SINGAPORE (AFP) – Ockie Strydom staged a remarkable comeback at the Singapore Classic yesterday when he posted a final-round, nine-under-par 63 to become the first South African winner of a DP World Tour event held in the city-state.
Faced with the prospect of a playoff against Sami Valimaki at 18-under, Strydom conjured one of the greatest shots of the week with a deft chip onto the 18th green, where he would go on to sink his birdie putt for a one-shot victory over the Finn. Valimaki, playing two groups behind Strydom, still had a chance to force the tournament into extra time, but his birdie putt on 18 stopped agonisingly close to the hole.
He was ultimately left to settle for an outright second place at the USD2 million tournament, the DP World Tour’s first in Singapore since 2014.
Trailing Wang and Del Rey by four shots at the start of the day in 11th place, Strydom charged out of the gate quickly with five birdies on holes one, three, five, seven and nine for an outward 30.
The 38-year-old then parred his next three holes before picking up further gains on 13, 14 and 16. Strydom’s superb up and down on 18 for his ninth birdie of the day would effectively seal his victory.
Strydom’s victory at the Singapore Classic is his second since his DP World Tour breakthrough at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December.
