Author: Michael Vlismas

IRENE, Gauteng – Jonathan Broomhead’s nine-under-par 63 at Irene Country Club on Friday carried him into the second-round lead of the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am as the young Sunshine Tour professional has found form early in the new season.

The three-time Sunshine Tour winner holds the overall lead on 15 under par following a round in which he rolled in eight birdies and an eagle and dropped just one shot.

“Today was good. It’s nice to follow up a round like my 66 yesterday with a round like today. There is still a lot of golf to play. I am just going to play my game and I’m not focussing on the other players,” he said.

It’s a positive start to the new season for Broomhead, and following a strong 2024/25 season in which he finished fourth on the over Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

“It’s exiting. I had a bit of a break after last season so it’s nice to get back into things. Some form here is always nice and I hope to keep it going for the next few weeks. The body is feeling good, the swing is feeling good, so we will see how it goes,” he said.

His nearest challenger just one shot behind is the in-form Luis Carrera from Meixco. Carrera signed for a 67 on Friday as the winner of last week’s FBNC Zim Open continues his quest for back-to-back victories in his maiden season on the Sunshine Tour.

“It was a great week last week. It gave me some confidence. I am playing some good shots, putting the ball in play, and that gives me a good chance to attack pins this week,” he said.

JC Ritche made a late charge in the day with his eagle and two birdies in his final four holes for a 66 and third place on 13 under par.

The South African duo of Dylan Frittelli and Trevor Fisher Jnr are three strokes behind the leader in joint fourth place, with Frittelli looking especially threatening for the weekend after a second round of 63. – Michael Vlismas Media

The Sunshine Tour is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Zimbabwean professional Morton Kombai.

Morton competed in the recent FBC Zim Open at Royal Harare Golf Club and was a valued member of the Zimbabwe Professional Golfers Association (ZPGA) which he represented with distinction as a professional known and respected for his humility and passion for the game of golf.

We extend our sincerest condolences to Morton’s family and the extended family of the ZPGA and the FBC Zim Open.

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Mexican professional Luis Carrera claimed his first title on the Sunshine Tour in his first start after winning the Qualifying School when he took the FBC Zim Open by four strokes at Royal Harare Golf Club on Sunday.

Carrera won the Sunshine Tour’s 2025/26 season opening tournament on 18 under par with a final round of 68.

Australia’s Austin Bautista, who also earned his Sunshine Tour playing privileges at April’s Qualifying School, finished second on 14 under par with a closing 71.

Sweden’s Fredrik From and South Africa’s MJ Viljoen shared third place on nine under par.

Carrera took the overall lead after Fridays second round and never looked back. The Mexican started Sunday’s final round with a one-stroke lead over Bautista.

He started strong and was three under through his opening three holes following a birdie and an eagle. But his bogey on the par-three 11^th hole left him with only a one-stroke lead over Bautista.

The two golfers were level after Bautista’s birdie on the 12^th hole, and then Carrera sealed the victory with three birdies in his final five holes.

Trevor Fisher Jnr. finished fifth on eight under par, maintaining his impressive record in a tournament where he has twice finished second in a playoff. – Michael Vlismas Media

Mexico’s Luis Carrera and Australia’s Austin Bautista, the Sunshine Tour’s two newest qualifying school graduates, will head into Sunday’s final round of the FBC ZIM Open chasing maiden victories on the tour at Royal Harare Golf Club.

Carrera heads the field on 14 under par following a third round of 69 on Saturday. He is one stroke clear of Bautista, who signed for a 66. South Africa’s MJ Viljoen remains in contention on 12 under par following his third round of 70.

Carrera, who held the overnight lead, didn’t have the best of starts as he bogeyed the first hole while playing partner Viljoen signalled his intent with an eagle two at the first.

“MJ hit a great shot on the first and eagled, and I bogeyed so it was a three-shot swing. But there was still a lot of golf left and a lot of other players as well, so I needed to focus on my own game, which I did. It was a good round. I didn’t have my A game, but in the end I was happy that I was able to still play well,” said Carrera.

Carrera won the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School in April with a magnificent final round of 61 and is looking for a winning start to his career in South Africa.

Behind him, Bautista – another graduate from the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School – made the biggest move on Saturday with a sublime bogey-free 66.

The experienced Trevor Fisher Jnr. and Hennie Otto will head into the final round in tied fourth place on nine under par.

Fisher Jnr. in particular may feel he is due a victory in the FBC Zim Open after twice finishing second in 2012 and 2017, losing in a playoff on both occasions. – Michael Vlismas Media

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Mexico’s Luis Carrera, the winner of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School in April, is looking for his first victory on the Tour as he heads into the weekend of the FBC Zim Open with a one-stroke lead on 11 under par.

Carrera signed for a second round of six-under-par 66 at the Royal Harare Golf Club on Friday, finishing with two consecutive birdies to secure the overall lead in the first tournament of the new 2025/26 Sunshine Tour season.

It is a powerful statement from Carrera as to his intent on the Sunshine Tour.

After winning the Qualifying School with a career-low round of 61 on the final day, the Mexican professional has some very clear goals for his Sunshine Tour career.

“I think the Sunshine Tour is a great tour. It gives you the potential to get to other tours like the HotelPlanner Tour and DP World Tour. So that’s what made me decide to play here,” he said.

“I’m just very happy to be playing a full season on the Sunshine Tour. I was fortunate to play good golf at the Q School and I won that. Now I’m off to a good start here, and I’m happy about that. This is exactly the way I’d like to start the season. So I’m just looking forward to the weekend. The course is in great shape and my game has been pretty good.”

