By Michael Vlismas
Ruan Korb woke up on Thursday morning, saw the bad weather that would force a delayed start of the second round of the Time Square Casino Challenge at Wingate Park Country Club, and decided the best way to prepare for it was a Wimpy breakfast with his girlfriend.
And it worked.
Korb signed for a sublime 64 that took him to the top of the leaderboard of this Sunshine Tour event on 13 under par, giving him a three-stroke clubhouse lead before bad light forced a suspension of the second round.
First-round leader Deon Germishuys kept within touching distance of the lead on 10 under par following a 70, while Martin Rohwer was also on that total with two holes to play.
“We are staying quite close to the golf course so when I woke up I knew there was going to be a delay. That’s when I decided to take my girlfriend for a lekker Wimpy breakfast,†said Korb.
Whether it was the Farmhouse special or the flapjacks, it had the desired result for a golfer who in his first tournament after lockdown finished third in the Betway Championship and decided right there that 2020 was going to be his year.
“During lockdown I didn’t practice much at all. I hit maybe 200 balls into a net. That was it. But when we came back I just had this feeling it was going to be my year. It’s a weird feeling, but in that first tournament I hit the ball really well and just felt it was going to be a better year than last year.â€
This is the first time Korb is leading a Sunshine Tour event.
“It nice to see my name on top of the leaderboard. I’m feeling positive. I enjoy Wingate because I used to be a member here for four years. I always like coming back to play it.â€
Korb is also keenly aware of what a win could mean for him.
“I always knew this was going to be a big week. A win will make me exempt for all three of the upcoming European Tour co-sanctioned tournaments.â€
And a big pay day in one of those can buy a few Wimpy breakfasts.