It was a solid but unspectacular week for JC Ritchie on the Challenge Tour as the Cape Town Open champion carded a closing round of two-under-par 70 to finish the Challenge de Cadiz at Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri in Cadiz, Spain in a share of 28th.
His six-under-par total for the week saw him finish 13 shots behind the winner, Belgium’s Kristof Ulenaers, who rounded out an incredible week with a level-par 72 to beat Germany’s Hurly Long by five shots.
Ritchie had rounds of 70-71-71-70 to be the top South African in the field, but he slipped two positions on the Challenge Tour rankings to 13th. Next best of the South Africans was Bryce Easton, who had a final-round 69 to finish the tournament at one-under in 57th. Jacques Blaauw battled to a closing four-over 76 and a share of 63rd on two-over. Oliver Bekker and Jayden Schaper missed the cut.
On the PGA Tour Champions, Retief Goosen finished in a share of fourth with Jim Furyk behind winner Jerry Kelly in the American Family Insurance Championship. Goosen closed with a four-under 68 to finish two shots behind Kelly, who had a one-stroke edge over Miguel Angel Jiminez and Fred Couples.
Ernie Els closed with a one-under 71 to move to one-under for the tournament and a share of 35th, while David Frost was 68th after a one-over 73 for the third round.
On the Korn Ferry Tour, Dawie van der Walt was the best South African finisher, his closing 68 taking him to 13-under and a share of 32nd. That was 14 strokes behind winner Mito Pereira of Chile. Tyrone van Aswegen was 52nd on 10-under after a final round of one-under 71.
On the LPGA Tour, Ashleigh Buhai had a tough closing nine in the Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced in Daly City, California, making five bogeys as she slipped from 11th after 54 holes to a share of 29th.
She had gone through her front nine with no drops and a birdie on the second, but 35 putts in her round meant she was unable to get closer to eventual winner Matilda Castren of Finland who closed with a 65 to beat Chinese Taipei’s Min Lee by two strokes at 14-under.
