Potgieter a new hope for angry SA fans at the NGC
Local golf fans angry at the lack of a South African winner in the Nedbank Golf Challengefound a new hope to shout for on Saturday as Aldrich Potgieter stormed to the top of the leaderboard ahead of Sunday’s final round at Sun City.
The last South African to win the country’s most-watched tournament was Branden Grace in2017. Potgieter is a young man on a meteoric rise though, and the 20-year-fired a blistering six-under-par 66 on Saturday to claim a three-stroke lead on seven-under-par.
As impressive as his four birdies and an eagle on the famous par-five 14th hole– now shorn of the love-grass however – were, it was even more admirable that Potgieter went around the daunting Gary Player Country Club course bogey-free on another day of furnace-like heat.
It just continues a phenomenal last few months for Potgieter, who was born in Mossel Bayand attended the Louis Oosthuizen Academy before emigrating to Australia and enjoying amateur wins over there.
He returned to South Africa in 2022 and won The Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham andSt Anne’s, gaining him places in the Open Championship, the Masters and the U.S. Open, where he made the cut. Potgieter turned pro in June 2023 and this year he became the youngest ever winner on the Korn Ferry Tour (U.S. PGA Tour second tier) when he wonthe Bahamas Classic. He also shot a 59 at the Astara Golf Championship in Bogota, making him the youngest player to shoot that in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.
Potgieter finished high enough in the Korn Ferry Tour order of meritto get his PGA Tour card for this season.
Little wonder then that Gary Player and Sun International felt hewas worth an invite to the Nedbank Golf Challenge. The sizeable crowd following him and roaring their support further validated the decision.
“I was loving the crowd, it was pretty awesome to have them followingme,” Potgieter said. “I’ve never played in front of a crowd like this before and it would be a dream come true to win tomorrow. A lot of friends and family are on their way to watch me and it was great to get the invite and then be able to play good golf.
“I made a putter switch from the mallet to the blade on the secondday because I was leaving a lot of putts short. But I capitalised on my opportunities today, there was a lot of pressure, but it was good pressure.
“The Nedbank Golf Challenge has always been such a big thing formy Dad, for the last 20 years he’s been talking about it. So I’m excited to put on a show in the final round and it’s going to be great to have all that support. There’s one day left and hopefully then I’ll be standing on 18 holding up the trophy,” Potgietersaid.