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Takudzwa Chitsiga: Sports Reporter

DESPITE losing his playing privileges in US PGA Tour, Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge proved that he is capable of playing at the highest level in any other tour when he finished tied on position 26 at a tournament in Canada last weekend.De Jonge lost his tour card at the end of the 2015-16 season last month but managed to make the cut in the 2017-18 season’s first tournament at the PGA Tour, where he pocketed more than $40 000 in his first attempt.

The burly professional golfer, who opted to skip this year’s Rio Olympics Games in order to serve his career, could not make it, but is now making a comeback through the PGA Tour. At his first event of the season at the Safeway Open in Canada, the former Wingate-based player was part of the field and did not disappoint as he finished tied on position 26.

The event was held at the Silverado Resort and Spa North and had a purse value of $6 million. American Brendan Steele overcame a four-shot deficit in the final round, closed with three straight birdies on rain-soaked Silverado for a seven-under 65 and won by one shot over a faltering Patton Kizzire.

It was Steele’s first victory in 141 starts on the PGA Tour dating to his rookie season when he won the Valero Texas Open. Johnson Wagner closed with a 70 and tied for third with Paul Casey (69), Michael Kim (67) and Scott Piercy (70). Casey has finished no worse than fourth in his last four tournaments dating to the FedExCup Playoffs.