Author: Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng – George Coetzee and MJ Viljoen shared the first-round lead in the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC with their opening rounds of five-under-par 67 at Royal Johannesburg’s famed East Course on Thursday.

This year’s tournament once again brought together the most diverse field of champions in South African golf, including amateurs and professionals in the men’s and women’s games, as well as the leading golfers within the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA).

Viljoen continued with his good form early in the new Sunshine Tour season. After finishing third in the season-opening FBC Zim Open two weeks ago, Viljoen took the clubhouse lead with a round of seven birdies and two bogeys.

Coetzee has been in equally good form since returning from injury and claimed his 15^th Sunshine Tour title in March when he won the Serengeti Playoffs. He dropped only one shot on Thursday on his way to claiming a share of the lead with Viljoen.

The duo are two strokes clear of their nearest challenger, Jacques Blaauw, who signed for a 69.

And in a group of players on two under is Mexico’s Luis Carrera, who has dominated the tour this season with victories in the first two tournaments and who currently leads The Courier Guy Order of Merit.

Daniel van Tonder, the winner of last season’s Courier Guy Order of Merit, also opened with a round of two-under-par 70.

Louis Albertse began the defence of his title with a one-under-par 71.

eSwatini’s Nobuhle Dlamini is the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional in joint 17^th place after her opening round of 73. – Michael Vlismas Media

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