McClatchie romps to 7-shot Big Easy win

He probably sealed the deal with his three birdies in the opening nine at Killarney Golf Club, but there was more to amateur Kyle McClatchie’s win in the season-opening Sunshine Big Easy Tour event there.

He started the day with a four-stroke edge over the other amateur in the field, Slade Pickering, and, despite bogeys on 10 and 13, he signed for a three-under 67 to finish up with a seven-stroke margin over Maritz Wessels, who carded the low round of that day with a four-under 66.

“I wouldn’t say it was easy,” said McClatchie. “It’s always tough out there. I would have said yesterday was easy but today I had to grind it out. So I’m pretty chuffed with the win. I played pretty nicely on both days.

“Those three birdies ahead of the turn were kind of a confidence-booster more than anything else. I knew that it was still kind of tight-ish before the ninth, so it was very nice to get those three birdies in and they made the difference in the end.

“I wouldn’t say I was worried when I made the bogeys on 10 and 17, but they kicked me back awake and put me back into the mental state of playing golf again instead of wondering what would happen at the end. They definitely did me good.

“I wanted to finish 10-under – I wanted to be in double figures – so it was important to make the birdie on 15 and it was a nice bonus to sink that putt on 18 for another.”

McClatchie finished in a share of second behind Pieter Kruger in last year’s Kempton Park leg of the Big Easy series, so he was keen for a win – and it has boosted his confidence ahead of a six-week stint playing amateur golf in the UK.

“After these last two weeks, I’m looking forward to going overseas,” he said. “It makes me feel a bit more comfortable going over there.”