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CENTURION. — Kieran Vincent said, “it hasn’t quite sunk in yet” as he celebrated winning his first Sunshine Tour title here on Sunday.
The solid plan and clinical execution of Kieran Vincent made sure that any dreams of a challenge to him would be still-born as the Zimbabwean cruised to a four-shot victory at Irene Country Club.
“It hasn’t quite sunk I yet but I’m here on an invite so I’m super-grateful to KitKat Cash & Carry for this opportunity,” Vincent said.
“I’m very excited because we did a lot of good things today and a lot of hard work has gone into making this first professional win with my caddie Alec a reality.
“To have my mother and sister in the crowd was also so special.
“Any time you win, it’s a huge boost, wherever it is. I have a long season ahead and there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Vincent went into the final round tied for the lead on 15 under par with James Mack, and there were 11 other golfers within five shots.
But the 26-year-old gave them no chance as he fired a brilliant, bogey-free six-under-par 66 on Sunday to finish on 21-under and clinch a comfortable victory.
Vincent picked up his first birdie at the par-four 6th hole and the turn was fertile territory for him as he then reeled off a hat-trick of birdies from the 9th to 11th holes.
Vincent sank a superb 40ft putt for birdie on the par-five 10th, and then hit an equally excellent approach to a foot on the par-four 11th to pick up another shot.
The likes of Malcolm Mitchell and Jacques Blaauw did appear briefly in his rear-view mirror, but Vincent settled the deal with birdies on the last two holes.
Vincent is hoping part of that long season will be the Olympic Games tournament in Paris, and his golf in the first two events of the new Sunshine Tour season —he finished tied-fourth in the FBC Zim Open — certainly fits the bill in terms of climbing the world rankings. — Sunshine Tour.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter