenewald AMA 72 77 70, Heinrich Bruiners 76 75 68
220 - Matthew Rushton 77 70 73, Shaun van Tonder 73 70 77
221 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWA) 72 76 73, Arno Pretorius AMA 73 76 72
223 - Matthew Vogel 72 74 77
224 - Louis Botha 77 69 78
225 - Nqobani Ndabambi 78 70 77
226 - Mitchell Lightfoot AMA 76 71 79, Matthew Hands AMA 70 75 81, Christian Basson AMA 73 75 78, Christopher De Beer AMA 72 77 77, Mpho Mafishe 76 74 76, Tertius Van Den Berg 78 73 75, Matthew Kiewitz AMA 78 75 73, Albert Visser 76 78 72
227 - Stephan De Beer 73 73 81, Vian Van Blerk AMA 75 75 77
228 - Ricardo Towell 75 75 78
229 - Michael Faasen AMA 76 72 81, Gary Jutzen AMA 77 72 80, Morne V D Waltsleben AMA 76 74 79
232 - Rudolph Van De Venter AMA 80 73 79
234 - Liam Clinton AMA 77 74 83
ARTICLE: LALI STANDER
