Month: April 2023

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – Darren Fichardt signed off with a birdie and an eagle for a round of 10-under-par 62 to lead the first round of the Stella Artois Players Championship by a single stroke at Dainfern Country Club on Thursday.

On a day of low scores Fichardt had to produce his bit of the magic in the windier afternoon conditions. He started his round with two straight birdies, made four consecutive birdies to the turn, added another at the par-five 12^th and then took the lead with his birdie-eagle finish. Tristen Strydom led for most of the day with his opening 63 before Fichardt’s 62.

“It was quite windy in the afternoon, but the greens are so good that if you hit a good putt it goes in. The greens are really primed for low scoring,” said Fichardt.

The experienced Sunshine Tour professional admits his game hasn’t been at the standard he wants this year. But rounds such as this one, and a previous 62 in the third round of the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in February, certainly give him the confidence that what he’s working on is close to paying off.

“I haven’t been playing that well this year, but I’ve been working really hard. I’ve been trying to find the secret to a few things in my game, and today was a good indication that I’m almost there. I’ve almost got it sorted out, and I can look forward to some good rounds ahead.”

It was one of those rounds where Fichardt knew from the start that something special was on the cards.

“I’ve played Dainfern a few times in my life. It’s a traditional golf course, which is nice. You don’t have to try and overpower the golf course. It’s more positional play off the tee. I started the round with a good tee shot and almost hit it in the hole with my second shot. I made a birdie there and then a solid birdie on the next hole and that was already a good start. The wind was blowing so my idea was just to hang in there. Then I managed to sneak in a few more birdies and before I knew it I was six under after nine, so that was nice.”

Behind him, Strydom also felt comfortable in a tournament where he finished third last year, and at a time of the year when he always seems to play well. After his third-place finish in this event last year he went on to win his first Sunshine Tour title in the season-ending Tour Championship a week later.

“I’ve struggled with my game of late but I always seem to play well towards the end of March and beginning of April. It’s nice to feel like I’m getting out of the struggle and enjoying golf again and competing. When you enjoy it you end up playing really well,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – The race to the end of the Sunshine Tour’s current season intensifies this week with the R2 million Stella Artois Players Championship at Dainfern Country Club which has drawn a strong field including four Investec South African Open champions and the young stars who are locked in a battle for the Rookie of the Year title.

The Stella Artois Players Championship is the penultimate tournament of the Sunshine Tour’s current season. The 72-hole tournament, which tees off at Dainfern on Thursday, will have reigning Investec South African Open champion Thriston Lawrence in the field as well as former national Open winners Brandon Stone, Hennie Otto and Daniel van Tonder.

Lawrence also leads a stellar threeball for the first two rounds of this event including rising Sunshine Tour stars Casey Jarvis and Martin Vorster.

Both Jarvis and Vorster have been in impressive form this season and have been battling it out for Rookie of the Year honours. It’s a race that Jarvis is currently leading following his strong recent performances of tied ninth in the Dimension Data Pro-Am and second in the SDC Open. Vorster remains his nearest challenger in second place, with Ryan van Velzen in third place after breaking through with his maiden Sunshine Tour title in the Limpopo Championship.

There is also a tantalising mix of players in good form at present who will be in action at Dainfern.

Luca Filippi heads into this week off the back of a tied second-place finish in the Limpopo Championship. Franklin Manchest achieved his highest finish on the Sunshine Tour in the same event with a tie for 10^th. Hennie O’Kennedy has finished in the top 20 in five of his last seven tournaments, including third in the Dimension Data Pro-Am. And Yurav Premall has made a solid start to his Sunshine Tour career with finishes of tied ninth in the Dimension Data Pro-Am and tied fifth in March’s Mediclinic Invitational.

MOOKGOPHONG, Limpopo – Ryan van Velzen claimed his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour in a dramatic final round of the Limpopo Championship at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate on Sunday.

At the end of a difficult week of weather delays which forced the tournament to be reduced to 54 holes, the 21-year-old Van Velzen signed for a final round of 68 to win by a single stroke on 12 under par. Jaco Prinsloo, Luca Filippi and Daniel van Tonder shared second place on 11 under par. Former South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) member Franklin Manchest achieved an impressive top 10 finish on seven under par.

A thrilling Sunday began with the suspended second round being completed on Sunday morning. Prinsloo posted a 67 – including four consecutive birdies on the back nine – to claim a two-stroke lead on 11 under par, with Neil Schietekat his nearest challenger on nine under par. Van Velzen was in a share of third place on eight under par.

In the third and final round, Prinsloo appeared to be well in control and headed for victory as he birdied the 16^th for a one-stroke lead over Van Velzen with only the par-five 18^th to come. Van Velzen had already made it into the clubhouse on 12 under.

But Prinsloo double bogeyed the 18^th after hitting his approach deep into the left rough, with Van Velzen watching as he celebrated his first victory on the Sunshine Tour.

“It’s incredible. It’s awesome,” said an emotional Van Velzen. “This changes everything for me. I’m now into every single Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament next season.”

Van Velzen’s putter was the key for him this week. “I’ve been working really hard and I holed some good putts. I also stayed really calm during all the weather disruptions. My caddie Luke was such a big help for me. He kept me in a good space and we just had a good time out there. I’d set myself a target for 15 under overall. I didn’t get there, but I played unbelievable golf this whole week and had so much fun out there.” – Michael Vlismas

MOOKGOPHONG, Limpopo – In a Limpopo Championship week of weather suspensions, a waterlogged golf course, a tournament reduced to 54 holes, and three days to play two rounds of golf, Neil Schietekat has actually felt more in control of his game than before.

When darkness fell on Saturday with the second round of this tournament still to be completed, Schietekat was already safely in the clubhouse in the lead with a 36-hole total of nine under par.

After Thursday’s weather suspension then no play on Friday because of heavy rain and a waterlogged golf course, Saturday finally saw the completion of the first round. Schietekat finished off his first round in a share of the lead alongside Jaco Prinsloo and Jacques Blaauw with a six-under-par 66.

The second started thereafter and Schietekat earned himself the sole clubhouse lead on nine under with a round of 69. The second round couldn’t be completed before darkness and will resume on Sunday morning before the shotgun start of the third and final round.

“The stop-start is a bit irritating but there is nothing you can do about it,” said Schietekat. But he’s managed it superbly and is bogey free after two rounds. That alone has given him the satisfaction of knowing that what he’s been working on is now starting to pay off.

“I started off the year really badly. I was missing cuts on the Sunshine Tour and in Asia, and I’m not used to missing cuts. I was in a dark hole and I needed to step back and re-evaluate what I’m doing. I really needed to make a couple of changes,” he said.

“I changed coaches and I started seeing a sports psychologist, and it feels really good. I started seeing some results during the recent DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments in South Africa and I feel like I know what I’m doing now again.”

Behind him, Hennie du Plessis is once again well placed just one shot back following rounds of 67 and 69. Du Plessis has twice finished runner-up in this tournament.

Christiaan Burke and Ryan van Velzen also managed to finish their second rounds to join Du Plessis on eight under overall.

Jaco Prinsloo is currently six under for the tournament through seven holes of his second round. – Michael Vlismas