Weekly Tour Wrap-up #11th Feb

Last week rookies continued to shine, but experience eventually paid dividends on both sides of the Atlantic.

On the PGA Tour, the world's best putter won his first event of the season to move to the top of the FedEx Cup standings.

On the European Tour, a talented South African waved goodbye to his injury problems as he strolled to victory in his native land.

Stunning Sterne triumphs in South Africa

Richard Sterne shot a closing 64 to post a 27-under-par 72-hole total and win the Joburg Open by six shots from Charl Schwartzel at the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club.

George Coetzee, Ricardo Santos and Felipe Aguilar all continued their fine starts to 2013 by finishing tied for third place.

Sterne shot out of the blocks on Thursday, shooting an eight under 63 to share the lead with German rookie Max Kieffer after round one.

Kieffer fell out of the lead in round two, but Sterne (65) was joined on 15-under-par by fellow South African Trevor Fisher Jnr, who carded seven birdies and an eagle en route to a 62.

They were three clear of their talented yet winless compatriot Coetzee, with Aguilar, Keith Horne and Schwartzel five back on 10-under-par.

After three rounds, Sterne and Fisher Jnr were still at the top of the leaderboard, but had extended their lead to five shots after both returning rounds of three under 68.

They were by no means the only two in the tournament, though, as the in-form Schwartzel and Coetzee were lurking in third place on 14-under-par.

On Sunday, Sterne – who had only dropped one shot over his first 54 holes – started with aplomb and made birdies at the opening two holes, but his playing partner eagled the first to ensure they were tied heading down the third.

Fisher Jnr made his first bogey of the day at the par-4, and from that point onwards, the South African duo enjoyed contrasting fortunes.

Fisher Jnr found trouble at the reachable par-5 6^th and recorded an untimely bogey, which he followed with another at the par-4 7^th.

Sterne, meanwhile, was enjoying no such trouble. He made three birdies in a row from the 6^th and, despite a Fisher Jnr birdie at nine, led by five shots heading into the back nine.

Players were making birdies behind, but Sterne’s front nine effectively ended the challenge of anyone bar Fisher Jnr. But two holes later, it was all over.

The Sunshine Tour player made a double-bogey six at the par-4 12^th to fall seven shots behind. You can never say never in golf, but Sterne was in no mood to relinquish his lead.

He made his first birdie of the back nine on the 13^th, before adding another at the par-4 17^th. Standing on the 18^th tee, he was five shots clear of Schwartzel and six ahead of Coetzee, Aguilar and Portugal’s Santos – who recorded his second top five of the season.

He would extend that lead on the final hole, making birdie to reach 27 under and round off a thoroughly comprehensive victory.

Snedeker on song at Pebble Beach

Brandt Snedeker compiled a closing 65 to post a 19-under-par 72-hole total and win the AT&T National Pro-Am by two shots from Chris Kirk at Pebble Beach.

Snedeker, who had finished second in consecutive weeks before Pebble Beach, now leads the FedEx Cup as he bids to defend the trophy he won five months ago.

The first three rounds were played over three different courses – Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula – and Snedeker started out with a four-under-par 66 at the latter, two shots behind Hunter Mahan and Scotland’s Russell Knox.

The 2012 Tour Champion followed his 66 with a four under round of 68 at Spyglass Hill. He led the tournament with current Greenbrier champion Ted Potter Jnr on eight-under-par heading into the weekend.

The duo were one clear of a sizeable group at seven under, which included Mahan, John Merrick and Swede Fredrik Jacobson.

On Saturday, Snedeker shot a third consecutive round of four-under-par to reach 12 under overall. He had company atop the leaderboard, but this time in the shape of rookie James Hahn, who finished in a tie for fifth at the Humana Challenge.

With one round remaining they were one clear of Kirk, who moved serenely into second place with a fine 64 at Monterrey Peninsular.

The leaderboard was congested heading into the final round, but Snedeker showed early on that he had no intention of finishing second again.

A fine approach to the par-5 2^nd led to an early eagle, which he followed with birdies at the 4^th, 6^th and 7^th. At this point, he was two clear of Kirk and four ahead of playing partner Hahn.

He dropped a shot at the 9^th, but birdies at 10 and 11 gave him a commanding lead over Kirk, who had fallen back with bogeys at nine and 10.

But Kirk wasn’t finished, and three birdies in the next four holes meant he was just two back of Snedeker.

Three pars would follow before a closing birdie took Kirk to 17-under-par, but a Snedeker birdie at 17 gave him a two shot advantage playing the last.

Sensibly, the world’s best putter hit a three wood off the tee, found the green in regulation and two-putted for another significant victory.

Next week, the PGA Tour heads to Riviera for the Northern Trust Open, and the European Tour stays in South Africa for the Africa Open.