Author: Michael Vlismas

GAUTENG, Johannesburg – The excitement around Caitlyn Macnab’s potential in the professional arena moved up a level on Thursday as she claimed the first-round lead in the Sunshine Tour’s mixed event – the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC.

Macnab opened with a round of four-under-par 68 on Royal Johannesburg’s East Course, set up as a nine-hole composite course for this event, to lead by one over the field. It was in fact the Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals who led the way on day one as her nearest challengers are Danielle du Toit and Cara Gorlei following their rounds of 69.

Kyle de Beer is the leading Sunshine Tour professional with an opening round of two-under-par 70, with Herman Loubser – last season’s Sunshine Tour Players’ Player of the Year – in a group of Sunshine Tour professionals who signed for rounds of 71.

The field for this tournament is drawn from, amongst other exemption categories, winners on the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour over the past season.

Macnab earned her way into this field as The R&A Rookie of the Year on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this past season following her three top-five finishes on the Tour.

Just one shot behind her, Du Toit said she is revelling in competing in a mix field of champions this week.

“It’s such a great experience to play with so many champions. That to me is the special part of the tournament. It is the cream of the crop, the best of the best, so we can really test ourselves against each other, regardless of which Tour you play on,” she said after a round of challenging weather including a lightning delay.

“I had a really good round today, especially with the conditions. It was cold, windy and even raining at one point, which is weird in the middle of winter in Gauteng. My game was precise and consistent and a couple of putts fell, so that was great. I am one shot behind Caitlyn but there is so much more golf to be played. It’s nice to see three women at the top of the leaderboard. I hope that we can keep up the challenge.” – Michael Vlismas Media

EASTERN CAPE, Gqeberha – Justin Walters not only had to wait 15 years for another title, he had to also dig deep to achieve it in winning the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Boardwalk at Humewood Golf Club on Friday.

Walters closed with a 72 to finish on 15-under par, one shot clear of Daniel van Tonder (67) and Jacques Blaauw (69) to become a three-time Sunshine Tour winner.

He went into the final round with a four-shot lead but found trouble on the front nine with three bogeys in four holes and turning in three over for his round. This opened the door for the chasing pack to not only close in, but to also move past the overnight leader.

With the lead changing hands a couple of times during an eventful final round, Van Tonder took the clubhouse lead on 14 under par with his trademark strong finish that included three birdies over his final four holes. Blaauw came home just as strong, also finishing with three birdies in his last four holes.

But Walters edged ahead with his two birdies on the 15^th and 16^th holes on his way to victory.

It was the perfect ending to a week in which Walters came back to the Sunshine Tour looking for exactly this kind of restart.

“It was nice to be back home. I’m normally campaigning overseas this time of year and my career has taken a different direction at the moment. I couldn’t have thought of a better place to come down and support my home Tour. This is where it all started for me, and it’s been great to be able to regather some of the momentum that I had in the past. It’s friendly faces, friends, golf courses, food, weather – the Sunshine Tour is just a fun place to play golf,” said Walters.

The Welshman Jack Davidson (70) ended fourth on 13 under par after finishing third in last week’s Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am. – Michael Vlismas Media

EASTERN CAPE, Gqeberha – For a hometown favourite, Kyle de Beer certainly looked at home as he made the perfect start in challenging conditions to lead the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Boardwalk at Humewood Golf Club on Wednesday.

De Beer opened with a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to lead by one shot over Justin Walters. The round had to be suspended because of darkness, but only one group was unable to complete their first rounds and will do so on Thursday morning.

For the better half of the opening day it seemed like five under par would be the leading score as a bottle-neck formed amongst the five players of Tristen Strydom, Luke Brown, Jean Hugo, Benjamin van Wyk and Toto Thimba Jnr. all tied on that score. But that was until Walters and De Beer broke free late in the afternoon.

De Beer started his round with a birdie on the second hole and followed this with an eagle on the par-five seventh to set the tone for his day.

