Aldrich Potgieter crowned at the Rocket Classic after intense battle
In an exciting finish that kept everyone on the edge of their seats, Aldrich Potgieter emerged victorious at the Rocket Classic. The young South African golfer demonstrated his composure by sinking an 18-foot birdie on the fifth playoff hole, surpassing Max Greyserman in an epic contest. “I finally managed to sink one,” declared Potgieter, visibly excited after a series of missed opportunities on the green that prolonged the tiebreaker throughout the season. Potgieter’s celebration was effusive, embracing his caddie and greeting Greyserman and his team before melting into a hug with his father, Heinrich. At 20 years old, Potgieter is not only the youngest player on the circuit, but also one of the most powerful, averaging over 326 yards off the tee. This triumph marks a significant milestone in his career, becoming the ninth player to achieve his first victory of the season. Potgieter, born in South Africa and raised in Australia, returned to his native country at the age of 17 due to pandemic restrictions. “Emigrating is not easy. Arriving alone in the United States at the beginning of my career and working hard, with my father here, has helped me a lot,” he commented. The South African golfer won the British Amateur at 17 and last year became the youngest winner of the Korn Ferry Tour, which opened the doors for him to become the second youngest player to earn a PGA Tour card through the minor league. Chris Kirk was eliminated after missing a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole, after having missed a 9-foot putt on the first extra hole. Both Greyserman and Potgieter had opportunities to win on the 72nd hole at the Detroit Golf Club, but they failed to make the birdies needed to break the tie with Kirk, who finished with a total of 22 under par.Potgieter, who started the round with a two-stroke lead, closed with a card of 69 strokes (-3), while Greyserman and Kirk recorded 67 strokes each. The tiebreaker extended with missed opportunities and moments of high tension. Greyserman missed a 12-foot putt and Potgieter came up short on a 42-foot putt. After Greyserman and Potgieter made par, Kirk had the chance to win with a 9-foot putt, but missed it, prolonging the tiebreaker.“This is going to hurt for a while,” Greyserman admitted.
Max Greyserman
On the 15th hole, Greyserman was the only one who hit from the tee, but he couldn’t take advantage. The trend continued on the 16th hole, where both Greyserman and Potgieter missed 16-foot putts with the possibility of winning. Finally, on the 14th hole, Greyserman achieved a birdie and Potgieter did the same.
Back on the 15th hole for a second time in the playoff, Greyserman missed his putt and Potgieter finally sealed the victory.Michael Thorbjornsen and Jake Knapp finished one stroke off the playoff. Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa is still waiting to break his drought, finishing in a tie for eighth place. Keegan Bradley, the Ryder Cup captain, closed with 67 strokes to tie for 41st place.“It just wasn’t my time,” lamented Greyserman, who finished in second place for the fourth time.
Max Greyserman
