Dawie

van der Walt

The Texan played in this event last year and found himself T4 at the midpoint and T6 after 54 holes. He settled for T20 after a closing 71. The local product told the media room last year that he lives 45 minutes away and he was able to play Memorial Park on opening day, post-renovation, but is not a regular at the course. The Lamar University product will attempt to tap into that same energy this week as he plays his fourth event of the season, as a non-member. The highlight of his season so far is a T22 at the Fortinet Championship. The South African played 46 events last season on the prolonged Korn Ferry Tour schedule and played his way into 11 top 25s with six of those doubling as top 10s. There are plenty of reasons for gamers to at least consider him in weekly fantasy formats this week.

The 37-year-old, in the field on a sponsor invite for a second straight edition, will play out of the third-to-last threesome on Sunday with Hideki Matsuyama and Michael Thompson. His best PGA TOUR finish, and lone top 25 in 30 prior events, is T17 at the 2016 OHL Classic at Mayakoba during his rookie campaign. On six (of 13) fairways and 12 greens in regulation, the Lamar alum lost 0.186 strokes off-the-tee, 0.007 approaching, 0.101 around-the-green, and 0.364 tee-to-green. He went out in bogey-free 4-under, circling holes 2-4 and 9, but came home in birdie-less 3-over, squaring 11, 12 and 16 (3-putt from 25'3"). The Kingwood, Texas, resident posted 1.750 putts per GIR and 1.643 SG: Putting, converting three scoring chances from between 11 and 22 feet, and also saved par two times from between six and seven feet. This is his first TOUR start since a missed cut by two in last year’s Houston Open at the prior venue (74-72).

The local product lives 45 minutes from Memorial Park and found out he was getting a spot here just last week. He had previously played the course on opening day (after the renovation) but is not a regular here. He could have fooled people today as he circled six birdies on a tough course to offset a pair of bogeys. Highlights included a trio of putts converted from the 13-to-16 foot range, one of them from 13'6" to save par on his opening hole and set the tone for the day. The South African currently ranks 21st in strokes gained approach (+2.2) and 4th in strokes gained putting (+4.8). He arrived with six straight cuts made on the Korn Ferry circuit but is keeping his expectations reasonable for the rest of the week, “I don’t expect to win, but I’m glad to make the weekend and maybe if I can finish top-20 or so, I’ll be happy.”

The South African spent most of 2019 on the Korn Ferry Tour where he racked up a 9-for-16 record with six top 25s. The Lamar University product missed the cut in his 2016 Houston Open debut but improved with a T68 last year. Van der Walt spent one season on the PGA TOUR back in 2016 and his overall record on the big stage sits right around 500, owning a 14-for-29 record with one top 25. The lack of top-heavy finishes makes him easy to avoid in most fantasy formats.

After winning the Africa Open two weeks ago, Fichardt was gunning for his second straight title, this time at Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate in Centurion, South Africa. He carded a bogey-free 69 today but it wasn’t low enough to test his fellow South African. The duo shared the 54-hole lead with South African Charl Coetzee and Chile’s Mark Tullo, who shot 72 and 77, respectively, in the finale to finish T5 and T27. van der Walt missed only six greens in regulation all week and suffered only one bogey (a 5 at the 10th hole today). In addition to 20 birdies, he eagled the par-5 fourth hole which, at 685 yards, was the longest in tour history. “You can only imagine what it’s like to win such big one,” he said. “I’m just really happy that I played well and won, because you can play well and not win. You start doubting yourself and at 30 years old you start to wonder if you’re good enough and this shows me that I am.”

After a shift to conclude on Saturday, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to incessant rain midweek, but it still goes in the books as van der Walt’s second career European Tour title. The South African sat three strokes adrift of England’s Daniel Brooks entering the finale. van der Walt then carded a 4-under-par 33-33=66 with an eagle (at the par-5 12th hole) and five birdies against three bogeys. He posted 15-under 195. Brooks closed with a 6-over 40-36=76 to settle for a share of 11th place. Jorge Campillo, who shot a 59 in the second round, tied for second place with Matthew Baldwin at 13-under 197. “Winning The Nelson Mandela at this time, when it’s sad for everyone, everyone is mourning and tomorrow’s the big day,” said van der Walt, “it means a lot and it’s something I can keep close to my heart for ever.” For finishing atop the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit, van der Walt earned exemptions into the WGC-Cadillac Championship and Open Championship.

The South African opened his week by sticking his 123-yard approach shot to 10 inches for a tap-in birdie at the par-4 first. He added three more birdies and two bogeys before firing in his longest putt of the round at the par-4 11th. It came from 17'11", good for his fifth birdie of the round. He would add two more before round’s end. He walked off the course gaining 2.148 (of 5.587 total) strokes with his putter. This was really a balanced attack from the big South African, and he’s in great position to bust out of his current three-event missed cut slump.

The 33-year-old is among 28 first-timers at Quail Hollow and one of 10 rookies. He’s currently leading both contingents at 3-under 213. The South African was one off the 18-hole lead after circling seven against two on day 1 but erased all of his work with 5-over 77 on Fri. He began the third round with bogeys on holes 1 and 3, the latter a 3-putt from 37'1", but rebounded with back-to-back birdies on six and seven, capping the run with an 86'2" hole-out eagle from the greenside bunker at the drivable par-4 eighth. The transplanted Texan squared his last with a failed scramble at the ninth but played his home half in bogey-free 2-under, circling the par-5 15th from 27'9" and adding a 12-footer at the par-3 17th. He also dropped four par putts from between five and 14 feet en route to 3.375 strokes gained: putting at last glance.

The South African has already won on the Web.com Tour this season, and arrives in Cleveland ranked 12th on the money list. Last year he lost out to Steven Alker in what was the longest playoff in Web.com Tour history, taking 11 holes to declare a winner. Out for revenge, van der Walt makes for an interesting follow this week.