Story courtesy of Toledo Athletic Communications
OTTAWA, Ont. – Former Rocket Barend Botha claimed his first professional victory on Sunday at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open in his second tournament on the PGA Americas Tour after carding a final-round five-under par 67. He finished at 26-under for the tournament at the par-72, 7,032-yard Eagle Creek Golf Club.
After firing an opening round nine-under 63 that put him alone in third place, Botha took sole possession of the lead after 36 holes at 16-under par. Botha fell behind late in the final round before making back-to-back birdies on his last two holes to secure the win by a stroke over George Markham and Connor Creasy.
After a successful collegiate career that concluded with a second-consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) individual title, Botha was prepared for the opportunity to earn his first win as a professional. The victory earned him exempt status through the 2025 Latin America Swing.
"I was pretty confident," Botha said. "My swing felt good, everything felt good, headspace was good, so stepping up on that first tee I was pretty confident. I smoked one on the second (hole) and made a good birdie and the adrenaline started getting going."
Botha previously secured exempt status for this summer's North America Swing after earning medalist honors at the PGA TOUR Americas Q-School in early June at the Soboba Spring Golf Course in San Jacinto, Calif.
Botha made his PGA TOUR Americas debut at the Bromont Open presented by Desjardins on July 18-21. With the win, Botha moved up 206 spots to No. 13 in the Fortinet Cup points list. He was tied for 219th place prior to the tournament.
Botha is expected to be in the field at this weekend's BioSteel Championship at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont., where he will make his third start as a professional.
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About PGA TOUR Americas
PGA TOUR Americas is an international tour that provides professional golfers with competitive opportunities and prepares them to advance their careers on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR. The 2024 schedule consists of 16 events – six in Latin America and 10 in North America – and the inaugural season culminates in September with the Fortinet Cup Championship, where the top-10 players on the season-long points list will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership the following season.
