Weekend Winners: Who is Brandon Stone?

Who?

Brandon Stone, 22, from South Africa, had tears in his eyes as he claimed his second victory on the Sunshine Tour, a fortnight after winning the Lion of Africa Cape Town Open.

Where?

The BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni at Glendower is the second-oldest national open championship in the world. The event dates back to 1893 and has been on the European Tour since 1997.

‘There were a lot of ups and downs…but to come out on top at the end is incredible’

The round

Stone closed with a rollercoaster 71 that contained seven birdies and six bogeys. He started the day two shots clear but five dropped shots in seven holes from the fifth saw him pegged back by playing partner Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Basildon’s Daniel Brooks.

Managed to overcome that wobble to post four birdies in five holes. Those rebuilt his lead and when Brooks could only bogey the last, Stone had his maiden European Tour victory with a final score of 14-under.

He said

“Its too good to be true. I’m overcome with emotions at the moment. There was a lot of ups and downs in that final round but to come out on top at the end is incredible.
“To join the likes of Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman and a whole bunch more, it’s really special. It’s such a prestigious event, especially for a South African golfer.”

Did you know?

Ranked 118th in the world, Stone counts Ernie Els as a close family friend and attended the same college as Jordan Spieth, the University of Texas.

His father, Kevin, is an experienced Sunshine Tour player and coaches the South African amateur junior team. Grandfather Sam also played for his country, giving Stone a strong golfing pedigree.