{"id":20284,"date":"2013-06-08T21:47:02","date_gmt":"2013-06-08T19:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/blaauw-blows-them-away-to-win-vodacom-origins\/"},"modified":"2013-06-08T21:47:02","modified_gmt":"2013-06-08T19:47:02","slug":"blaauw-blows-them-away-to-win-vodacom-origins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/blaauw-blows-them-away-to-win-vodacom-origins\/","title":{"rendered":"Blaauw blows them away to win Vodacom Origins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t \"Jacques<\/a><\/p>\n

Jacques Blaauw claimed his maiden professional victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Simola. Credit: Luke Walker.<\/p>\n

It needed a moment of brilliance from Jacques Blaauw, and the ginger-haired professional delivered it on his way to a maiden victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf<\/a> at Simola on Friday.<\/p>\n

With at least eight players vying for the title over the closing holes, Blaauw turned a dismal front nine into a scintillating back nine. And it reached its peak on the par-four 16th, when he holed his wedge from 143 yards for eagle to take the lead and ultimately the title.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m lost for words. It hasn\u2019t sunk in yet. It\u2019ll probably do so on the flight home and I\u2019ll smile to myself and be really chuffed,\u201d Blaauw said after his closing 69 for a winning total of 12 under par. He finished one stroke clear of PH McIntyre, Danie van Tonder and Neil Schietekat.<\/p>\n

Blaauw went into the final round as the leader, but had to fight his nerves on the front nine.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleeping on the lead was something new for me. My roommate Vaughn Groenewald kept me out of sleep with his snoring. I\u2019ll admit I was very nervous over the first three holes. Then on the fourth I missed about a one-and-a-half foot putt for par.\u201d He followed that bogey with another on five and reached the 10th tee at two over for the day and seeing his title hopes fading.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on the back foot and needed to play hard from there. I just went at it.\u201d He did so with a closing 31 for one of the most exciting finishes in the 10-year history of the biggest series on the Sunshine Tour<\/a>. \u201cI had that lucky shot on 16, but you\u2019re always aiming for the hole in any case.\u201d<\/p>\n

The win capped an incredible run of form for Blaauw, who came into this week with three top-10s in his previous three tournaments.<\/p>\n

And it was justification for his new pre-round routine. \u201cMy new routine is to arrive an hour before tee off, have a few putts and then warm up on the tee box. I don\u2019t go hit balls anymore. It\u2019s working for now so we\u2019ll see where it goes. I just want to build on this on the Vodacom Origins of Golf series and win as many of these as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The series also made history with this being the first time that the amateurs who compete in the pro-am teed it up alongside the professionals in the final round for the honour of finishing amongst the top six who qualify for the national final later this year.<\/p>\n

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