It was a slow weekend for South Africans in Europe as a couple of players who were in good positions were unable to mount effective challenges to the eventual winners on the Challenge Tour and the European Tour.

Jacques Kruyswijk (pictured) eventually finished best of the South Africans in the Challenge Tour’s Kaskáda Golf Challenge at Kaskáda Golf Resort in Brno, Czech Republic. He closed with a three-under-par 68 to finish in a share of 21^st, five shots behind winner Marcel Schneider of Germany who won on 16-under.

Next best of the South African’s was JC Ritchie, whose two-under 69 saw him finish in a share of 30^th on six-under for the tournament, and Jacques Blaauw battled to a five-under-par 76 in the final round to slip to three-under for the week and 45^th.

On the European Tour, the South African challenge fell away a little in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, as Australia’s Lucas Herbert won by three strokes from Rikard Karlberg of Sweden at 19-under-par for the week.

In the end, Justin Harding, who was best-placed to mount a final-round challenge, carded a closing four-over 75 to finish in a share of 23^rd with Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who had looked a likely contender in the first two rounds and closed with a one-under 70, despite having got it to four-under through 11 holes on Sunday.

Zander Lombard closed with a one-over 72 to finish 33^rd at seven-under, and Justin Walters and Darren Fichardt were in a share of 41^st on five-under after rounds of 71 and 72 respectively.