Sundrenched Sun City erupted in cheers as Joost Luiten drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole to claim the Nedbank Golf Challenge title by one shot on Sunday, capping a memorable final round that saw the Dutch star rally from five strokes behind overnight leader Wilco Nienaber.
Veerman rallies from five-shot deficit to clinch Nedbank title
South Africa’s Daniel van Tonder led from the opening round but faltered on the final day, cooling down with a 72 that dropped him into a tie for fourth alongside Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra.
Pole Adrian Meronk had a chance to pounce but carded a 71 to finish second behind Veerman and remain in search of a maiden DP World Tour title.
Victory at Gary Player Country Club, which hosted the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the final time before the tournament moves to Fancourt next year, earned Veerman his second DP World Tour title and lifted him to 16th in the DP World Tour Rankings.
He secured a return to the Nedbank Golf Challenge and DP World Tour Championship in the United Arab Emirates next month.
| Leaderboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Veerman | 69-66-65 (200) | |
| 2 | Adrian Meronk | 65-66-71 (202) | |
| 3 | Daniel van Tonder | 63-65-72 (200) | |
| T4 | Eugenio Chacarra | 67-65-73 (205) | |
| T4 | Daniel van Tonder | 63-65-72 (200) | |
| T6 | George Coetzee | 71-66-70 (207) | |
| T6 | Wilco Nienaber | 63-65-79 (207) | |
| T8 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 65-66-77 (208) |
Superb final round sees Veerman ascend leaderboard at Sun City
Christiaan Bezuidenhout claimed the lead early in the final round, posting birdies on the first two holes to take a three-shot advantage over Wilco Nienaber. However, Veerman remained undeterred, chipping in for birdie on the third and sinking a long eagle putt on the fifth to cut Bezuidenhout’s lead to just one shot.
The Dutchman continued to apply pressure, picking up birdies on the eighth and tenth holes to move into a tie for the lead. A costly bogey on the 11th dropped him back one behind, but Veerman refused to be denied, hitting a superb approach shot to set up a birdie on the par-5 12th and reclaiming the lead.
Bezuidenhout fought back with birdies on the 13th and 15th holes to draw level once more, but Veerman produced a magnificent tee shot on the par-3 16th, leaving himself a short putt for birdie to regain the advantage. The 29-year-old then held his nerve on the tough closing stretch, making pars on the 17th and 18th holes to secure a one-shot victory.
| Position | Player | Total |
| 1 | Joost Luiten | -12 |
| 2 | Wilco Nienaber | -11 |
| 3 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | -10 |
Veerman’s victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge is his second European Tour title, adding to the Oman Open crown he won in 2020. The Dutchman has now moved up to 11th in the Race to Dubai standings, putting himself in contention for a place at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in November.
Crucial putts and brilliant iron play propel Veerman to victory
It was a back-nine birdie fest for Dan Veerman on Sunday as the Dutchman fired a stunning 64 to overturn a five-shot deficit and win the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.
Needing a fast start to put pressure on the leaders, Veerman nailed a 20-footer for birdie on the first and picked up another shot on the third to move to 11 under par.
He dropped a shot on the fifth but birdied the seventh and eighth to reach the turn in 32.
The 29-year-old then caught fire on the back nine, rolling in further birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th to move into a share of the lead with playing partner Kurt Kitayama.
Veerman’s iron play was also on point, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation and finding the putting surfaces in two on the par-five 10th and 14th holes.
He missed a good chance to take the outright lead on the 15th, but made no mistake on the 16th, rolling in a 15-footer to move one clear.
A brilliant tee shot on the par-three 17th set up another birdie chance, and Veerman duly converted to effectively seal the victory.
He parred the last to sign for a 64 and finish on 17 under par, one shot ahead of Kitayama and Frenchman Victor Perez.
It was a remarkable turnaround for Veerman, who had started the day five shots behind Kitayama and Perez.
But the Dutchman never doubted that he could catch the leaders, and he credited his putting for his victory.
“I knew I had to make some putts today, and I did,” he said. “I hit the ball well all week, but I just couldn’t make any putts. Today, they started to drop, and that was the difference.”
Veerman’s victory is his second on the DP World Tour, and it moves him up to 10th in the Race to Dubai standings.
He will now head to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai with a chance to finish in the top five of the money list.
Analysis: How Veermans strategy and execution led to triumph
Christiaan Bezuidenhout had a four-shot lead at the start of the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, but it was actually Dean Burmester who looked like he might run away with the tournament. Burmester birdied the first three holes and four of the first six, but a double bogey on the eighth hole put paid to those hopes.
Bezuidenhout had been a model of consistency all week, but could not find his best form on Sunday and a round of 74 saw him finish in a share of second place. That left the door open for Veermaan, who moved into contention thanks to a birdie at the fourth and then an eagle at the par-5 sixth.
Veerman’s playing partner, Thriston Lawrence, applied some pressure with four birdies in a row from the 12th, but Veermaan responded with birdies of his own at the 13th and 15th to effectively seal the win.
Veerman’s victory was particularly impressive given that he had not won a European Tour event since 2019, but he showed great composure and nerve down the stretch to hold off the challenge of his rivals.
Here are some of the key factors that contributed to Veermaan’s victory:
Solid driving: Veermaan hit the ball long and straight all week, which gave him a significant advantage on the par-5s where he was able to reach in two.
Great chipping and putting: Veermaan’s short game was also in great shape, and he made a number of key putts, including a 15-footer for birdie on the 15th hole.
* Mental strength: Veermaan was able to stay focused and composed under pressure, even when he was not playing his best.
Veerman’s victory is a reminder that even when you are not playing your best, you can still win a golf tournament if you have the mental strength and the skill to make the key putts when it matters most.
Victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge has been the perfect homecoming for Christiaan Bezuidenhout. The South African golfer, who is based in England, held his nerve to win by one shot at Sun City on Sunday. Bezuidenhout started the final round five shots behind overnight leader Ryan Fox but birdied the 16th and 17th holes to move into a share of the lead. He then parred the 18th to secure his first European Tour title.
