champions retreat

Model Victory For Sastre, Pearson at the Gary Player Invitational at Fancourt

Spanish model and actress Ines Sastre celebrated her second team victory in the ninth Gary Player Invitational, presented by Coca-Cola, at The Links at Fancourt on Sunday.

On a magnificent afternoon, Engen executive Alan Pearson and their professional partners Retief Goosen and Costantino Rocca joined Sastre as they accepted the spectacular new Player Trophy for their eight-stroke victory in the fourball alliance competition.

The team took the title with an impressive total of 35-under-par, at the end of a tournament that raised R3.5-million for charity, a record for the Gary Player Invitational in South Africa.

“I love this tournament, and I’ll definitely be back next year,” said Sastre, who was also on the winning team in 2004. All of which prompted DJ Spoony to joke with her, “You’re not coming back with your current handicap, that’s for sure”.

Spoony and his team of Mary Weaver, professional Omar Sandys and European Seniors Tour professional Peter Mitchell finished second on 27-under-par.

The victory was just reward for a team which had combined well all week and embraced the relaxed nature of this tournament.

After finishing the first day in a share of the lead, Sastre’s team was asked by one journalist how they felt about having the team of Vincent Tshabalala, who is a multiple winner of this tournament, challenging them for the title.

“Vincent hasn’t met us yet,” said Sastre.

But as Tshabalala’s team of Sunshine Tour professional Thomas Aiken, Olympic swimmer Roland Schoeman and Joseph Stoltz, the financial director of 2010 Fine Art, struggled to maintain their challenge and eventually finished fifth on 18 under par, Sastre and her team claimed a comfortable victory.

Despite finishing second, Schoeman was delighted to have improved on a tenth-place finish in 2006 and again reiterated the satisfaction of competing in this tournament.

“The sad thing about this country is that we have people who bicker and moan about the state of affairs but aren’t willing to make an active change in this country. We need more people like Gary Player to invest time, money and energy here. We need an event like this golf tournament that is helping out charities. We need to help the youth of this country, otherwise we’re looking at a dismal state of affairs.”

In the betterball competition, Bobby Lincoln claimed his second victory in the Gary Player Invitational as he partnered Sunshine Tour star Garth Mulroy to a three-stroke win.

Lincoln and Mulroy combined for a solid 64 on the final day to win on 18-under-par, with Goosen and Rocca finishing second on 15 under par.

“It’s been a magnificent tournament. But you know, if you can’t enjoy this event, then you’re a miserable person because it’s wonderful,” said Lincoln.

Mulroy was also delighted to have played in his first Gary Player Invitational.

“It was great fun, and good to be able to make a difference as well with the charity aspect,” he said.

Lali Stander
Media Manager
Gary Player Invitational
Tel: +27 82 990 7150
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