Ockie Strydom of South Africa poses with the trophy after winning the DP World Tour Singapore Classic golf tournament in Singapore Ockie Strydom of South Africa poses with the trophy after winning the DP World Tour Singapore Classic golf tournament in Singapore on February 12, 2023. Picture: Roslan Rahman/AFP
Centurion - South African Ockie Strydom produced a stunning 72nd up-and-down birdie to win the Singapore Classic by one shot on Sunday.
Strydom fired a final round nine-under 63 to triumph on 19-under in the DP World Tour event (DPWT), one ahead of Finland’s Sami Välimäki. Strydom pockets a cheque of 317 075 Euros (R6.05m) for his win.
It was a second DPWT win in six starts for Strydom after he managed nine birdies and no dropped shots on his way to the low round of the week.
Looking back on his touch of magic at the last, Strydom said: "It's a funny one. I said to my caddie that it's either got to go up in the air and if you hit a bit behind it, it's wet.
Simply sensational 💯
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 12, 2023
Under pressure @OckieStrydom produces this at the final hole.#SingaporeClassic pic.twitter.com/RMPOw2OhQ9
"I took a wedge, it came out absolutely phenomenal. I didn't think it was coming out that good. But it did and ended up where it was.”
Strydom's maiden win, at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, was back in December and helped him get over the line.
He said: "It's a mindset that's changing at the moment. When you've been in that situation before and you know you can do it again.”
He added: "I was thinking about not being here this week. Hitting it so badly. My coach flew in and my wife said to me, 'listen, maybe this is your week'. And look what happened, it's my week."
Välimäki had looked on course for the win midway through the final day, with Marcel Schneider, Jeunghun Wang and Alejandro del Rey on 15-under.
Strydom was four shots off the pace overnight with Wang and Del Rey out in front at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
While Wang never really got going, Del Rey threatened to run away with it with three straight birdies kicking off his Sunday before a double bogey at the sixth put the brakes on.
Välimäki was the one bursting through, posting birdies at the first, third, fifth and sixth. He picked up another at the eighth and by the time he nailed a 30-footer for his sixth gain of the day at the tenth, he was three shots clear.
A fist pump followed and Välimäki looked unstoppable at 18-under but in the blink of an eye the lead was back down to one. He was short with his approach to the 12th and slack with his third, walking off with a first bogey since the third hole on Saturday.
Up ahead, Strydom tapped in for his sixth birdie of the day at the par-five 13th to get to 16-under. He had already gained shots at the first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth.
The South African climbed into a share of the lead when he made it back-to-back birdies at the 14th but Välimäki was back in front after taking advantage of the 13th. His eagle attempt all the way across the green left a tap-in for him to go out on his own again.
His birdie putt at the long 14th stayed above ground but Strydom missing his own attempt from around nine feet at the 15th kept Välimäki in pole position.
But Strydom was far from finished. He rolled in a tricky downhill putt for birdie at the par-four 16th to share the lead once more.
It looked like advantage Strydom when Välimäki fired his tee shot at the 16th way right, over the cart path leaving a blind approach, but he recovered brilliantly, only to miss the birdie attempt from a few feet.
Strydom left himself a tricky up and down when he went through the green with his second to the par-five 18th but he held his nerve, jabbed it into the banking and rolled it stone dead.
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That brilliant birdie set the target at 19-under, leaving Välimäki heading up the last needing an eagle to win and birdie to tie.
The Finn was short with his approach and could only manage a par.
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