Author: Michael Vlismas

SUN CITY, North West –  Luca Filippi clung on to the lead after a tough third round of the Blue Label Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club on Friday and said he will employ the services of the same game-plan in the final round as he looks to improve on his runners-up finish in last year’s tournament.

Filippi netted just four points on Friday, but it was enough to take him to 34 points overall, six ahead of nearest challenger Keenan Davidse. Considering Filippi started the day bogey-bogey, and then had two bogeys in three holes on the back nine, he did well to keep things together and maintain his lead in the R2.7 million tournament that employs a modified points-scoring system. Birdies are worth two points, pars zero and bogeys see one point deducted. Eagles are worth five points and double-bogeys cost three points.

Last year he was the chaser, his late charge for the title finishing agonisingly short as his eagle-putt on the last hole lipped out, but Filippi will now be the hunted on Saturday.

“Today was tough with quite difficult conditions. They call it the caddies’ graveyard on days like this with the wind swirling around, and after a rough start I was really glad to claw things back nicely,” Filippi said.

“Birdies are like gold on days like these here, and I was chuffed to get four of them to put me in a good position. I will stick to the same game-plan because in this format, especially with the wind and not knowing what it’s going to do, I need to give myself birdie chances. That will be key.”

After dropping shots on the par-five first and par-four second holes, Filippi managed to get the wheels back on the axle by collecting back-to-back birdies on the next two holes. Another birdie on the par-five sixth took him to four points at the turn.

Bogeys on 12 and 14, both par-fours, caused another wobble, and the 24-year-old said a birdie on the par-three 16^th was a vital gain.

“That birdie on 16 was massive, it means I can sleep nicely. That hole is always tough because you can get the wind completely wrong there. Fortunately my caddy and I got it right, I hit an eight-iron from 171 metres and made a four-metre putt from the fringe above the hole,” Filippi said.

Davidse had two double-bogeys on the front nine, but regrouped well, ending with three successive birdies for a seven-point tally that saw him jump into second place on 28 points.

Rookie Jonathan Broomhead produced the round of the day, his 11 points taking him to joint third on 25 points with Ryan van Velzen (-1).

Sean Bradley also excelled on Friday with 10 points, taking him to joint fifth on 23 points, alongside Callum Mowat, who lost three points with a double-bogey on the last hole. First-round leader Yurav Premlall is also on 23 after an extraordinary round comprising 18 pars, for zero points.

SUN CITY, North West – Luca Filippi has returned from his northern hemisphere visit energised and boosted in confidence, and he showed the strides he has made as a Sunshine Tour golfer on Thursday as he opened a handy gap for himself at the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Blue Label Challenge at Sun City.

Filippi will go into the weekend four clear on 30 points under the modified scoring system used for this four-round event, following a bogey-free, eight-birdie haul of 16 points in the second round. It was a wonderful performance by the Milnerton Golf Club representative on the tougher Gary Player Country Club layout, following up his excellent 14-point display in the first round, playing the Lost City course blind.

The 24-year-old Filippi played in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last weekend, registering impressive rounds of 70 and 73 before torrential rain washed out the weekend and he had to withdraw from the final round because he had a flight booked back to South Africa. His performance confirmed how much he has improved over the last couple of years, which was further borne out by his stellar display, effectively shooting 64, on the famous Gary Player Country Club course.

“It was fantastic to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links, it was a great experience and I met some great celebrities. I had a flight booked for Monday at 6pm and, with the start delayed until 11am, I would have missed my flight so I had to unfortunately withdraw. I still only arrived at Sun City on Tuesday afternoon and I had a bit of anxiety because I hadn’t seen Lost City, I had to play it blind, without much sleep and not being sure how it would play,” Filippi explained.

“But I shot one-under at Carnoustie so I saw that my game is good enough for a higher level. I definitely feel that I am improving, I’ve finished 48^th, then 21^st on the order of merit and this season I’m 14^th.

