SUN CITY, North West – Jonathan Broomhead’s love for Sun City continued as he claimed the lead in the first round of the Sunshine Tour’s Blue Label Challenge on Wednesday.
The tournament is played over Sun City’s two golf courses and Broomhead played the Gary Player Country Club course on day one, opening with a solid 19 points to give him a clear eight-point lead over second-placed Nikhil Rama and Kyle de Beer. Rama played the Lost City Golf Course, while De Beer was also on the Gary Player Country Club course.
A modified points-based scoring system is used for this event whereby par is zero points, a birdie is two points, an eagle is five points and an albatross is eight points. A bogey sees one point deducted while a double bogey or worse sees three points deducted.
Broomhead’s love for Sun City’s golf courses is clear. In the last two editions of the SunBet Challenge Sun City played at the Gary Player Country Club he’s finished tied fifth and tied third, and last year he finished sixth in the Blue Label Challenge.
“My eye just suits this place,” he said. “I mean, with the Gary Player Country Club specifically, it just suits my game. You have to be really good off the tee here, and I do that pretty well.”
The Durban professional is also having a spectacular second season on the Sunshine Tour.
After winning in his rookie season, Broomhead claimed his second victory on the Tour this year in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast Sun Country Club. He’s had a further seven top-10s on the Sunshine Tour this season which has carried him into third place on the Tour’s Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.
“The things I’ve been working on are all falling into place. The consistency is better overall. I think it’s also a case of me playing the courses smarter. And when things don’t go my way, I just ride the wave. I’ve worked really hard not to get frustrated, because we all know what golf is like. There’s no point getting frustrated out here.”
Behind the talented 23-year-old is a tantalising group of young Sunshine Tour stars also keen to make the same kind of impact they’ve seen Broomhead make so early in his career.
De Beer’s 11 points on the Gary Player Country Club course put him in yet another strong position to claim a maiden victory in a season where he’s already had three top-10s, which has entrenched his position as the leader on the Fortress Rookie of the Year rankings.
And in tied fourth place on 10 points is Altin van der Merwe, who has been feeling more and more comfortable near the top of the leaderboard in his rookie season on the Tour. He’s had two top-10s in his last three tournaments and is currently second behind De Beer on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings.
