The Cape Town King Benjamin Follett-Smith returned to talk about missing out on a DP World Tour card and his 2 wins at the oldest golf course in Cape Town.
Niklas Regner climbed the amazing Table Mountain & we went to a play-off as Mikael Lindberg held his nerve to win the 2024 Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open.
This is one of sports great Proving Grounds gateway to Glory brilliant 30 tournaments spanning 19 countries along the way a chance to expand Horizons and Sample life W what you doing finish the season in the top 20 on the road to mayorca rankings and secure a golden ticket to the Deep World Tour
This is the challenge tour he’s a two-time winner in Cape Town he’s a winner on the challenge tour it’s Benjamin fet Smith the king of K Town who is Benjamin fet Smith good question I’m still trying to find out well if you haven’t guessed it we’re
Back in Cape Town for the second event this season on the challenge tour the Baines whiskey Cape Town open and it’s last year’s winner Benjamin fet Smith who’s under the lights this week hey how’s it how it how you doing nice to see you good a blessing to play the sport de
Bloody game though sometimes it doesn’t go your way like so many players before him Benjamin spent the whole of the last campaign inside the top 20 only to miss promotion by just two spots on the final day oh well that’s a real Hammer blow isn’t it for fet Smith kind of
Demoralizing thinking that I was in the whole year and being in the whole year shows how much the last event matters some will say it’s quite brutal how the last event is because I guess it’s supposed to be drawn up so it gives the guy who’s 45th the chance to get his
Card even just at the final I maybe it’s the pressure who knows it’s been a bit of an uncertain start for fet Smith out there today I think it will always be something that could have done a little bit different but coming down to it being just a three put for example in
France where I was third going into the final hole three puted the last to go into a tire for fourth with six guys that’s that was that that’s where the card went all of a sudden Two Shots back the Zimbabwe and so mentally recovering I’d say I’ve
Accepted it but I don’t think you can really recover from it it’s very irritating situation missing out so like such a small margin came into the week 18th on the wrot to newor rankings currently projected at 22nd a well-known golfer used to say that he’s never three puted in his life
And then they were said but you three puted last week he said no that wasn’t me meanwhile it was guaranteed it was him but he just chose to not remember that he’s ever three putut in his life we probably won’t have on the tea box sorry I’m in 7
Minutes this as long as you got it I want you to feel prepared what are you guys handicaps I need to put these in here golf golf golf golf yeah 26 it’s pretty clear then that a selective memory can be fairly useful in this game though fed Smith won’t forget in a hurry
His two triumphs at Royal C even if the reigning Champion almost forgot his Pro and te time obviously when you see you come to the week it revives all of them you don’t really think of them throughout the year then obviously your family and people around you will remind
You of that kind of moment our champion Benjamin fet [Applause] Smith some guy was on the golf course saying that he had put, on an old bully like an old guy and then yeah I don’t know who was more excited after the after the win him or
Me fet Smith’s dominance at the oldest course in the country is largely due due to a skill set few professionals possess I’m good at manipulating the golf ball I can move it a lot of different shots and shapes and I think it’s a nice challenge to add so I
Embrace it when the wind blows and I really enjoy it I’ve just kind of always had kind of an upper hand in the wind and I think I use that to my advantage and it’s usually windy here okay buddy on the money little fed I’m a very field player I’m not very
Technical at all so I don’t focus on hitting a perfect 10 yard fade every single Shot bit Healy well technical or not he certainly handles those windy conditions well but with all the pressure on the course it’s important to take time away and with one of the best Cricket grounds in the world just around the corner Avid followers of the game Ben and his friend Stuart
Didn’t need asking twice I’ve known Ben for a while we grew up playing junior golf uh together and against against each other and he went to college in the states so did I um so we both did a similar RS and he did Sunshine Tour on to challenge so I’m
Trying to follow him in the same footsteps oh there we go oh fun to be around always wants to do stuff um very exciting um just good guy really good friend perfect now I’ve always enjoyed Cricket I’ve played as a ly growing up and um pretty good at it I thought and
Then obviously golf took up a lot more time and it became more of a focus for me so kind of give up Cricket but it’s nice being out here and uh watching the boys play here and getting a feel for it again it’s nice we always hop on the fact we’re so
Tired and we need to focus and we need to but kind of things like this can be a completely like a game changer you know opens it up you don’t think about golf you kind of get your mind off things and it’s could be a great thing and
