CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 02: Erik van Rooyen of South Africa putts on the 17th green during the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante on November 02, 2023 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Image: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images via AFP.
South African Erik van Rooyen dedicates landmark win to dying friend
Erik van Rooyen holed a 16-foot eagle putt on the par-5 closing hole at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante on Sunday.
CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 02: Erik van Rooyen of South Africa putts on the 17th green during the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante on November 02, 2023 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Image: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images via AFP.
South African golfer Erik van Rooyen holed a 16-foot eagle putt on the par-5 closing hole at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante on Sunday to win the World Wide Technology Championship.
The tournament marks the first time that a course designed by the 15-time Major winner has been used on the PGA Tour.
PGA Tour win dedicated to dying friend
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Van Rooyen came home hot playing the back nine in 8-under 28 and shot a final-round 9-under 63 for a two-shot win.
On the PGA TOUR, Van Rooyen has now triumphed twice. In 2021, the 33-year-old South African ended up being victorious in the Barracuda Championship, with the altered Stableford scoring methodology.
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Van Rooyen’s final round playing partner Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas finished in a tie for second.
Both Kuchar and Villegas scored 66, with Kuchar, who is 45 years old, birdieing the last four holes. After van Rooyen and Villegas blasted fairway-wood second shots close to each other on the 18th hole, tying for the lead, Kuchar hit his approach left of the green and chipped 20 feet past the pin.
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Erik van Rooyen on who the win was for
Van Rooyen dedicated his win to close friend Jon Trasamar, who played collegiate golf alongside van Rooyen and his caddie Alex Gaugert at the University of Minnesota.
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Trasamar has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and an emotional Van Rooyen made to clear that this win was for him.
“Every shot out there today was for him,” van Rooyen said.
The win meant a lot to Van Rooyen as it secures his place on the PGA Tour for 2024 thanks to a big bump in Fed-Ex Cup points.
However, he said in the wake of the win that titles and golf don’t matter nearly as much as the people in his life.
“When I kick the bucket one day, whenever that might be, this is not what I’m going to be thinking about,” van Rooyen said. “I’m going to be thinking about the people that I love the most, and Jon Trasamar is one of those people.”
