WP Botha (Paarl GC) – Westlake Open Champion!

The stage was set for an enthralling Westlake Open, and Mother Nature was kind this year, providing the players with exceptional conditions. The Open boasted some of the top players competing for the coveted trophy. The course was in mint condition, with the greens running at lightning speed, challenging players to bring their A-game to navigate the tricky greens.

Round 1 Highlights: Westlake member Shaun le Roux emerged as the early leader, setting a blistering pace with a round of 67, notching birdies on holes 4, 7, 9, 13, 14, and 18. Despite two bogeys on holes 6 and 17, Shaun’s performance set a high standard. Hot on his heels was Jurie Groenewald (Bellville), who continued his good form with an opening round of 68. Other notable scores included Travis Procter (Durbanville) with 69, and both Pearce Nash Lewin (Steenberg) and Zach Miller (Westlake) posting rounds of 70.

Afternoon Surprises: The afternoon saw significant shifts on the leaderboard. Dan Copeman (Westlake) made a remarkable leap, jumping 23 places from 32nd to tied 9th with scores of 76 and 68. Henru Walters improved nine spots from 16th to 7th with rounds of 72 and 70. Tom Christensen also made a notable move, climbing from 31st to 10th with rounds of 75 and 69. Pascal Gunther (Bryanston), fresh from a successful first season at college in the States, demonstrated why he is one of South Africa’s top players, finishing at 5 under par with rounds of 70 and 69, just one shy of the leaders.

Climactic Finish: WP Botha (Paarl) made a silent but powerful ascent up the leaderboard with a stellar round 2, posting a clean scorecard of 67 with birdies on holes 3, 4, 13, 15, and 16. This tied him with Pearce Nash Lewin at 6 under par, leading to a sudden death playoff. Both players made pars on the 10th hole, but it was WP Botha who clinched the victory with a birdie on the 18th, lifting the coveted trophy.

Women’s Division: The Women’s Division was fiercely contested between Odette Booysen (Westlake), Zayaan Hendricks (AB Links), and Ashley Huysamen. Odette, known as “Miss Consistency,” secured a one-shot victory with rounds of 78 and 79. Zayaan finished just behind with rounds of 82 and 76, while Ashley, after a slow start with an 85, rebounded with an impressive 74 in the afternoon.

Men’s Stableford Division: The Men’s Stableford Division saw Wafeeq Alexander (Cape Peninsula) triumph with 66 points, while Kaitlyn Rix (Durbanville) topped the leaderboard with 69 points.

Acknowledgements: A huge thank you to our partners (Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages & The Barnard’s Barnyard) for making the Westlake Open a huge success. Special appreciation goes to the management and staff of Westlake Golf Club for their professionalism and hospitality, the greenkeeping staff for maintaining the course in such immaculate condition, and, of course, the players for their continued support and participation.

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year for another thrilling edition of the Westlake Open.

Report by: Robert Scott