Hopefully it’s a good thing this we six runs cheers stop drinking is on now now you’re breakfast yeah boy no I want a mouth full of food while the boys on camera stopped eating and on the te from Zimbabwe the defending Champion Benjamin fet Smith in fact it would prove a slow
Start for Ben a bogy on the fourth but a bounce back birdie at five meaning he finished the front nine level par so steady enough but his back n saw rather more Excitement Ben would go on to bag four birdies coming home in a first round 69 yeah it left him tied 24th it’s very easy to put pressure on yourself when you are defending or um I think just kind of the experience part I was pleased with I just maintained what
I needed to do and kind of got the job done yeah obviously would have liked to have done better um but 69 is always good thanks Angel sounds like he’s saying thanks his check so as a new day beckons Benjamin knew another solid round would be vital
As he bid to get into contention before Saturday time to turn up the heat under the afternoon Sun and what was originally a battle for the top spot quickly became a fight for survival the cut line lurking good Lucky double bogey at 14 dropped fet Smith into a tie for 7 first right on the cut line but his strong mental attitude then kicked in bounce back birdies paved the way for a round of 71 and tied 38 it’s just this game is just it’s a nightmare it’s nothing nothing’s easy
About it I mean that double and 14 is Like a Knife into a chest I’m quite happy where I am to be honest I think I mean the first time I won this event I was seven behind with nine holes to play and one by two
So he’s definitely not out of it so he can feed off that I guess and uh yeah you got two more days to give him a all two more days indeed Benjamin safely into the weekend and later we’ll see how he finished on [Applause] Sunday now rising over 1,000 m above
Cape Town Table Mountain is probably South Africa’s most iconic Landmark the uniquely shaped Flat Top Mountain is a treasure Trove of Flora and fora and something that Outdoorsman Nicholas Regner couldn’t wait to see for himself in nature it gives you so much energy it’s so much better than being
Inside you feel like yeah the energy of the mountains of the air of the Trees of everything the weather’s not looking great up there but we’re going to give it a go now let’s check it out I’m really enjoying the life to get to know new people to get to know uh new
Hotels new areas unfortunately there’s not much time to do stuff like this but when it comes to getting time for it you have to do it because like spots like this is just amazing it gives you energy that’s why I choose to do Sports because you come around to world you see
New area so yeah I’m really enjoying my [Laughter] life what there you go the claa I’ve trained skiing um when I used to do the skiing stuff it is like with the cable Kai is quite similar to this one I was a couple times Austrian Junior
Champion at Alpine King and then I quit 2017 to do um golf professionally yeah it was a decent result last last week still a little rusty off the tea but when I manag to get the driver bit better then I think I’m I’m up on the leaderboard quite
Soon last year I didn’t play very good at the beginning so I tried to manage to to get the results in to climb up on the on the rankings and I played 11 weeks in a row last year so it was quite a hard year but still it’s quite important to
To start off good top 20 obviously is the main goal for this year and and this week is a top 10 would be perfect because then I can go to charge next week if not things are going the way I’m pretty happy to be here and I’m enjoying in uh Cape
Town the mood is so nice here and I can’t imagine how the how the view is going to be when the weather is Better stay with us on the challenge tour as we bring you all the action from moving day at the Baines whiskey Cape Town open and we’ll find out who Reigns Supreme on the second leg of our South African swing we’ll see you after the break welcome back to Cape Town and the
Second stop of the challenge tour season after two rounds there were 10 players all tied at the top with a score of nine under par moving day has rarely been so important so over to Josh Antman to guide us through some of Saturday’s key moments Sweden’s Mikel Lindberg was
Going along beautifully in round three found the greenside bunker at the par five 16th and two splashed out to 6 fet failed to make the cut last week in Lim poo found something in Cape Town Ireland’s Conor pel playing a couple of the Australian events on the DP world
Tour at the end of 2023 made both Cuts there and this was for birdie from long range at two nicely done he finished today at eight underp a tie for 16th but well within Striking Distance with 18 to play Lindberg to tidy up for birdie at
The par five double digits 10 under par for Lindberg and it was a share of the lead for the man from Stockholm he go on to birdie 17 as well just came up short at 18 but a fabulous little chip from Lindberg going to be a par there a 65 on
Saturday for Lindberg and he was the early Clubhouse leader in round three par 516th was giving birdie opportunities for the players and big hitting Shaw Norris took advantage three 30 days in a row to finish his third round he’s finished at nine under par with 18 to
Play Thomas Ain been around a while professional now for 22 years just failed to make his DP World Tour card at the end of last season his t-shot found the tree at the fifth so had to lay up on the par five a firm first bounce for
