Month: June 2025

KITWE, Zambia – Sameul Simpson’s final round of three-under-par 69 was enough to finally end Herman Loubser’s dominance of this year’s Mopani Zambia Open and earn the young South African his first victory on the Sunshine Tour.

Simpson’s bogey-free final round at the Nkana Golf Club earned him a one-stroke victory over Loubser on 11 under par.

Loubser, who had been at the top of the leaderboard since the first round, struggled with a closing 76 to take second place on 10 under par.

Luke Jerling, JJ Senekal and Lyle Rowe shared third place on nine under par.

Simpson teed off the final round five shots behind Loubser. But it was his ability to limit his mistakes on a final day when Loubser struggled to do the same in a round of three bogeys and one double bogey that made the difference.

However, Loubser’s commanding lead meant he and Simpson were still tied for the lead on 11 under par through 17 holes.

But Loubser’s bogey on the 18^th  hole ensured the victory went to Simpson.

Simpson is the second maiden winner on the Sunshine Tour this season after the opening five tournaments following Luis Carrera from Mexico. – Michael Vlismas Media

KITWE, Zambia – Herman Loubser retained his place at the top of the Mopani Zambia Open leaderboard with another solid performance in Saturday’s third round at the Nkana Golf Club.

A bogey-free 68 lifted Loubser to 14 under par overall and five strokes clear of his nearest challenger and fellow South African Hennie Otto.

With two birdies on the front nine followed up by two more on the back nine, Loubser produced another composed round of golf to keep the lead.

“It’s been good and solid. I’ve played nicely and made a lot of par putts that kept the momentum going. The greens are tricky, but I have been good with my short game and I’ve hit the ball quite nice,” Loubser said.

With an impressive five-stroke lead heading into the final day, Loubser is exited about the challenge lying ahead.

“I just need to do the same thing tomorrow, that is the game plan. Hopefully the putting and chipping stays good. Obviously, there will be a few nerves, but it is quite exiting. There will be a lot of the guys out there tomorrow trying to win. I am keen for the challenge,” he said.

After Otto, young Sunshine Tour professional Ethan Smith starts the final round six strokes back after signing for a round of six-under-par of 66. – Michael Vlismas Media

KITWE, Zambia – Herman Loubser followed up his first round 67 with another five-under-par 67 on Friday to take a commanding three-stroke lead into the weekend of the Mopani Zambia Open played at the Nkana Golf Club.

But it was a round in which he had to rely heavily on his short game as he also overcame a double bogey on the 10^th on his way to claiming the lead on 10 under par.

“I didn’t hit the ball that good today, especially off the tee. I left myself a lot of work to do with the short game, but luckily my short game was really good today. My short game saved me today,” he said.

His nearest challenger is Samuel Simpson on seven under par following his round of 65 on Friday. There are a group of players on six under including defending champion MJ Viljoen and veteran Hennie Otto.

Heading into the weekend, Loubser’s gameplan is to keep things simple.

“I’m just going to try to hit the ball a bit better. I’ll keep the putting and chipping as is. But I need to just try to hit a few more fairways. This course gets tricky once you miss,” he said.

Simpson, who has already had two top-10 finishes this year, is also looking forward to a big weekend.

“I got off to a solid start today. My gameplan was just to birdie the par-fives and to plot my way around the golf course. I turned in four under and then just stuck to the strategy. There are still two more rounds, the course isn’t easy, and I’ve just got to stick to my processes.  If it adds up to a good total at the end, I will be happy.”

At just four strokes off the lead, Otto is hoping his experience will count on the weekend.

“The golf course is in unbelievable condition, but it gives and takes. You need a bit of luck, especially on the greens. The key this weekend is patience.” – Michael Vlismas Media