Rory McIlroy. (Foto: AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
In hole-in-one golf, it is said that the only predictability is its unpredictability.
This became evident on Sunday evening (South African time) in Texas at the WCG Technologies’ World Hole Game Tournament when the American Sam Burns, who was seeded 13th, beat his compatriot Cameron Young (seeded 15th) 6 and 5 in the final.
In advance, it was predicted that Scottie Scheffler (the world’s leading player in the ranking) and the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (third in the ranking) would battle it out in the final.
But the 26-year-old Burns beat Scheffler in the one semi-final on the third playoff hole after Scheffler missed a four-pointer on the second playoff hole that would have seen him through to the final.
McIlroy, who won the tournament in 2015, bogeyed Young on the last two holes in the other semi-final.
McIlroy was solid in the saddle and led by two with only three holes remaining.
But he collapsed dramatically, enabling Young to clinch the ax battle on the first hole with a birdie.
McIIroy beat Scheffler 2 and 1 in the playoff for third place.
* In the local Sunshine Series, German Nick Bachem won the Jonsson Workwear tournament by four shots decided at Steyn City between Lanseria and Fourways.
Bachem completed the fourth and final round in 64 strokes and finished at 264 strokes (-24).
His tournament score was four strokes better than that of the two South Africans Zander Lombard and Hennie du Plessis (both 268, -20), with another South African, Ockie Strydom, and Scot Ewen Ferguson joint fourth on 269 (-19). .
Kristian Krogh Johannessen of Norway, Gavin Green of Malaysia and Joakim Lagergren of Sweden were tied for sixth on 270 strokes (-18).
It was the 23-year-old Bachem’s first victory in the European series (DP World Tour) after he was knocked out in only his tenth tournament in the series.
He was ranked 464th in the world before the tournament.
* In the US Women’s Drive On Championship (US LPGA Series) played in Arizona, French player Celine Boutier and England’s Georgia Hall tied for first on 268 strokes (-20).
Boutier clinched the playoff on the first hole.
Ayaka Furue of Japan was third at 269 (-19) with Na-Rin An of Korea fourth at 270 (-18).
South Africa’s Paula Reto finished on 283 (-5).