“It was a lovely day to get off to such a nice start, especially considering how tricky the wind and the weather was. I was hitting it very solid from the get-go with a lot of nice shots into the green. The hole-out eagle on the seventh hole was a real bonus and that kickstarted the round,” De Beer said.

But the true magic of his round was a sublime finish of four birdies over his final four holes.

“I made a couple of nice saves – the one on the 10^th hole comes to mind. It was a really nice up-and-down over a bunker to keep the momentum going. The rest of the round caried on in the same vein, but the finish was very nice. The birdie on the 18^th hole was a real bonus as I hit it about 15-foot past the flag, but rolled it in. It was a lovely way to finish the round and a really good day.”

With several top-10s in his career to date, including on this SunBet Challenge series, De Beer is still searching for his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour.

“I have been expecting a round like this. It’s really nice for me to see that there is a little bit of progress in the work I am doing. I am just going to keep my head down and keep working.” – Michael Vlismas Media

GAUTENG, Pretoria – Gerhard Pepler made his second Sunshine Tour title a memorable one as he claimed a wire-to-wire victory in the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club on Sunday.

Pepler closed with a 65 to win on 24 under par, and withstood a strong challenge from Graham van der Merwe whose 61 earned him second place on 22 under par.

“I still don’t really know what’s going on. It’s so overwhelming,” a happy Pepler said after sinking the winning putt on the 18^th green.

The final round was a true battle, with three other players also pushing hard for the title.

Welshman Jack Davidson fired the first shot, tying the lead after an eagle two on the first hole. But Pepler answered with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes to regain a two-shot lead. Van Der Merwe and Jaco Prinsloo joined the hunt and came close to the lead on numerous occasions.

Van Der Merwe finished with four birdies over the last five holes to join Pepler on 22 under par and holding the clubhouse lead.

But it was Pepler’s eagle on the par-five 17^th that made the crucial difference as it took him two shots clear again. A par on the 18^th then secured him the title.

“When that putt went in on the par-five for eagle, I totally blacked out. I had my gameplan set for the 18^th hole. I knew it’s iron of the tee box, hit it in the middle of the green, and try and make par,” said Pepler, who had his parents with him to witness his victory for the first time in his career.

Pepler’s previous only victory on the Sunshine Tour came back in 2023. Having tied for second place at this tournament last year, it was an emotional moment as he went one better this year.

“I was hoping it would come, I just didn’t expect it to be this early in the season. I am very happy,” Pepler said.

Davidson closed with a 66 to finish third on 21 under par, with Prinsloo fourth on 20 under par after a final round of 67. – Michael Vlismas Media

GAUTENG, Pretoria – It was a grind, but Gerhard Pepler still managed to hang onto his lead in the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club and heads into Sunday’s final round two strokes clear of the field.

A level-par 72 kept him at 17 under par overall and opened the door for Christiaan Burke (third-round 67), Jaco Prinsloo (66) and Jack Davidson (68) to close the gap as they finished the third round on 15 under par.

The round had to be suspended late in the afternoon because of darkness, with a few players who will have to complete their third rounds on Sunday morning before the start of the final round.

Pepler, who started the day with a six-shot lead after rounds of 63 and 64, had to dig deep as things did not go all his way on Saturday.

“It wasn’t the easiest of days today. I started with a birdie on the second hole, and then things went a little bit sideways. I wasn’t swinging it great and I put myself under a bit more pressure than what I was doing the first two days. I was hitting it in the wrong places today and was not making my putts,” said Pepler.

The big man made three bogeys in his next four holes after that early birdie. Then came a birdie on the eighth, a bogey on the 10^th and a further two birdies on holes 15 and 17.

“It was a little bit of a grinding day, but I managed to finish it off with two birdies on the last four holes. I am still happy to be in the lead with two shots.”

Going into the final day, Pepler said he wants to put the tough third round behind him and focus on his quest for a second Sunshine Tour title.