MJ Viljoen, who finished last year’s tournament in joint sixth place, produced a flawless round of 66 with four birdies on his second nine to make him Carrera’s nearest challenger on 10 under par.

The South African focused on doing the basics right on Friday. “I had a good couple of days and have been playing solid golf. The patience paid off today. I did my thing, kept the ball in play, and got it on the green,” he said.

As a multiple winner on the Sunshine Tour, Viljoen said he is simply focusing on his own game going into the weekend. “There will be a lot of thoughts going through my head. But if I just focus on my processes, stay patient, and keep doing what I am doing, you never know.”

Hennie Otto, who led the first round, remained in contention in joint third place on seven under par with a second round of 71. – Michael Vlismas Media

HARARE, Zimbabwe – The evergreen Hennie Otto rolled back the years against some of the Sunshine Tour’s youngest stars as he claimed the lead on day one of the FBC Zim Open at the Royal Harare Golf Club on Thursday.

The 48-year-old Otto signed for an opening six-under-par 66 for a one-stroke lead over Tyrone Ryan, Luis Carrera, Austin Bautista and another veteran in Doug McGuigan.

South Africa’s Ryan took the early clubhouse lead in this R3 million tournament with his 67, and was later joined by McGuigan, Carrera – the winner of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School in April who had a strong run of five consecutive birdies on his second nine – and Bautista.

Otto then broke that stranglehold with his birdie on the 18^th, and the South African has put himself in a strong position to claim his 15^th Sunshine Tour title this week and his first since 2023.

It’s been a few years since Otto has found himself in contention in Zimbabwe. He finished seventh in 1998 the year former world number one Nick Price took the title, and then third in 1999 and 13^th in 2010.

It was a tough start for defending champion Michael Hollick as he opened with a 78 in a first round that began in chilly conditions.

JC Ritchie, the winner of the 2017 title, started his week well with an opening round of 69 to put him just three shots off the lead.

The FBC Zim Open marks the start of the Sunshine Tour’s new 2025/26 season. – Michael Vlismas Media

• Daniel van Tonder crowned winner of Sunshine Tour Order of Merit 
  delivered by The Courier Guy
• Altin van der Merwe wins the Fortress Rookie of the Year award

LANSERIA, Gauteng – Michael Hollick ended the current Sunshine Tour season in the same way he started it with a victory in the DNi Tour Championship presented by RMB at the Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate on Sunday, and on a day when Daniel van Tonder was also crowned the winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy for the 2024/25 season, and Altin van der Merwe won the Fortress Rookie of the Year award.

Hollick closed with a sublime 64 to win on 19 under par, one clear of Jacques Kruyswijk and George Coetzee.

“After playing sort of part-time the last two years and coaching, I’ve played really nicely for the past three or four months, so there has been progress. Sometimes you’ve just got to believe in yourself a bit. I think that’s what happened. It’s been an absolutely special year,” said Hollick, who started the season with a win in the FBC Zimbabwe Open.

Heading into the back nine of this event it was still anybody’s title as both Kruyswijk and Coetzee kept the pressure on Hollick. But Hollick held his nerve and produced a great second onto the green at the par-five 18^th to set up a birdie finish and claim the title.

Hollick was not the only one celebrating on Sunday evening.

The leading three professionals on the final Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy who earned their DP World Tour cards (not already exempt) are Van Tonder, Jonathan Broomhead and Yurav Premlall. That could change with Van Tonder in a position to earn a DP World Tour card through the HotelPlanner Tour this season already, in which case his card would move to Hollick as the next highest ranked non-exempt player.

As the winner of the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, Van Tonder also receives exemptions into The Open and US PGA Championship as well as the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He also earns a R500 000 bonus, the use of a Hyundai Palisade for one year, and a seven-night international cruise worth R75 000 courtesy of MSC Cruises.

“This means a lot to me, especially after twice finishing second on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. So to finally win it means so much to me. There are some great tournaments I can look forward to, and I’m finally going to be playing in the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” said Van Tonder.

As the second-placed finisher on the season standings, Shaun Norris receives a R200 000 bonus and the use of a Hyundai Tucson for one year. Dylan Naidoo, the third-placed finisher, receives a R100 00 bonus and the use of a Hyundai Exter for one year.

Altin van der Merwe celebrated a memorable rookie season on the Sunshine Tour in which he came close to a maiden victory, and was crowned the Fortress Rookie of the Year which earned him a R200 000 bonus.

“It means everything to me. I’ve been looking forward to playing pro golf and the Sunshine Tour for the last seven years, so I could never have asked for a better first season. I’ve learnt a couple of lessons this season so I’m looking forward to next season,” said Van Der Merwe.

It was a celebration of another incredible season on the Sunshine Tour and which was praised by Gayton McKenzie, the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture who attended the final prize giving of the season.

“You look at everybody involved in this Sunshine Tour event, and this is what makes us a great country – all of the corporates who are backing our sport. In my opinion, South Africa has the best golfers in the world. Wherever you travel in the world, they either ask me about our golf or the Springboks,” he said.

Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, was also delighted with a season that truly showcased the growing strength of the Tour.

“It’s been an incredible season with so many memorable moments and an array of incentives for our golfers from all of our wonderful partners. That’s what we keep working for – to create those pathways for our professionals to further their careers. We’re grateful for all of our partners for their support.

“I’d also like to thank everybody who played a role in making this such a successful season, from the Nomads who help with the scoring at all of our tournaments, to SuperSport and the media, to GolfRSA and the other golf bodies we work so closely with, and to all who play a part in this amazing product that is South African golf.” – Michael Vlismas Media