Anton Karlsson picked up his maiden European Challenge Tour win after finishing three shots clear in the RAM Cape Town Open, at Royal Cape Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGESnto

ANTON Karlsson came from three shots behind to win his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the RAM Cape Town Open.

The Swede carded a three under par round of 69 for a 14-under par total in difficult scoring conditions at Royal Cape Golf Club.

That was enough to jump ahead of a packed leaderboard and record a one-shot victory over South African Garrick Higgo.

Karlsson maintained the momentum from a bogey-free eight-under par 64 in his third round.

The 26-year-old Upsala GC pro reeled off six birdies in seven holes from the seventh hole to move to the top of the leaderboard, before holding off a late charge from Higgo to secure his first victory on the satellite circuit.

“It was one of the toughest days of golf in my career with the conditions,” said Anton Karlsson. “It feels amazing to come out on top and to play some really good golf.

“My only aim this morning was to go out there and win. I was three shots back and I knew I was playing well after a 64 yesterday.

“It was really windy out there, so I knew I just had to be patient and do my thing.

“The opening holes were playing tough and I ended up in the wrong places,” said the Swede, who has lost his European Tour card twice having successfully come through Qualifying School in 2016 and 2018.

“But I really got it going after that, and from the sixth hole it was probably the best stretch of golf I’ve ever played,” added Karlsson.

“It got a bit exciting at the end. I hit every shot as I intended down the 18th hole, but then raced my putt by a little further than I would have liked.

“But it’s always nice to hole a putt to win.”

Higgo started the day six shots behind overnight leader Daniel van Tonder.

But the 20-year-old recorded the best result of his fledgling Challenge Tour career after a five-under par 67 on Sunday.

Higgo finished in second position on 13-under, three shots clear of Sussex’s Toby Tree, who made the most of his decision to forego a place in the field for the European Tour’s Vic Open.

Instead the former England amateur international travelled to familiar territory in South Africa, and signed off with a 71 to secure a top three result.

Hampshire’s former Amateur Champion Harry Ellis, Lincolnshire’s EuroPro Tour graduate Jordan Wrisdale, and Frenchman Damien Perrier, finished one shot further back in a tie for fourth.

Overnight leader van Tonder settled for seventh place, alongside Allen John and Gloucestershire’s EuroPro Tour graduate Mitch Waite on eight-under.

Karlsson, who had four top 10s in his debut season back in 2016, moved into second position on the Road to Mallorca Rankings with his maiden win.

The runner-up in the 2018 KPMG Trophy is just 85 points behind last week’s Limpopo Championship winner JC Ritchie, with Wilco Nienaber occupying third place after the opening two events.

The Challenge Tour now travels to Fancourt Golf Estate, George, for the Dimension Data Pro-Am, which gets under way from February 13-16. See the entry list here.

•For final results in the RAM Cape Town Open click here.

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Daniel van Tonder, who is second on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, shot a nine-under par 63 at Koro Creek, to lead the co-sanctioned European Challenge Tour event.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

DANIEL van Tonder carded a brilliant nine-under par 63 at Koro Creek Golf Club to take a two-shot lead into the second day of the Limpopo Championship.

The 28-year-old South African is looking to secure his first European Challenge Tour victory at the co-sanctioned Sunshine Tour event in the season-opener.

Van Tonder wasted little time charging to the top of the leaderboard, opening his title bid with an eagle before reeling off seven further gains on day one.

The first event of the season is played across two courses and local teenager Wilco Nienaber and Greek Sunshine Tour player Peter Karmis, who began their title challenge at Euphoria Golf Club, shot seven-under.

They share second place with South African duo Hennie du Plessis and MJ Viljoen, who tackled Koro Creek.

Van Tonder will now travel to Euphoria, where he claimed the second of his three Sunshine Tour victories in 2014.

After the field play one round at both Koro Creek and Euphoria the competitors are whittled down to the top 60 and ties who will compete for the title at Euphoria over the weekend.

“I’m delighted with that score today,” said van Tonder. “I missed a few birdie opportunities out there. But nine-under par is a great way to start.

“It’s not a long course so it is important to plot your way around and if you manage to get your tee shot away, then you give yourself a great birdie opportunity, which I managed to do really successfully.”

While the Limpopo Championship begins the 2020 Road to Mallorca, van Tonder is also targeting a maiden victory on the 2020 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, with the 28-year-old occupying second place with just four events of the Southern African’s circuit season remaining.

“I think it’s a really good thing for the Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour to compete together, and it was fun to play with Spanish player Pep Angles out there who is a good friend,” added Van Tonder.

“I’ve been playing well for a while and I think my game is good enough to have a chance to win.

“So I’m going to go out and give myself a chance and we’ll see at the end of the day.”

Defending champion JC Ritchie and his fellow South Africans Anton Haig and Rourke van der Spuy share sixth place on six-under.

They were joined on the mark by Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer and Jonas Kölbing, Essex’s former English Amateur Champion Todd Clements and Sweden’s Philip Eriksson.

The 2020 Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca will offer 20 full European Tour cards for 2021 – up from 15 in 2019.

First round leader van Tonder will get his second round under way at 11.20am local time, with the action continuing at both courses at 6.30am.

•Click here for live scoring.

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