Casey Jarvis claimed his second victory in three weeks on the Sunshine Tour when he won the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final in arguably the most thrilling finish on the Sunshine Tour this season at the Pezula Golf Estate on Sunday.
Jarvis signed for a final round of 65 to finish regulation play tied for the lead with Barend Botha, who carded a 64, on 24 under par.
Both golfers had already thrown everything at each other over the closing holes of their final rounds as they each made twos on the par-four 17th and then both birdied the 18th hole.
Then they decided to take it further.
The drama continued in the playoff as they each birdied the par-five 18th twice to remain locked in a battle for the title. But Jarvis eventually made the breakthrough when he eagled the third playoff hole against Botha’s birdie.
The victory comes shortly after Jarvis’ win in The Hyundai Open in early November. He moves into eighth place on the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit.
It’s also the second victory in a short space of time with his new caddie Conrad Loubser, the brother of Sunshine Tour professional Herman Loubser.
And it makes him a serious threat as he takes this form to this week’s Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship where he finished runner up in 2022.
The playoff alone summed up a week in which the Sunshine Tour’s prodigious talent was on full display.
There were two holes-in-one this week, as well as two rounds of 62 from Bryce Easton and Jarvis himself, who built his around a second nine of 29. And the halfway cut of six under par was the lowest on the Sunshine Tour this season.
Christiaan Burke, who led from day one, shared third place with Albert Venter on 23 under par as both of them closed with final rounds of 67.
SCORES
264 - Casey Jarvis 68 62 69 65 WN, Barend Botha 70 64 66 64 KO
265 - Christiaan Burke 63 66 69 67, Albert Venter 69 65 64 67
267 - Bryce Easton 70 62 70 65, Graham van der Merwe 70 66 65 66
268 - Deon Germishuys 66 67 71 64, Keenan Davidse 64 72 68 64, Rhys West 68 65 69 66, Peter Karmis 67 65 69 67
269 - Ivan Verster 67 68 68 66
270 - Jordan Burnand 70 68 67 65, Jacques P de Villiers 65 66 69 70
271 - Neil Schietekat 69 69 68 65, Wilco Nienaber 69 64 72 66, Nikhil Rama 71 64 70 66
272 - Luke Jerling 69 67 72 64, Martin Vorster 67 67 70 68, Lyle Rowe 67 69 68 68, Ruan Conradie 67 69 67 69, Thomas Spreadborough 68 64 69 71, Liam Grehan 67 65 69 71
273 - Rowan Lester 67 66 76 64, Danie Van Niekerk 71 65 71 66, Tyran Snyders 65 65 74 69, Pieter Moolman 71 67 64 71
274 - James Mack 68 70 70 66, Luke Brown 66 69 70 69, Stephen Ferreira 69 68 68 69, CJ du Plessis 64 67 71 72
275 - Kyle De Beer 68 68 75 64, JJ Senekal 68 69 71 67, Christiaan Basson 71 67 69 68, Jaco Prinsloo 65 71 70 69
276 - Stuart Krog 71 65 72 68, Stals Swart 70 68 69 69, Jean Hugo 66 65 72 73, Wynand Dingle 66 68 68 74
278 - Benjamin Van Wyk 72 66 73 67, Herman Loubser 67 68 74 69, Vuyisani Makama 72 65 71 70, Estiaan Conradie 66 71 71 70, MJ Viljoen 70 68 69 71, Tomas Gana 72 66 67 73
279 - Joe Long 68 70 73 68, Haydn Porteous 71 67 73 68, Otto Van Buynder 70 65 73 71, Heinrich Bruiners 67 71 70 71
280 - Alexander Knappe 64 73 73 70, Dylan Mostert 66 72 72 70, Ruan Korb 68 69 72 71, Jason Roets 67 67 74 72
282 - Robson Chinhoi 72 66 73 71, Altin van der Merwe 70 66 74 72
283 - Jean-Paul Strydom 69 69 73 72
286 - Ronald Rugumayo 67 70 77 72, Gerhard Pepler 66 70 77 73
287 - Keegan Mclachlan 69 69 71 78
288 - Rupert Kaminski 71 67 73 77
Missed the cut:-
139 - Pierre Pellegrin 69 70, Hennie O'Kennedy 68 71, Hunter Epson 71 68, Ricky Hendler 70 69, Kyle McClatchie 69 70, Jacques Van der Merwe 70 69
140 - Carter Rowe 73 67, Tyron Davidowitz 71 69, Joe Knox 74 66, Steve Surry 70 70, Samuel Simpson 68 72, Warwick Purchase 72 68, Simon du Plooy 68 72, Keanu Pestana 71 69, Hennie Otto 71 69, Kyle Barker 72 68, Pierre Viallaneix 71 69, Tyrone Ryan 74 66
141 - Zachary Chegwidden 71 70, Tristen Strydom 73 68, Luis Carrera 71 70, Gabrielle Venter 73 68, Brandon Meads 71 70, Nyasha Muyambo 73 68, Kayle Wykes 73 68, Rourke van der Spuy 71 70, Keagan Thomas 72 69, Conner Mackenzie 71 70
142 - Xander Basson 68 74, Matthew Spacey 68 74, Cara Gorlei 72 70, Hayden Griffiths 69 73, David Amm 73 69, Ryan van der Klis 69 73, Marcus Sandile Taylor 71 71
143 - Adam Breen 73 70, Toto Thimba Jnr 73 70, Quintin Wilsnach 74 69, Paul Boshoff 76 67, Jake Redman 73 70, Jacques Blaauw 73 70, Louis Albertse 70 73
144 - Gregory Mckay 73 71, Karabo Mokoena 73 71, Malcolm Mitchell 75 69
145 - Bronwyn Doeg 78 67, Lora Assad 75 70, Slade Pickering 72 73
146 - Zander Lombard 70 76, Mikkel Antonsen 71 75, Franklin Manchest 73 73, Travis Procter 77 69, James Pennington 77 69, Ruan Groenewald 73 73
147 - Merrick Bremner 71 76, Leon Vorster 77 70, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 70 77
148 - Luca Filippi 78 70
150 - Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa 80 70, Ruan de Smidt 74 76
152 - Joe Nawanga 78 74
153 - Werner Deyzel 73 80, Christian Kriek 74 79
154 - Celestin Nsanzuwera 78 76, Nick Cunningham 77 77
160 - Kim de Klerk 80 80
RTD - Eric Wowor RTD