Kristoffer Reitan not only held on to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City by one stroke on Sunday, he also gave himself an education in how to win a top tournament under immense pressure.
The Norwegian finished with a level-par 72 to claim his second DP World Tour title, with a 17-under-par total of 271, edging SA’s Jayden Schaper and Englishman Dan Bradbury to the $1m (about R17m) winner’s cheque.
Reitan went into the final round leading by five strokes after a double-bogey on the last hole in the third round.
And the 27-year-old soon found himself embroiled in an intense struggle, experiencing a whole new level of pressure as he heads into just his second season on the main tour.
His previous win came at the Saudal Open in May when he shot 62 in the final round to overcome a nine-shot deficit and force a playoff which he won.
On Sunday, Reitan was the one being hunted as Bradbury fired a superb 66 and Schaper produced a great effort with a 68.
Both were bogey-free and Reitan’s lead had been cut to two before he sank a brilliant 30-foot birdie putt on the eighth, through the dip in the green, next to the fringe.
But a bogey on the par-four 15th, when he left his approach on the bank above the green in the thick fringe and then his chip got caught in the fringe again, left Reitan just one stroke ahead going into the final three holes.
However, he showed excellent composure and mental toughness to come home in pars, while neither Schaper nor Bradbury could get a birdie, though the 24-year-old South African narrowly missed making a three on the par-four 17th.
“I was nervous, it was a bit brutal, the whole round,” Reitan said.
“I felt like I dealt with it decently in the end and made some good shots down the stretch. I’m very pleased by the way I hung in there.
“Leading by 5 at the start of the day is a great position, but it was still nervy because it’s the first time I’ve had to deal with it.
“It was a wild ride from beginning to end, the pressure was excruciating at times. It becomes almost 100% mental and my swing wasn’t really co-operating.
“But I was happy I stepped it up a bit on the last three holes and it was really good to see the ball start going towards the target.
“It was completely different to my previous win and your mindset changes, you start to defend your lead instead of coming out all guns blazing.
“It’s the first time I’ve experienced it and I’m very glad I came out on top.
“I thought level-par was a reasonable score, so Dan and Jayden played some unbelievable golf and really made me sweat.”
Schaper, who is coming off his best season on the DP World Tour, produced a wonderful effort in trying to become the first South African winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge since Branden Grace in 2017.
He had reason to be very proud of his effort and hid his disappointment well when speaking to the media after the tournament, before quickly going to sign autographs for the many children attending the event.
“I stuck to my game plan, I couldn’t control what Kristoffer was doing, so I did what I can do,” Schaper said.
“It’s the first time I’ve played in this tournament and it was such a great week.
“We need more golf tournaments like this. The crowd was fantastic, even if they’re a bit rowdy at times.
“But I know how good my game is and when it’s my day then I will be up there competing.
“I’ve come close to winning a few times, I love being up there, I love the nerves and the pressure.
“It’s what we practice for and I enjoy experiencing the moment.”
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