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Killarney Country Club, 3 April 2023: We wrap all the final round action from the Nomads Joburg Disabled Open which took place at Killarney Country Club on Monday.
Slabbert makes winning return in Physically-Disabled Medal
He may have been light on competitive rounds in the lead-up to the event but that didn’t prevent leg-amputee Daniel Slabbert from demonstrating his quality with a three-stroke triumph over Kelvin van Baalen in the Physically-Disabled medal.
Level with Van Baalen after a first-round six-over par 76, the four-time SA Disabled Open champion made a solid start to his round, mixing a bogey at the 3rd-hole with a birdie–4 at the 5th. A second red-number three holes later saw Slabbert make the turn in one-under par 34.
Dropped shots at the 11th and 12th holes were the only blemishes on Slabbert’s card coming home as he signed for a one-over par 71.
Van Baalen meanwhile shot a commendable 74 and was in the hunt for much of the day but two missed fairways on the 16th and 18th resulted in bogeys which put paid to his hopes of victory.
But the day and tournament belonged to Slabbert who remarked that he played with more confidence than in the opening round.
“It’s quite a nice feeling to get it done to be honest. I went in with a little bit more confidence today, I was a bit more aggressive off the tee on the first-nine which was quite nice,” Slabbert said.
“I had a lot of birdie opportunities that I didn’t really convert but then again I didn’t hit it that close, many of my chances were kind of 50/50.”
Slabbert admitted to feeling some nerves down the stretch.
“Being two ahead with a few holes to play there were some nerves so I just tried to focus on good course management, hitting it in the right places, trying to eliminate three-putts and get the job done. I’m very happy with the way I played,” he said.
Schultz seals Physically-Disabled Stableford title
Jodi Schultz notched 32 final round points and 69 points for the tournament on his way to a resounding 15-point triumph over Eugene Janse van Vuuren.
Schultz made a flying start to his round with three three-pointers in the opening four holes and a two-pointer at the 2nd. Despite a one-pointer at the par-5 5th, Schultz managed to turn with 21 points to his name after a fourth three-pointer at the 6th followed by three consecutive two-pointers from the 7th.
He cooled off on the inward nine however, carding a solitary three-pointer at the par-4 13th and 11 points on his second-nine.
Eugene Janse van Vuuren – in second-spot after 18 holes failed to gain any significant momentum during his round to truly threaten Schultz’s lead. Three three-pointers were the highlight of a 21-point round in which Janse van Vuuren pipped Deon Van Niekerk for the runner-up spot by two points.
Dos Santos wins Deaf Medal title
Deaf golfer Albano Dos Santos completed a comprehensive victory in the Deaf Medal, shooting rounds of 93 and 95 to beat Mark Maconochie by 17 strokes.
Dos Santos’ round of 95 featured three pars – one on the front-nine and two on the back-nine – but as Maconochie struggled to a round of 104 it mattered little.
Final Thoughts
The Nomads Joburg Disabled Open was a resounding success and once again illustrated the fine talent that lies within South African Disabled Golf, particularly among the Physically-Disabled Medal players.
Photo: South African Disabled Golf Association
