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Phillips coasts to Players Championship victory

Phillips coasts to Players Championship victory

Date: 2015-02-13

KwaZulu-Natal's Morgan Phillips delivered a splendid final round performance at the Gary Player Country Club to cruise to victory at the prestigious Players Championship at Sun City last Sunday.

Fanus van Niekerk, who played with Phillips over the first two rounds, predicted that the Maritzburg golfer's course management would carry him to a podium finish and the 53-year-old senior did not disappoint.Phillips caught SA number one Mellette Hendrikse and overhauled overnight leader Basil Naidoo with a carefully constructed one-over-par 73 for a three stroke victory on eight-over-par 224.

"I came third in 2013 and I was a joint runner-up last year, so people said I should win this year, but let me tell you, it was a very hard grind to get to the winner's circle," Phillips said.

"Only the top 50 seniors in the country qualify to play the Players Championship, so to compete against the cream of the crop and come out on top is incredibly special for me."

KwaZulu-Natal's Naidoo and Hendrikse from Gauteng North both had moments of brilliance, but Philips navigated the tough championship layout with great accuracy.He negated back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth with a brace of birdies at the 10th and 11th, dropped another shot at the short 12th, but responded with a textbook birdie at the 14th to take pole position after Naidoo signed for a seven at the par-five.

He bogeyed the 15th, but three solid pars on the way home guaranteed his victory.

Naidoo was tied for second with Hendrikse coming down the last, but fluffed a chip out of the thick rough at the back of the green and closed with a bogey for a 79. He finished third on 228, one stroke behind Hendrikse, who signed for a 77.

The South African number one got off to a birdie start, but double bogeyed the second and dropped two more shots at the fourth. He birdied six, but gave the gain back at the eighth.

The 57-year-old Akasia golfer turned in three over and had five straight pars from the 10th, but dropped off the pace after a double bogey at the 15th.

He made an incredible par at the 17th after his tee shot nestled at the top edge of the deep fairway bunker and he had to play his second from a very awkward stance, and saved par at the closing hole for the runner-up spot.