As soon as the last group arrived on the 10th tee box at the Stellenbosch Golf Club to begin the final stretch of the 115th Investec SA Open on Sunday, the skies opened briefly yet abruptly.
For the winner, Casey Jarvis—claiming his second title in seven days after winning in Kenya last week—these were clearly showers of luck. For the other two contenders—Frenchman Francis Laporta and South African Hennie du Plessis—this was clearly a spell of misfortune. More like it doesn’t rain but pours.
The rain stopped before they could putt that hole, but the damage was done for the South Africans. It was a bogey for both. With a two-par, Saturday clubhouse leader Laporta got one back, and that emboldened him.
Even without the brief rain, the playing conditions were tough all of Sunday, with strong wind and a cold spell. It was a difficult walk, without a doubt.
Three-shot lead over Laporta
Jarvis had raised his hand first and early in the round, making three birdies in five holes and giving himself a three-shot lead over Laporta and Du Plessis, but the latter cut that lead by two on the eighth.
For all intents and purposes, Laporta threw himself out of contention when he bogeyed the par-three 13th.
This took him back three strokes behind Jarvis after he had reduced the deficit two holes earlier. By now it was between the two, with Du Plessis lurking two strokes behind his countryman.
However, this situation did not persist for long. On the very next hole, the treacherously long par-four 14th, Du Plessis missed the green twice and carded a bogey, joining Laporta back at 11 under, three strokes behind Jarvis with four holes to play.
By now it was Jarvis’s to lose. He did not. He strolled painstakingly through the challenge, always finding the right positions and giving himself the choice to either extend or maintain the lead.
There could have been a chance—ever so slight—that the winner could have come from players from earlier groups.
After finding water and scrambling for par, Frenchman Frederic Lacroix—who finished joint second with Laporta and Du Plessis—will regret not maximising his great tee shot.
Although a saved par looked good, he could have and should have done better here and given himself a fighting chance.
Play interrupted by rain
Except for a brief sharp shower when the last group got to the 16th tee box, until then the rain had disappeared and the skies were smiling again.
And that shower seemed to shake Jarvis and Laporta, who pushed their tee shots to the right under the trees, ending with a par and a bogey, respectively, practically burying the latter’s chances once and for all.
With one hole remaining, rain interrupted play once more. This time with lightning. But when Jarvis finally walked up the fairway toward the crowded and noisy 18th green, the cup already had his name engraved on it.
He had sealed the deal, finishing the 17th hole, 14 under par, two shots ahead of his rival Du Plessis, who unfortunately picked up another bogey to finish 11 under par.
And when the sun set on the majestic Helderberg mountains, the Investec SA Open, co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour, was retained on home soil by a homeboy.
About his victory, which comes with an exemption to play at the US Masters in April, the visibly emotional Jarvis said: “It’s crazy (to be playing at Augusta), but I am looking forward to it.”
