Month: May 2024

HARARE – Michael Hollick kept the door firmly closed on prolific winner Darren Fichardt on Sunday as he shot an impressive final-round 67 to win the FBC Zim Open by two strokes at Royal Harare Golf Club, claiming his second Sunshine Tour title.

The Mount Edgecombe Country Club golfer and Fichardt, the 48-year-old with 18 Sunshine Tour titles and five on the DP World Tour, engaged in a tense final round, last two-ball duel on Sunday, with Hollick starting the fourth round with a one-stroke lead.

But with Hollick showing incredible composure and control, he never allowed the vastly-experienced Fichardt to get ahead. Hollick, who turns 37 on Wednesday, had opened up a three-shot lead by the fourth hole, but, unsurprisingly given his pedigree, Fichardt staged a fierce late charge that saw him close the gap to just one stroke on the 16^th green.

Fichardt, who birdied the par-five 16^th, would have drawn level but for Hollick sinking a clutch 30-foot par-putt. The Durban resident then birdied the 17^th to go two ahead and almost certainly quell Fichardt’s challenge.

“Thanks to Darren for a helluva battle, well-played and we certainly had a good go at each other out there,” Hollick said at the prizegiving.

Fichardt closed with a 68, recovering from a bogey at the par-three second hole with three successive birdies from the fifth to the seventh hole. He dropped another shot at the par-three 11^th, as did Hollick, and they both rebounded with birdies on the par-five 12^th. Fichardt then began to push really hard with birdies on the par-three 15^th and on 16, but Hollick held his nerve and repelled his admirable adversary.

Hollick showed his maturity on the front nine as he started patiently with three pars before embarking on his own hat-trick of birdies from the fourth to the sixth hole. He gained another shot on Fichardt with his birdie on the par-four 10^th and, apart from the par-save on 16, he also showed his BMT with a superb approach to four feet to set up his crucial birdie on the penultimate hole.

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent also shot a 68 on Sunday to climb into third place on the final leaderboard on 14-under-par, six behind Hollick. His younger brother, Kieran, shot a 71 to finish in a tie for fourth with Sweden’s Fredrik From (67) on 12-under.

A third Zimbabwean finished in the top-10 in Benjamin Follett-Smith (71), who shared sixth place with MJ Viljoen (71) on 11-under-par.

HARARE – The prices you pay for inaccuracy at the Royal Harare Golf Club are steep, but Michael Hollick continues to largely avoid that problem with his precise game taking him to the top of the leaderboard after the third and penultimate round of the FBC Zim Open on Saturday.

Hollick followed up his first two rounds of 66 and 67 with an impressive 68 in the third round, leaving him on 15-under-par and enjoying a one-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round.

The one-time Sunshine Tour winner made a slow start on Saturday, with a bogey on the par-three second meaning he was one-over after four holes. But he then birdied the fifth and sixth holes, and began the back nine birdie-birdie. Hollick followed up a bogey on the par-three 15^th with an eagle on the 16^th, and then birdied 17 before dropping a shot on the last hole to halve his lead.

“This golf course is very demanding, there’s not a lot of room for error. You have to be accurate, it’s like a game of chess out there,” Hollick said. “The greens are super-quick, probably the fastest we play on all year and they are very firm now after three days.

“They’re also all elevated with run-offs and narrow entrances to the greens, so if you don’t hit your target then you’re unlikely to get up-and-down. But I’m definitely feeling good, the last few months have been good for me and success breeds confidence. My swing and my short game are good and I’m just sticking to my guns,” Hollick said.

While other golfers have found the back nine at Royal Harare Golf Club especially testing, Hollick’s cool and calm approach saw him prosper there on Saturday as he came home in 33 shots, one or two strokes less than anyone else in the top four.

“Of late, I’ve been making a bogey at the start of my round, but I’ve always been able to recover. I’m quite relaxed, so I just carry on, knowing a birdie is probably around the corner.

“On the back nine today, I hit all the fairways, except for 18, and hit some nice irons, which makes it much easier to get those birdies,” Hollick said.

The evergreen Darren Fichardt is the chief challenger to Hollick, his 69 on Saturday lifting him to 14-under-par. The 48-year-old had four birdies and three bogeys, but an eagle at the par-five sixth made all the difference.

Kieran Vincent is the chief home hope on 11-under-par after a 67, leaving him tied for third with Anthony Michael (71). But two more Zimbabweans, Benjamin Follett-Smith and Kieran’s older brother Scott are one shot further back, alongside MJ Viljoen (66).

Follett-Smith fired the low round of the day, a seven-under-par 65, and was five-under at the turn.

HARARE – Martin Vorster was on a rock-solid two-under-par for his round after his first seven holes on Friday, but a raucous run around the turn in which he picked up four birdies and then an eagle helped catapult him to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the FBC Zim Open at Royal Harare Golf Club.

