Joburg Open 2015: Daily Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More
The European Tour was back in South Africa after a month-long stint in Asia, with the arrival of the 2015 Joburg Open providing hopefuls a chance to grab vital points along the Race to Dubai.
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club hosted the fourth of this season's seven South African-based tournaments, where current champion and local favourite George Coetzee returned to defend his crown.
But it was Andy Sullivan who reigned supreme here, putting in an exemplary final round to snatch the title from Day 3 leader Wallie Coetsee. It was the Englisman's second win in the country this year, having triumphed at the South African Open back in January.
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Be sure to check out the latest leaderboard, highlights and analysis from each day below.
Day 4 Recap
Andy Sullivan won the 2015 Joburg Open, shooting a six-under-par round of 66 on Day 4 to take the title at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
Sullivan—who finished the tournament with an overall score of 17 under par—was among an enormous chasing pack of players on the final day, and he was able to overhaul overnight leader Wallie Coetsee to take the title.
Coetsee finished in joint-second place, two shots behind the champion along with Kevin Phelan, Jaco van Zyl, Anthony Wall and David Howell.
Here’s a recap of the final day's play in South Africa and the final leaderboard from this year’s Joburg Open (Be sure to check out the full leaderboard on the European Tour Website).
| 1 | Andy Sullivan | -17 | 66 |
| T2 | Kevin Phelan | -15 | 66 |
| T2 | Jaco van Zyl | -15 | 66 |
| T2 | Anthony Wall | -15 | 68 |
| T2 | David Howell | -15 | 69 |
| T2 | Wallie Coetsee | -15 | 71 |
| T7 | Byeong Hun An | -14 | 66 |
| T7 | Chris Swanepoel | -14 | 69 |
| T7 | Jacques Blaauw | -14 | 70 |
It was always going to be intriguing to see how Coetsee handled the pressure of leading. It was a somewhat unfamiliar situation for the South African, and with an enormous chasing group within one or two shots of him, there was always going to be a few players cranking up the heat on the final day.
As we can see here courtesy of the European Tour Twitter account, picking a winner at the start of the day was a very difficult task:
Sadly for Coetsee, he wasn’t able to replicate the same form he showcased over the course of the first two days. As he struggled on the front nine, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t going to be in the running for the title come the end of the tournament.
Sullivan is a player who was always going to be dangerous on the final day, though. He’s been performing superbly at the start of 2015, has already won on the Tour this year and, as we can see here, was looking in brilliant form from the off once again:
Indeed, by the time a lot of the top players got out on the course, it was apparent there were plenty of players ready to capitalise on Coetsee’s ponderous round. Sullivan’s 32 through the front nine suggested he definitely fancied his chances here, but there were plenty of others in the hunt as the leaders rounded the turn.
Irishman Phelan shot an exceptional round of 66 to put himself in with a shout of winning on 15 under par:
Also in the mix was home-crowd favourite Van Zyl. He began his round in scintillating fashion, lighting up the course with four birdies on the front nine. The South African added two more on the back nine to match Phelan’s score and move alongside him on 15 under par overall.
Sullivan was just too good on the day, howecer. His superb start over the opening nine holes set the tone for his round, but the birdies at 15 and 18 were the vital ones for Sullivan, as he surged ahead with others tightening up under pressure.
Eventually, none of the players on course were quite good enough to match the 28-year-old star. The Englishman played with the composure of a man who has enjoyed a very prosperous start to the campaign, and as he strode down the final fairway, he emitted the aura of a champion-in-waiting.
To notch that birdie at 18 was vital, and you suspect a momentum sapper for those men out on course still chasing him down.
Sullivan has always ben a very talented player, but he’s added an underpinning fortitude to his game this season to complement his fundamental skills. He may not be a household name quite yet, but we should expect big things from him when the major competitions come rolling round in the coming months.
Day 3 Recap
Wallie Coetsee will take a two shot lead into the final day of the Joburg Open after a two-under-par round of 70 put him on 14-under for the championship.
It was a day of ups and downs for the South African, with his round including three bogeys and five birdies. But after some of his nearest challengers over the first two days enjoyed difficult rounds, Coestsee looks well set to sample glory in Johannesburg.
There are four players in the chasing pack behind the leader, including Steve Webster, who shot the finest round of the day. Joining him on 12-under is Jacques Blaauw, David Howell and Tjaart van der Walt.
