Just days after Nick Dunlap's historic win at The American Express, golf has another record-breaking youngster after the big-hitting Aldrich Potgieter became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history.
Potgieter secured a two-shot win at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic after a superb seven-under-par final round saw him best Quade Cummins and overnight leader Kyle Westmoreland.
The South African already caught the eye for his immense driving ability having averaged 335.7 yards off the tee last season and has now written his name into the history books after his maiden professional win.
At 19 years, four months and 11 days, the South African breaks the previous record set by Jason Day when he won the Legend Financial Group Classic in 2007 aged 19 years, 7 months, 26 days.
Potgieter also joins Day, Sungjae Im and Akshay Bhatia as the only people to win on the Korn Ferry Tour while still in their teens.
“I was just trying to make the cut and improve on the status. I didn’t expect this today,” Potgieter said, speaking after his victory.
“I was looking at the leaderboard a couple times and just trying to move up, move up slowly and give myself some chances on the putting green. I felt really comfortable, gave myself those opportunities and holed some of them.
“We saw Nick Dunlap won last week, and that was a reminder that it can be done,” he said. I'm just happy to get the opportunity to play here and to make history - that's just another bonus on top of the win."
Starting the day five shots back of the lead, the 19-year-old flew out of the traps with birdies on three of his first four holes. An eagle eagle on eight further improved his chances before four more birdies in the closing six holes secured the historic victory.
The big-hitting South African turned professional last summer after a prestigious amateur career which saw him capture the 2022 Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Aldrich Potgieter won the 2022 Amateur Championship
At last year's US Open, Potgieter made the cut and finished 64th but most notably topped the driving distance standings for the tournament, averaging a mammoth 336 yards off the tee - 10 yards clear of fellow big-hitter Bryson DeChambeau.
In July of that year, he also achieved the rare feat of a par 4 hole-in-one while competing at the Monday qualifier for the John Deere Classic.
-
Ludvig Aberg Withdraws From Wells Fargo Championship Due To Knee IssueThe Swede has withdrawn from the Quail Hollow event to allow additional rest before the PGA Championship
-
The Amateur Playing In His Seventh Major And Third Masters This WeekCareer amateur Stewart Hagestad has made it back to Augusta National after another US Mid-Am victory