“I have a little bit of a cushion going into tomorrow, but today was a bit of a wakeup call that everything is not always going to go your way for a full week. I am still happy with the lead and excited going into the final round, and to do better than what I did today,” Pepler said.

Behind him, Prinsloo will be a threat as a player in incredible form. Prinsloo hasn’t finished worse than fifth in his last four Sunshine Tour events. – Michael Vlismas Media

GAUTENG, Pretoria – Gerhard Pepler is in a commanding position on 17 under par at the halfway mark of the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club, leading by six shots from Jacques P de Villiers, Justin Walters and Welshman Jack Davidson.

Pepler backed up an opening 63 with a 64 in Friday’s second round. The round had to be suspended because of darkness, with only a few players who will have to complete their second rounds on Saturday morning.

Starting his round on the 10^th tee, Pepler opened with a birdie. But his most impressive run of scoring came from the 17^th hole onwards as he made three birdies and an eagle over the turn. He added another two birdies on his second nine.

“I felt good and patient today, and then on the 17^th hole I hit it right in the trees, then over the green, but I made a long putt. On the 18^th hole I hit it short of the bunker on the right and didn’t have a good lie. I told my caddie I am just going to try and get it anywhere on the green and I ended up making the chip for eagle,” said Pepler.

“I went on to birdie the fifth and sixth holes, so the momentum was there. I just kept on rolling the putts and trying to make everything.”

With a six-shot lead, Pepler is looking forward to the weekend and would love to go one better than his joint second place at this tournament last year.

“The lead definitely helps. I’ve always loved Irene, so to be in the lead going into the last rounds is quite special. Starting off the week I said if I shoot four-under every day I’ll be happy, so I have a little bit of a head start there.” Pepler said. – Michael Vlismas Media

GAUTENG, Pretoria – This week Jayden Schaper makes his Major championship debut in The PGA Championship. Only a few years ago in 2021, Schaper finished tied fifth in the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for every Sunshine Tour professional competing at Irene Country Club this week to be thinking of a similar career progression.

Gerhard Pepler is the man at the forefront of chasing that long-term goal after opening with a nine-under-par 63 to lead the field by three strokes after Thursday’s first round.

It was a positive start by a player who has finished sixth and second in this event in the past, and who is coming off a seventh-place finish in last week’s FBC Zim Open.

“I really felt good out there today. The gameplan was to play stress-free golf and I think I managed to do that quite well,” said Pepler. His nearest challengers on six under are Tyrone Ryan, Christiaan Burke and Welshman Jack Davidson.

Pepler’s form at the moment has less to do with any swing changes and more to do with his lifestyle changes, having moved his family to the coast.

“The past few weeks the mindset is a lot better since we moved to Ballito. I am more relaxed so everything is falling into place, a little bit more where I want it to be. I’m very relaxed and enjoying golf again,” Pepler said.

He took full advantage of an early tee-time on a glorious highveld winter’s day, birdieing the first hole and making the turn with a further two birdies and an eagle.

“I got off to a good start after making birdie on the first hole. I hit a good tee-shot on the seventh hole to set-up a relatively easy birdie putt and then made a good par-save on the eighth hole which kept the momentum going. On the ninth hole I hit a good drive and seven iron to about 15 feet from the flag. I knew exactly what the putt would be doing and I made the putt for eagle.”

The back nine started in the same manner for Pepler with a birdie on the 10^th hole. He added another birdie on the 15^th and then closed with birdies on the 17^th and 18^th.

“The momentum just kept going so I am very happy to have finished the way that I did with the two birdies. I am happy to be up there and really excited for the rest of the week and what is still in store for me.” – Michael Vlismas Media

South African golfers dominated around the world this past weekend in a true representation of the Sunshine Tour’s statement that “Greatness Begins Here”.
 
In one of the country’s most impressive collective performances in one weekend, South African professionals won on three different tours.
 