The Mossel Bay representative began his round on the 10^th hole and made another eagle on the par-five sixth hole before parring his way in for a phenomenal 62, his best ever round in his 52^ndSunshine Tour event. That lifted Vorster to 12-under-par at the halfway mark of the R2.5 million event, one stroke ahead of Darren Fichardt (66) and Michael Hollick (67).

Vorster responded in style to a grungy first round that included four bogeys to offset six birdies. On Friday he made birdies at the 10^th, 12^th and 14^th holes, before his only dropped shot, a four at the par-three 15^th. But the 22-year-old then made sweet music with four straight birdies at 17, 18, one and two, before his eagle at the 475m par-three third.

Veteran Fichardt sounded a warning in the morning about his challenge, firing a six-under 66 that included eight birdies, being joined on 11-under-par by Hollick, who posted a 67 that included a good little run of his own when he birdied four successive holes from the fifth to the eighth.

Anthony Michael also shot a 67 to lie fourth on 10-under-par, while first-round leader Jaco Ahlers slipped back a bit with a 71 that left him on eight-under.

Kieran Vincent was the leading Zimbabwean as his 67 lifted him to six-under-par, alongside South Africans JC Ritchie (69) and Combrinck Smit (70) in the tie for sixth.

HARARE – Jaco Ahlers has admitted to some frustration over how his 2024 has gone so far, but the 41-year-old put all that aside on Thursday as he roared around the Royal Harare Golf Club in seven-under-par to seize the lead after the first round of the FBC Zim Open.

Ahlers began the year with three missed cuts in his first four events spread between the Sunshine and Asian tours, but a runners-up finish in March in the Stella Artois Championship, finishing just a stroke behind winner Heinrich Bruiners at Dainfern, marked a change in fortunes. Since then he finished tied-10^th at the Saudi Open and was tied-13^th in the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq last weekend at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington’s East Course.

On Thursday, Ahlers was in sublime form as he started his 2024/25 Sunshine Tour campaign in rampant fashion on the 10^th hole and reeled off three straight birdies to get his brilliant round of 65 going. He picked up another shot on the par-four 17^th and then eagled the par-five third hole. Although the world number 354 then bogeyed the fourth, he sealed a one-stroke lead with birdies on the seventh and eighth holes.

“It’s always nice to start that way, especially on the back nine here at Royal Harare, which is tougher, especially the greens, which are all raised,” Ahlers said.

“It’s difficult playing in this mid-year period because I play on the Asian Tour as well and that runs from January to December. This year has not been as good as I would have liked, but you just need to go on from there and today was a step in the right direction.

“Royal Harare suits me, it’s an old style course with big trees and dog-legs. The only way to play it is to be patient and not too aggressive,” Ahlers, who was tied-second in last year’s FBC Zim Open and fourth in 2022, said.

The highlight of Ahlers’ round was when he capitalised on a good drive on the 475m third hole and sent a searing six-iron to within six feet of the hole and sank the putt for eagle.

Michael Hollick is alone in second place on six-under-par after a 66 on Thursday. The Mount Edgecombe golfer reached the turn in one-under, but scorched through the back nine in just 31 strokes, with three successive birdies from the 11^th hole, and further gains on the 16^th and 18^th holes.

There is a strong chasing pack of five golfers on five-under-par, comprising seasoned winners Jacques Blaauw and Darren Fichardt, Zimbabwe’s own Scott Vincent, the experienced Anthony Michael and former University of North Texas college golfer Jason Roets.

JOHANNESBURG – Louis Albertse cruised to a seven-stroke victory in the inaugural Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq, and with it claimed the R1 million cheque for first place at Royal Johannesburg on Sunday.

Albertse played incredibly composed golf over the weekend, culminating in his final round of 64 to win on 23 under par 265.

“It’s been an unbelievable week. Golf is hard and it’s nice when you put in the work to get the result,” said Albertse.

Sunshine Ladies Tour professional Casandra Alexander and Welsh professional Rhys Enoch shared second place on 16 under par with respective final rounds of 68.

GolfRSA star and reigning Africa Amateur champion Altin van der Merwe finished as the leading amateur on eight under par.

This tournament was a celebration of the champions on the Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour and within South African amateur golf, and Albertse emerged as the champion of champions with a performance that picks up where he ended last season, finishing third on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy with a win and nine top-10s.

“This game is so tough so the weeks that do go well you need to cherish and enjoy it. I’m extremely grateful. The performance has been great. The players in this tournament are all great and I knew what I needed to do. I didn’t put myself under too much pressure and I gave my putter a chance today. The R1 million is also welcome because golf is expensive.”

Alexander certainly impressed in her representation of South African women’s professional golf. Her 61 in the second round earned her the tournament lead going into the weekend and she did her best to push Albertse on the final day.

And as part of the showcase of the strength and depth throughout the South African golf fraternity, David Watts and Daniel Slabbert shared first place in the separate competition held for the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA).

