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6th June 2025

Loubser moves three clear in Mopani Zambia Open

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 10th 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

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5th June 2025

SA duo of Loubser and Otto share lead in the Mopani Zambia Open

KITWE, Zambia – Herman Loubser and Sunshine Tour veteran Hennie Otto finished Thursday’s first round of the Mopani Zambia Open in a share of the lead following their rounds of five-under-par 67 at the Nkana Golf Club.

They are one stroke clear of Sweden’s Fredrik From and defending champion MJ Viljoen from South Africa.

Loubser, who started his round on the back nine and had to work for a few pars early on, claimed the early clubhouse lead with a solid round including three birdies and an eagle.

“I started off a little bit shaky but made good up-and-downs for par that kept the momentum going. My course management was good today. At the par-five second hole I holed it out of the bunker with my third shot for eagle, which I haven’t done in a while,” said Loubser, who wasn’t even born yet when his fellow leader Otto finished second in this tournament in 1998.

“The nice things about these tournaments are that all the guys stay in the same spot, so it’s always very social. The people here are so friendly. I love this place. Africa in general is just a fun experience,” Loubser said. 

The young Sunshine Tour professional was delighted with his start and hopes to continue with this momentum.

“It’s quite a weird position to be in. Usually I try to shoot a low round to make the cut, but it’s nice to put myself in a good position.” – Michael Vlismas Media