NKONYENI – South Africa’s Peter Karmis is the champion of the 2023 FNB Eswatini Golf Challenge.
Kermis had not won on the Sunshine Tour since August 2018, but the 42-year-old showed he still has the bottle for it as he clinched a thrilling one-stroke victory at the Nkonyeni Lodge and Golf Estate. Karmis fired a two-under-par 70 on the last day’s final round to finish on 10-under-par overall, edging out Stuart Krog (69) on nine-under for his seventh Sunshine Tour title.
Matthew Spacey, who enjoyed a four-stroke lead going into the last day, stumbled to a 76 on the last day and ended up sharing third place on eight-under-par with Louis Albertse (67), last week’s winner CJ du Plessis (68) and Ruan Korb (69).
Although Karmis started brilliantly with a birdie on the par-four first hole, and gained two more shots on the seventh and eighth holes to reach the turn on three-under, he endured a rollercoaster back nine that saw him sandwich a birdie on the par-five 13th hole with bogeys on the 11th and 15th holes.
Karmis showed his mettle, however, by finishing with three straight pars, while Krog suffered a costly double-bogey on the par-four 16th hole.
“You need a bit of luck and things went my way, especially at the death,” Karmis told Sunshine Tour. I was trying not to get too excited and on the last couple of holes I was very nervous. Some guys shy away from nerves, they try and fix it, but that can become very difficult. I prefer to embrace it and enjoy the nerves. I know it’s been five years since I won, but we were in lockdown for a long time and I had a struggle with injury. So it feels like I had three years off,” Karmis said.
Whatever the final round held in store for Karmis, he knew the Nkonyeni Golf Estate course was one he enjoyed. The FNB Eswatini Challenge victory is his fourth in Eswatini, having won the Lombard Insurance Classic twice (2007 and 2009) and the Investec Royal Swazi Open in 2017.
“I don’t know what it is about Eswatini, but I always just seem to have a very good attitude here. This is a very good course that suits my game. I love the grainy greens, although I did have a little issue with my putter today. But from tee-to-green I was good. I was a bit nervous about my driver, but I hit it a lot today. I’ve played well recently and feel in good form,” he said.
The FNB Eswatini Challenge had an impressive increase in prize money for its 2023 edition. The tournament, only in its second year, featured minimum purses of R2 million. This significant increase enabled the 2023 winner to receive double the amount won by Jaco Prinsloo, the victor of the inaugural title in 2022.
The boost in the prize fund is a collective effort of the Sunshine Tour and its loyal sponsors and partners. Their aim is to build on the growth of the past few seasons. The FNB Eswatini Challenge, in particular, enjoys the support of FNB Eswatini. Dennis Mbingo, the CEO of FNB Eswatini, expressed the company’s commitment to raising the standard of professional golf locally. Mbingo also highlighted the participation of 15 local players in the 120-player field, providing them with a fair shot at the sizeable prize fund.
Thomas Abt, the Sunshine Tour Commissioner, further explained the impact of the increase in prize money. The boost elevates many of the tournaments to Level 2-tier points status on The Order of Merit. This elevation provides increased opportunities for professionals while strengthening the respective fields.
The 2023 FNB Eswatini Challenge attracted professionals from various parts of the world, including South Africa, the USA, Great Britain, Portugal, Greece, and Korea, as well as Zimbabwe and Zambia. Representing Eswatini were 15 golfers, including 13 professionals and two amateurs who qualified through a pre-qualifier event.
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