Watts and Slabbert both finished on four over par. Watts signed for successive rounds of 74, while Slabbert posted rounds of 70 and 78.

“We are so excited at the outcome of this tournament. The fans and the players really supported the tournament. Our goal for this tournament was to create heroes for the next generation, and the support of Waterfall City and Attacq has been instrumental in this,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour. – Michael Vlismas.

JOHANNESBURG – Louis Albertse kept his composure on a day when he admitted he wasn’t at his best and still managed to claim a three-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq.

Albertse signed for a 68 on the composite nine-hole layout at Royal Johannesburg’s East Course to lead the field on 15 under par, and also lead the chase for the R1 million in prize money for first place this weekend.

His nearest challengers are Welshman Rhys Enoch and Sunshine Ladies Tour campaigner Casandra Alexander on 12 under par following their respective rounds of 66 and 73.

Alexander started the round with a two-stroke lead following her impressive 61 on Friday. But she couldn’t find that same momentum on Saturday, which opened the door for Albertse.

Yet he also struggled early on with two bogeys in his opening four holes. It was a key stretch of three birdies in five holes thereafter that gave him the lead. There was another bogey and two birdies on the back nine, but it was the eagle on the par-five 18^th that finally gave him some breathing room at the top of the leaderboard.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better score to be honest. I didn’t play my best. I wasn’t in the right positions and just had to fight, but I’m really pleased to get away with a score like this,” said Albertse.

With a past Sunshine Tour season that saw him finish as one of the most consistent professionals on the Tour with a victory and nine top-10s, Albertse clearly had the experience to still carve out a lead despite not having his best game with him.

“It’s very tough and I feel like that’s a big part of this game, just like chipping and putting and anything else. It’s really about trying to stay in the moment. I was two over par at one stage and if you start thinking too far ahead it can get even worse, so I just tried to focus on the next shot.”

GolfRSA’s Ivan Verster is the leading amateur going into the final round on nine under par. – Michael Vlismas.

JOHANNESBURG – Casandra Alexander produced a magnificent bogey-free round of 61 to lead the Sunshine Tour’s Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq by two strokes at Royal Johannesburg’s East Course on Friday.

Competing as one of the champions on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this past season, Alexander surged to the top of the leaderboard on 13 under par, with Sunshine Tour professional Louis Albertse her nearest challenger on 11 under par following his second round of 68.

Sunshine Tour professionals Rupert Kaminski and Gerhard Pepler are currently tied third headed into the weekend on seven under par. Ivan Verster is the leading amateur on six under par.

The elite 34-player field brings together champions from the Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour and the amateur ranks of GolfRSA in what has been designed to showcase the strength of South African golf throughout its structures.

And there was no greater evidence of this than Alexander’s performance.

With the Sunshine Ladies Tour having just completed another successful season featuring eight tournaments – two of which we co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour – Alexander’s performance is another powerful statement of the strides made to advance women’s professional golf in South Africa.

The Sunshine Tour has helped to advance this through offering spots for leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals into its Vodacom Origins of Golf series of tournaments last season, where they competed for the same prize money as the Sunshine Tour professionals.

Alexander recently claimed her fifth title on the Sunshine Ladies Tour in the ABSA Ladies Invitational, and this 61 was a clear indication of a professional with big ambitions for this season.

“I’ve worked really hard on my consistency in all areas of my game, inside and outside the ropes,” said Alexander, who had to work through ankle surgery in December and a change in coach before the season started.

“My biggest goal this season is to finish in the top 10 on the Ladies European Tour so that I can get through to the Final Stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School at the end of the year.” – Michael Vlismas.

JOHANNESBURG – Louis Albertse rose to the fore in a field of champions as he opened with a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to lead the Sunshine Tour’s new Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq by two strokes at Royal Johannesburg’s East Course on Thursday.

As one of the select professionals in a 34-player field that has brought together champions from the Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour and the elite amateur ranks of GolfRSA, Albertse got off to the perfect start in the chase to the R1-million first-place cheque come Sunday.

The winner of last season’s KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am opened with a birdie on the first and added a further four birdies and an eagle to carry him to the top of the leaderboard.

With this also being the first tournament of the Sunshine Tour’s new 2024-25 season, Albertse has clearly picked up from where he left off.

He finished last season with four top-10s on his way to his best-ever finish of third on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, which has also secured him a DP World Tour card for this season.

His nearest challengers are Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi, Gerhard Pepler, amateur Ivan Verster and Scottish women’s professional Kylie Henry all on five under par.

Ryan van Velzen, the winner of last season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, came through the opening round five shots off the lead.

Top GolfRSA amateur Altin van der Merwe, the winner of the inaugural Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek in February and who recently also won the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage, opened with a round of level par 72.

And Robin Williams, the Sunshine Tour’s Fortress Rookie of the Year for last season, started his week with a round of one-over-par 73. – Michael Vlismas.