That third shot but settled down nicely for the South African 11 professional wins now for Ain in his [Applause] career Dutchman L van M found some trouble at the par five 16th just in the trees there with his second but what a recovery this was almost Holding Out for Eagle had to
Settle for birdie and eight underpar he would be three back with 18 to play Aken after that good approach with his third this was to tidy up no problem at all Two Eagles he had in his round on Saturday 10 under par one back with one round to play for
Akin Rasmus nard peton this was his second to the par 4 12 three top 10 last year camee close the Daye thumbs up from his partners that was brilliant there from Peton winner last year in cadis Sam hsby looking for a win early on in 2024 this was for birdie at 11 got him to nine underp he’d pick up another on the way home 10 under par with 18 to play for the man from portsman noar petson for birdie at
12 which he converted got him to 11 underpar but three Bogies on the way home dropped him all the way back to eight underpar and work to do well with wind causing chaos in the afternoon nobody could better Mel Lindberg and he led by one with 18 holes
And who knows perhaps even more still left to play a potentially thrilling final round to come then and who would get the job done over to Josh again to find out it’ll be a dramatic final day in Cape Town and Louie Alberts was a top 20
Last week at the SDC for the South African and this was his Approach at the opening hle look at that for some spin judge superbly there from Alberta on the opening Par Four sha Norris this was at the second for birdie has had that long pter a while now the South African working
Wonders there third 68 of the week for Norris and he’d finish in a tie for sixth good week for sha Martin couver the dramatic winner of the challeng at espia last season that was for birdie at the opening hole getting his name into the mix and he joined Lindberg at 11 underpar early
On Albert was playing alongside CRA and he matched the Frenchman’s birdie at the first hole so it was a three-way tie at the top Albert CRA and Michel Lindberg was a good angle for Sam husby’s Approach at the second hole the par four and took full advantage hsby he’d hold that
And he’d also get to 11 underpar in the penultimate group was Robin COC gist 12 birdies and two Eagles in his first three rounds and he start the final round with a birdie as well and it would be seven players tied at the top early on on
Sunday South African Ryan Van vson one a couple of weeks ago on the sunshine tour was bringing that form to Cape Town that was for Eagle at the par five Fifth and he would be the outright leader at 14 under par fellow South African Lou Alberts was
Just off the green at the par 57th went with a Putter and it was the right decision for Alberta an eagle there get him to 13 under par but the drama was just hotting up R smiled there and why not this was at 12 for Co he birdied
347 dropped one at nine that got him to 14 and Par unfortunately wouldn’t improve on that score and it’d be a tie for fourth for the Frenchman Lindberg the swed had birdies at 67 and N for a strong end to his front nine started his back nine well that was birdie at 11
Yeah just creeping in the side edge van the 22-year-old from South Africa for birdie at the par 3 15th it was tracking a huge P from Van Belson that got him to 16 under par in the clubhouse but he’d have to wait for the others to come on
Home Alberts with his third at the par five 16th he was 14 on the par at this point quite a way back for his third but it was a fantastic approach from the South African almost an eagle he tap in for birdie 15 under Pi be in the clubhouse
Just one shy of Van velson pressure for birdie at 16 this was for birdie for Lindberg at 17 he was tied with Van Velton at 16 underpar at this point what a p from the swed a one shot lead with one to play for Lindberg looking for his second challenge tour TI
Crowds were looking on and Lindberg had this for part for the title in Cape [Applause] Town agonizingly went by and it’d be a playoff between Mikel Lindberg and Ryan Van velson for the title in Cape Town yes a playoff it was and just a recap after 72 holes our Cape Town King Benjamin fet Smith finished in a tie for 24 two Frenchmen were inside the top 10
Surrounded by a sprinkling of South Africans with Lindberg and Van velson sharing top spot and extra holes required so who would take home the silverware Josh was following every twist Lindberg and Van Velton parred the first place playoff hole so they went back down 18 van Velton missed his
Birdie put so this was for the title for Lindberg what away to win your second title on the challenge tour Mel Lindberg the 31-year-old is the Baines whiskey Cape Town open champion last year was pretty much of a struggle the whole year so it’s such a
Relief and it feels so good to to play good at this early stage of the season so it’s a very big win for Me so two events in those early road to mayorca ranking show Mikel limberg’s Victory sent him into second spot behind our first week winner Rees Enoch with albera Co GRE and Kaminsky On The Rise too M van M and KRA were upwardly mobile just outside the top 10 with Thomas Akin
In that all important 20th spot So another tournament in the books another worthy winner next the tour heads to one of the best Golf Resorts in the world fancourt for the dimension date of pran who’ll add their name to the iconic Fish Eagle trophy as the challenge tour season gets into its stride we’ll see you next Time