Here’s a look at how the leaderboard is shaping heading into the final day of the competition. Be sure to check out the full leaderboard on the European Tour website):
| 1 | Wallie Coetsee | -14 | 70 |
| T2 | Steve Webster | -12 | 65 |
| T2 | Jacques Blaauw | -12 | 67 |
| T2 | David Howell | -12 | 68 |
| T2 | Tjaart van der Walt | -12 | 71 |
| T6 | Paul Waring | -11 | 67 |
| T6 | Chris Swanepoel | -11 | 67 |
| T6 | Andy Sullivan | -11 | 68 |
| T6 | George Coetzee | -11 | 69 |
| T6 | Michael Anthony | -11 | 69 |
| T6 | Thomas Aiken | -11 | 70 |
| T6 | Anthony Wall | -11 | 71 |
| T6 | Garth Mulroy | -11 | 72 |
| T6 | Simon Dyson | -11 | 72 |
The penultimate round always makes for intriguing watching, and it quickly became apparent during Day 3 that there was a host of players intent on making a run at the title this weekend.
As noted by the European Tour Twitter account, things were very tight at the top throughout the day:
Coetsee has shone during the first half of this championship, but he found the going a little bit tougher this time round.
He started pretty sluggishly all in all, going through the first eight holes one over par. And although further bogeys blemished his round at 10 and 16, five birdies—including a crucial one at 18—means he has a decent cushion going into the final day.
As noted, it was a pretty nerveless finish from the home-crowd favourite:
Webster shot the outstanding round of the day at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to surge into the contention for the title going into the final day of the championship.
The Englishman started the round in blistering style, going through the first nine holes in a five under par 32. His round settled down after the turn, but birdies at 16 and 18 will give him some great impetus going into the final day.
After starting the week with a pretty average 72, Webster has really taken to this course. He’s notched 13 birdies and just one bogey in his previous two rounds; if he can match that kind of low scoring on the final day, the chances are he’ll be crowned champion.
But somewhat staggeringly, there are 13 players within three shots of the leader. With the amount of quality in situ, if Webster doesn’t put together a low round to thrust him into contention for the title, you suspect somebody else might well do.
We were also treated to a very special moment from Francois Coetzee at the second hole, as he notched a wonderful albatross:
Day 4 should be thrilling and Coetsee is definitely there to be shot at. It’ll be intriguing to see just how well he fares on the final day when the pressure is on, but there were times on “Moving Day” when the South African lost lead, only to respond with some strokes of real quality.
If Webster replicates his recent form then the Englishman could be tough to stop, but another man definitely worth looking out for is Andy Sullivan. He’s well set on 11 under par going into Day 4 and he’s shown already this season he has what it takes to win a prestigious title, triumphing on the final day of the South African Open back in January.
Day 2 Recap
Wallie Coetsee thrust himself to the top of the Joburg Open leaderboard on Friday, carding a six-under 65 to move one shot clear of Simon Dyson, Garth Mulroy and Tjaart Van der Walt after the second round of play.
Each golfer has now completed both East and West courses at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, with the top of the leaderboard appearing like this ahead of the weekend (Be sure to check out the full leaderboard on the European Tour's official website):
Coetsee dropped just one shot throughout the day on seven, but tallied four birdies on the front nine to continue his fine work from the opening round. He was the joint-top scorer on the par-73 East alongside Sam Hutsby on Thursday, and always threatened to make his move when tackling the one-shot shorter challenge of the West.
The South African's eagle on 15 and birdie on 17 pushed him to the summit, noted by the European Tour:
| 1 | Wallie Coetsee | -12 | 65 |
| T2 | Simon Dyson | -11 | 67 |
| T2 | Garth Mulroy | -11 | 68 |
| T2 | Tjaart Van der Walt | -11 | 69 |
| T5 | Niclas Fasth | -10 | 67 |
| T5 | Anthony Wall | -10 | 66 |
| T7 | Kristoffer Broberg | -9 | 67 |
| T7 | Alex Noren | -9 | 63 |
| T7 | Thomas Aiken | -9 | 67 |
| T7 | Stuart Manley | -9 | 67 |
There's no time for Coetsee to rest, however, as Dyson, Mulroy and Van der Walt all remain consistent. Dyson and Mulroy dropped one shot each along the East, serving up five-under and four-under rounds respectively, while Van der Walt was forced to offset two bogeys along the back nine. He posted three-under for the day, joining the aforementioned duo on an overall score of 11-under.
