Mandela Invitational raises millions
27 November 2006
Team Lincoln captured the seventh Nelson Mandela Invitational title with a superb eagle on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at Arabella Golf Club, near Kleinmond on the south-western Cape coast on Sunday.
Bobby Lincoln sunk a two-foot putt after hitting a stunning seven-iron approach from 171-metres to the par-five eighteenth in the tournament's first ever playoff.
It was a rousing end to a successful tournament that raised in excess of R4.4 million for charity thanks to the generous contributions of businessmen and celebrities over the week.
Birdie to set up playoff
Lincoln and playing partner Retief Goosen, who made a birdie on the last hole in regulation, ended on 16-under par after 36-holes to set up the playoff
against Alan Michell and John Bland.
Going down the eighteenth the first time, the teams both birdied the hole. Michell sunk a 20-foot birdie putt, leaving Lincoln to knock in a 10-footer to take the play-off back to the eighteenth tee and set the stage for Lincoln's heroics.
"We thought my tee-shot had gone down into the sand but luckily it had stayed up and the ball was lying nicely," Lincoln said.
"The first time I went round I hit a nine approach at 18, then I hit a seven-iron on the 36th hole and caught it high in the clubface, so I was a little tentative.
'Trust the wind'
"I went over to see how Retief was lying and felt he was going to make four, so I thought "trust the wind", and took a seven-iron and came up close.
"But that putt was a little tricky I tell you. Retief said to me it's inside the hole and I thought I'd hit it firm and straight. It only just sneaked into the hole."
Earlier, Michell ensured
that he and Bland made the play-off when he chipped in for eagle on the eighteenth during regulation to move to 16-under.
Team Lincoln shot a six-under 66 while Team Bland came in with a 65 on the day. They were two shots clear of Team Lyle (Sandy Lyle and Omar Sandys), Team McNulty (Mark McNulty and Charl Schwartzel), and Hugh Baiocchi and James Kamte.
Fell behind
The eventual winners started steadily and move to 13-under by the turn. They briefly fell a stroke behind after Michell made three birdies in between the tenth and thirteenth.
However, Goosen made an eagle on the thirteenth to take the team to 15-under. They looked to have victory sown up, but Michell's eagle on the last gave him a chance to win a second tournament in a week, after he won the Coca-Cola Charity Championship at the same venue earlier in the week.
"It was a good week and yesterday I played well, but today I played rubbish," Goosen said. "I messed up a
little on the sixteenth where I putted from way short of the green and misread the second putt. I did make a good putt for par on 17 though to give us a chance.
'Nice to finish it off'
"I really hit a poor eagle putt on the thirty-sixth hole, but in the end we made the playoff and they came close to chipping it in again. It was nice to finish it off after leading overnight.
"Even though it's a charity event, it's nice to be competitive and it was good to be under pressure and see how your swing performs under pressure."
David Lyons, division president of Coca-Cola South Africa, led his team to victory in the fourball alliance competition, largely due to Ashleigh Simon's contributions as the celebrity in the fourball. The group included the professional duo of Omar Sandys and former Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle, and ended on 31-under par.
The 17-year-old Simon produced rounds of 67 and 66 to ensure that Team Lyons held
off the challenge of Team Nathan (including Selwyn Nathan, Lucas Radebe, John Mashego and Adilson da Silva) by five shots.
Source: Sunshine Tour
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