“Every year I get more mature, I understand better how things work out here and it’s not about changing my game. In those high-pressure situations, you just have to deal with it, go through it and learn from all the different experiences.

“I’ve picked up nice confidence in the last few months, with six top-10s in my last nine events, and I’ve found some form. My game has definitely improved and I’m really happy with the way it’s trending,” Filippi said.

Any time someone shoots a sub-par round on the Gary Player Country Club course that has persecuted some of the greatest golfers, it’s almost a given that they have hit their fairways and found their greens in regulation. So it was with Filippi.

“I love the Gary Player course, it suits my game very well. It rewards good play off the tee and good iron play, and I’ve been doing that very well. I was very happy with my first day’s work at Lost City, that set me up for today and I played nicely.

“My putter was hot and I hit some great shots today. But in this format, things can change so quickly because birdies are worth two points. Your lead is never enough and I know from finishing runner-up last year that a chaser can always get close.

“No-one is ever out of it, so I will just try and get as many birdies as possible and take my chances, especially on the par-fives, where eagles are worth five points, which is massive. Hopefully this weekend the eagle putts drop and don’t lip-out like last year on the 18^th,” Filippi said.

Ryan van Velzen had two eagles on Thursday in an outstanding haul of 20 points and he is the main chaser, sitting four behind Filippi on 26 points, while first-round leader Yurav Premlall is on 23.

Rassie Erasmus will join a stellar field of former sports stars, celebrities, professional golfers and business leaders at this year’s Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational at The Lost City Golf Course from 18-19 November, with corporate South Africa and other large multinationals also throwing their weight behind the drive to raise funds for the work of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation. 

Business giants Rolex, Sun International, BMW and Amrod as well as new partners Citadel and Tabono have united in their support of The Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation’s work to ensure the sustainability of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School which was established by Gary and Vivienne Player in 1990 for underprivileged children in their community. 

Erasmus, the Director of South African Rugby, will return from the Rugby World Cup in France to make his debut in this Sunshine Tour-sanctioned tournament. He will join fellow rugby stars Butch James, Patrick Lambie, Breyton Paulse, Stefan Terblanche, Jaco van der Westhuizen and Adriaan Strauss. 

Some of the biggest names in football will also be in the field this year including Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish and South African stars Shaun Bartlett, Jimmy Tau, Matthew Booth, Aaron Mokoena and Brian Baloyi. 

South African boxing great Brian Mitchell also returns to an event where he was on the winning team in 2019, while Sally Little, South Africa’s most successful women’s professional golfer, adds to the sports stars in this year’s field. 

The celebrities who will gather at Sun City include former Miss South Africa and Miss World Rolene Strauss, renowned chef Reuben Riffel, comedian David Kau, and well-known personalities Maps Maponyane and Felicity Shiba. 

Gary Player said he was overwhelmed by this strong show of support for an event that is very close to his heart. 

“In her last words to me, my late wife Vivienne asked me to promise to keep our Foundation going and to ensure the children of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School continue to be taken care of. Vivienne’s legacy will always be her loving heart and the fact that she started this school all those years ago on our farm. My legacy is to keep helping people wherever we can through golf. Thanks to this tournament and all the wonderful people and companies involved, including Citadel and Tabono, all of our legacies will be the future we keep creating for the young children of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School.” 

Reon Barnard, co-founder of Tabono, board member of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School and a trustee of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, welcomed the considerable support for this charity event as they come on board as a new partner this year. 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational and to support the efforts of the Foundation in raising much needed funds for the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School. We are truly honoured and proud to be part of Gary and Vivienne Player’s legacy. We look forward to a very successful charity event this year.” 

Andrew Möller, Chief Executive Officer of Citadel and also a new partner this year, said the work of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation aligns perfectly with their own expertise and passion for creating sustainable wealth which also contributes to meaningful change in society. 

