Prior to this win, his last victory at home came in 2022. It was a special moment for Ritchie, who said he had to be mentally prepared to play 36 holes in one day, something they are not accustomed to. “It’s been a while, especially back home. I’ve been winning elsewhere, so it’s really good to be taking a trophy home again. It was really tough because 36 holes for us is unlikely as we don’t normally do that. I had to do a lot of mental preparation yesterday – plenty of food and fluids and just try and stay calm with the rain and bad weather. The second 18 was really brutal – it was tougher than what most people think,” said Ritchie. The 31-year-old opened the championship with a 65 that comprised eight birdies, including four consecutive on holes two, three, four, and five, as well as two bogeys. His other birdies came on holes nine, 11, 12, and 15. He then dropped back-to-back shots on 16 and 17. He was tied for seventh place after the first round, three shots behind leader Karabo Mokoena. Ritchie then moved up to a tie for fifth after round two, having carded a three-under-par 68 with six birdies and three bogeys. His near-flawless third-round 68 on Saturday morning saw him take a share of the lead with Bryce Easton on 15-under-par 198. He dropped just a single shot in the penultimate round, carding an eagle and five birdies while bogeying the 10th for his only blemish. Ritchie had a flawless front nine in round three, picking up a birdie on the second, followed by an eagle on the fourth and further birdies on six and nine for an outward 30. After the bogey on the 10th, he added two more birdies on 12 and 14. His final-round 69 comprised four birdies, on three, five, 12, and 15, and two bogeys on number two and 17.