HPC TuksGolf Academy player Teagan Moore celebrated a maiden IGT Challenge Tour win in unusual circumstances at the sixth event in the Race to Q-School Series at Wingate Park Country Club on Wednesday.

“I’ll never forget this one,” said Moore with a smile as he lifted the trophy. “This is definitely the first time ever that I win a tournament without hitting a shot!”

The overnight leader was crowned the champion when organisers were forced to abandon the final round and reduce the event to 36 holes due to a lightning storm.

“Shortly after we arrived at the club this morning, a huge storm hit us,” said the 24-year-old Moore from Lynwood. “It settled in over the course and the weather services showed that it wasn’t going to budge. After a couple of hours, the organisers decided to reduce the event to 36 holes.”

Moore set the first round target with a blistering seven-under-par 67 and protected his overnight lead with a three-under 69 in the second round.

Sat on 10-under-par 134, the HPC TuksGolf Academy player had a one on one-shot lead over Estiaan Conradie, eager to hunt down a sixth individual title on the country’s premier golf development circuit at his home course.

“It was a pretty weird feeling when they came to tell me that I’ve won the tournament,” said Moore.
“You enter a 54-hole event and mentally that’s what you gear up for. You arrive at the course ready for that final round push and it kind of takes the wind out of your sails when they cancel it. It was disappointing, but it’s also exciting to get the first win in the bag. I played some great golf to get to 10 under and to hold the lead for two rounds and that was the pay-off.

“But it definitely has been two very trying days. The wind pumped in both rounds and they had to suspend play in the first round for lightning. Later they called it and the players had to return on Tuesday morning to finish their first round, while we already started the second round.

“I won’t blame Estiaan if he is a little upset with Mother Nature, but that’s the way the chips fell. This reminded me again that you have to play your best golf with every shot you hit and that you can’t leave anything out there.

“I’m really pleased. I played good, steady golf over 36 holes to lead over both rounds and it’s nice to get the first win under the belt. But hopefully the next one will go the distance.”
Moore banked a first place cheque worth R8 000, but a R4 000 pay-day helped to cement Conradie’s top spot in the Race to Q-School Order of Merit. He leads brother Ruan – also a five-time winner on the IGT Challenge Tour – by just over R5 000.

Andrew van der Knaap and Ruan Korb tied for third on eight-under-par 136, while the older Conradie sibling had to settle for a share of fifth with Free State amateur Juran Dreyer on 137.