“We have a long-standing relationship with the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, and sponsoring the Invitational is another way in which we are able to make a sustainable difference. We are proud to support such a worthy cause that leaves a legacy, contributes to uplifting children and makes a meaningful difference in the greater community.” 

SUN CITY, North West – It was an eventful and remarkable day for Yurav Premlall on Wednesday as he flew back from the UK, landing in Johannesburg at 3am, driving immediately to Sun City, sleeping in his car and then getting up to play the first round of the Blue Label Challenge, finishing his round with an eagle on the last hole at the Lost City Golf Course to soar to the top of the leaderboard.

Under the modified scoring system used for the tournament, an eagle is worth five points and Premlall’s tremendous finish saw him leap to a tally of 16 points, two ahead of Callum Mowat, who had led for most of the day, and Luca Filippi.

Premlall was playing in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, which only finished on Monday due to the weekend being washed out, and the 20-year-old acquitted himself well with rounds of 73, 76 and 70 on the famous St Andrew’s, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns courses used.

To then head out on to the Lost City course and pick up six birdies and the eagle, with just one dropped shot, after all the travel and lack of sleep, was a fine effort by Premlall.

“I didn’t play my best in the Alfred Dunhill Links, but it was a great experience and I’m just so grateful to Mr Johann Rupert, who invites a lot of guys, for the opportunity to play,” Premlall said. “Things didn’t all go according to plan with the tournament because of all the bad weather, but I drove straight through this morning, had a nap in the car and then hit the ball great off the tee the whole day.

“On the three par-fives before the 18th I had given myself pretty good chances as well but failed to convert. But then I hit a brilliant second to six feet on the last and got the eagle.

“There’s a lot of risk and reward in this format, but I just took it one shot at a time and played like I normally do in any tournament. But I am probably always a bit more aggressive than most anyway,” Premlall said.

Having thankfully (given his travel schedule) teed off at 11.29am on Wednesday, Premlall will now move to the Gary Player Country Club and tee off at 7.30am on the 10th tee on Thursday.

The magnetic appeal of the Gary Player Country Club course has made Premlall a fan and he won the inaugural Nedbank Junior Challenge there in 2021, the same year he won the Freddie Tait Cup for the leading amateur after finishing tied-30th in the South African Open when it was played at Sun City.

“I’m a lot more fond of the Gary Player Country Club because I have some good memories around there. I hadn’t played Lost City for a long time and with me being on a plane, my caddy walked the course so I knew where to hit the ball and fortunately I hit it really well today,” Premlall said.

Mowat and Filippi both also eagled the 485-metre 18th at the Lost City, with Mowat dropping three points on the previous hole after a double-bogey.

Lyle Rowe was the leading golfer on the Gary Player Country Club course on Wednesday, collecting 13 points to sit in fourth place overall, one point ahead of Jake Redman, who also played the older course.

JOHANNESBURG – Frontrunner Robin Williams ensured he was not just hiring the lead on the final day of the Fortress Invitational at Glendower Golf Club on Sunday, shooting an impressive four-under-par 68 as he strode to an emphatic six-stroke victory and his maiden Sunshine Tour title.

Williams went into the last round with a four-shot lead, having been co-leader after the second round, and he seized even firmer control of the tournament when he collected four birdies in five holes from the fifth. Showing maturity and focus beyond his years, the 22-year-old then made par through his final 11 holes as he never showed any signs of faltering on the biggest day of his career so far.

Tremendously long and accurate off the tee, and with a putter that was red-hot, Williams ensured he kept an iron-grip on proceedings, winning in style in just his 16th Sunshine Tour start.

“I’m over the moon and I don’t think it’s going to sink in for a couple of days,” a quietly delighted Williams said after he finished on 19-under-par 269 on the tree-lined Glendower course that always provides a stiff challenge.

“At the start of the season, you always set your sights on winning, but we know in golf that things don’t always work out the way you want them to. But I knew if I keep working hard, then I would give myself a good chance.