Swede Niclas Fasth and Englishman Anthony Wall are one shot further back, but Alex Noren caught the attention with the day's best score, posting an eight-under 63 on the West. He is tied seventh, residing one shot behind Fasth and Wall in a group which also includes Kristoffer Broberg, Thomas Aiken and Stuart Manley.
Aiken kept the crowd entertained, hitting the flag with mixed success on West's 11 and 16, highlighted by the tournament's feed:
Remarkably, Thursday's leader Nic Henning undid all of his hard-work with a six-over 78 on the opposite course. This included six bogeys—four of which came consecutively between five and eight—plus a double bogey on 13. He is now below the projected cut on three-under.
European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke will also be frustrated with his efforts, following Thursday's par with a one-over round on the West. Four birdies placed him tied 151st, proving he may be best suited to focusing on next year's challenge against the United States.
Coetsee's consistency across both courses holds him in good stead for the weekend. The local favourite confirmed he will remain focused across the latter stages, per the European Tour's website:
"This is a marathon, not a race. You have to pull the horse back a bit, you can’t run too fast. We’ll let the horse loose on Sunday on the back nine. For now it’s about making solid pars and keeping the battery at 100 per cent; keep it going and you’ll be ready when you need to be.
Leading means a lot to myself, but tomorrow we start from level par again. I’ll just give it my best. I’m looking forward to this weekend and seeing what happens.
"
Players are still struggling to deal with the East course, but Coetsee appears quietly assured with his performances so far. A simple approach is certainly needed on one of the tour's more complicated stages, meaning his level-headed style could make the difference.
The chasing pack aren't far behind, however, and will be ready to capitalise on any mistake.
Day 1 Recap
South African Nic Henning leads after the first round of the Joburg Open, carding a nine-under 62 to put himself one shot clear of the chasing pack.
It was very much an opening day of West Course dominance in South Africa, where a three-strong group of challengers posted eight-under rounds of 63 on this particular route.
In fact, only Wallie Coetsee and Sam Hutsby made it into the top 10 after starting on the East side, both of whom are tied eighth after carding a six-under round of 66. You can view the top-ranking players below (be sure to check out the full leaderboard on the European Tour's website):
Henning pushed himself into the lead late in the day after a terrific start. He grabbed five birdies and an eagle—coming on the third hole—to underline his confidence along the front nine. The South African then gained another two en route to the clubhouse.
Titch Moore provided the most remarkable route to finish the day tied for second at eight under, posting three birdies along his first four holes before acing No. 5. The European Tour tweeted his moment of jubilation:
| 1 | Nic Henning | -9 | 62 |
| T2 | Titch Moore | -8 | 63 |
| T2 | Thomas Pieters | -8 | 63 |
| T2 | Tjaart Van der Walt | -8 | 63 |
| T5 | Dean Burmester | -7 | 64 |
| T5 | Garth Mulroy | -7 | 64 |
| T5 | Jason Scrivener | -7 | 64 |
Moore appeared eager to impress his local crowd and didn't drop a shot throughout the day. He enjoyed a clubhouse lead after a tidy run through 18:
Both Thomas Pieters and Tjaart Van der Walt worked diligently to overcome two bogeys, joining Moore on 63. Pieters eagled the par-five 15th before suffering his setbacks on 16 and 18. His moment of magic was highlighted by the tour's feed:
Dean Burmester, Garth Mulroy and Jason Scrivener are locked one shot further back, with Scrivener the only player not to drop a shot from this seven-under mini-group.
Eight players were deadlocked eighth place at the conclusion of play at six under. This group includes Coetsee and Hutsby, who will be looking to move up the rankings once they attack the West Course on Friday.
Defending champion Coetzee dropped two shots on his journey to a five-under 66.
He'll be hoping to prove the East Course can be dominated during the second day's play, which will see him face the tumultuous par-four 11th, a 500-yard hole that challenges competitors to follow a straight tee shot with an accurate dink over water.
Darren Clarke suffered a gruelling day on the East, racking up two bogeys and a duo of double bogeys along the front nine. He found some consistency, however, gaining two shots on 17 and 18 to secure a par round of 72. The Northern Irishman is currently tied in 114th and will be disappointed with his opening display.
We're likely to have a much clearer view of the top prospects once both players have taken on each course. There's no doubt those starting on East found things tough on Thursday. Even so, Henning's fast start suggests he could be the one to beat as weekend play approaches.
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