In Spain, Yurav Premlall made DP World Tour history when he won the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship by a staggering 14 shots – a record winning margin for a maiden title on the DP World Tour.
 
In Zimbabwe, Altin van der Merwe claimed his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour in the FBC Zim Open.
 
In Asia, Ian Snyman claimed a maiden victory on the Asian Tour in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.
 
And in the United States on the PGA Tour Champions, Ernie Els was one shot off the lead going into the final round of the Insperity Invitational at the time of writing.
 
Yurav Premlall set the tone for his victory with a course record 63 in the third round which earned him $50 000 for the Course Record presented by Nexo. The young South African was chasing Tiger Woods’s DP World Tour record winning margin of 15 strokes, but was more than happy to settle for a life-changing maiden victory on the Tour at 28 under par.
 
“I’m just so grateful so it’s a dream come true. I’ll start with my mum – at least it’s a Mother’s Day present so happy Mother’s Day, mum. And yeah, for my dad, we worked so hard to get here. It’s so rewarding to stand up on this pedestal and be able to thank everyone for being part of this journey so far,” Premlall said.
 
The South African flag flew proudly in Spain as second place went to countryman Shaun Norris on 14 under par, while fellow South African JC Ritchie finished in a share of third place on 13 under par.
 
In Zimbabwe, former Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year, Altin van der Merwe, claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title with a four-stroke triumph on 21 under par.

Van Der Merwe led by four strokes going into the final round and closed with a 68 to add his name to a list of former champions of this tournament that includes Major winners and world number ones.
 
“I’m very pleased. First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to my wife. This is her first Mother’s Day and I’ll see her tonight and see if I can treat her,” said Van Der Merwe.
 
In a powerful statement about the future of South African golf, GolfRSA amateur Andries van der Vyver, winner of the Zimbabwe Junior Open, closed with a three-under-par 69 to share seventh place on 11 under par and finish as the leading amateur.
 
And in Asia, Ian Snyman claimed a two-shot victory in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open on 15 under par.
 
“This is crazy. Two months ago, I was in the shower, and I was thinking, ‘Will I ever win again?’ You work hard and you run out of ideas about what to do and what to change. And here I am today, and we have managed to do it,” Snyman said.
 
Fellow South African Jbe Kruger finished tied ninth. – Michael Vlismas

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Altin van der Merwe made a significant statement on Saturday in the third round of the FBC Zim Open at the Royal Harare Golf Club when he signed for an impressive eight-under-par 64 and the tournament lead as he targets another opportunity at a maiden Sunshine Tour title.

Van Der Merwe heads the field on 17 under par heading into Sunday’s final round, with Kyle Barker (66) and Austin Bautista (67) his nearest challengers on 13 under par.

Tomas Gana, who led for the first two rounds, dropped to 10 under par with a 73. Kieran Vincent leads the local challenge on nine under par following his 65, and with a strong contingent of five Zimbabwean professionals having made the cut.

The South African duo of Van der Merwe and Barker battled for the lead on Saturday, with eagles and birdies the order of the day. Barker made the initial charge, starting with two birdies and two eagles within the first six holes. But three bogeys slowed his momentum. Australia’s Bautista, who finished second in this event last year, made his surge to join Barker in second place.

But Van Der Merwe kept his composure and with a round of five birdies, two eagles and one bogey he claimed the lead.

“Today was awesome. It was a great day of golf. I executed about 90% of what I wanted to do. The course was a lot softer after the rain and played a lot more reliable. But even with that said, the course is brilliant and still tight. If you hit fairways and greens you’re going to have a good day. The putter was good. I’m not changing anything for the final day. I’m rocking up to that first tee with the same gameplan,” he said.

Van Der Merwe has had a few opportunities before this to break through on the Sunshine Tour, and the former Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year will definitely take all of that experience into a final round of one of the most historic events on the Tour which has Major winners and former world number ones on its list of previous champions. – Michael Vlismas Media