“I had a very good front nine that extended my lead, which made the back nine easier. I just had to keep my cool and my concentration, and I made some very good four, five-footers to stay in front, keep the momentum going and not open the door for those behind me.

“I used my length off the tee well, I hit my driver very good, which gave me short irons in and lots of opportunities. But this win was really down to the flat stick, especially down the stretch,” Williams said.

American Dan Erickson used the services of a pinpoint six-iron to notch a maiden albatross on the par-five fourth hole, and he also eagled the par-five 17th as he posted a superb 66 that saw him finish alone in second place on 13-under-par.

Danie van Niekerk closed with a par-72 to claim third place on 10-under, while Jacques P. de Villiers (68), Nikhil Rama (72) and Michael Hollick (74) shared fourth on nine-under-par.

Williams has used this triumph to vault into eighth place on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and he can now forget about pre-qualifying events and can focus on being fully prepared for the lucrative co-sanctioned tournaments coming up in the summer.

“This win means everything to me and it takes a lot of stress off me. I can now play with freedom, not worry about qualifying, and get my game as good as I can for the big events coming soon,” Williams said.

Steven Brown, the CEO of Fortress Real Estate Investments, was full of praise for Williams, the tournament and Glendower Golf Club.

“Our second year of 2023 Fortress Invitational was an exceptional display of talented golfers on their journeys toward greatness. We thank the fans, friends and families that lined the fairways to support them.

“To Glendower Golf Club: You were exceptional hosts in every way and the pristine course made the pros work hard to earn their right to victory. To the Sunshine Tour, who genuinely and wholeheartedly serve the game of golf, our partnership with you is grounded in our shared belief – powering growth. We firmly believe in our local players and their unwavering determination to succeed and we are excited to be sponsoring the Fortress Rookie of the Year too.

And lastly to Robin Williams and indeed the entire field: We are in awe of the way in which you performed over the last four days, and it is our honour to have witnessed golf of the very highest standard,” Brown said.

JOHANNESBURG – If Robin Williams was apprehensive about going into the weekend sharing the lead in just his 16^th Sunshine Tour event then he certainly did not show it as he fired a superb 68 to stretch his lead to four shots after the third round of the Fortress Invitational at the Glendower Golf Club on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Williams collected six birdies and dropped just two shots on a blistering day in eastern Johannesburg, moving to 15-under-par as he goes into Sunday’s final round four strokes clear of Michael Hollick (70) on 11-under.

Williams started his third round in solid fashion with a couple of pars and then grabbed his first birdie on the par-four third hole, followed by another on the par-three fifth. The UK-based golfer did drop a shot, however, on the next par-three, the eighth, but it proved nothing to worry about as Williams immediately birdied the ninth and 10^th holes.

His ability to bounce back from mistakes was shown again as he bogeyed the par-five 11^th but notched a two at the par-three 12^th. And the next par-five, the penultimate hole on the 6894-metre course, Williams birdied to further stretch his lead.

Heinrich Bruiners shared the lead with Williams after the second round and he seemed to be building a strong position for himself on Saturday when he followed six straight pars with birdies at the seventh and eighth holes.

But it then all rather unravelled for Bruiners as he bogeyed the par-four ninth and the par-five 11^th, followed by a triple-bogey at the par-three 12^th. The 36-year-old came home in 40 to post a 75, which pushed him down the leaderboard, on eight-under-par and in sixth place.

Danie van Niekerk followed up his brilliant 64 in the second round with a solid 70 on Saturday, and he is alone in third place, five shots behind Williams on 10-under-par.

Nikhil Rama and Estiaan Conradie both shot par-72s in the third round and share fourth place on nine-under-par.

JOHANNESBURG – Heinrich Bruiners utilised the services of a new putter and the presence of one of his biggest fans to overcome illness and an average ball-striking day, and shot a 68 to soar to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Fortress Invitational at Glendower Golf Club on Friday.

Bruiners shares the lead at the halfway stage of the R2 million Sunshine Tour event with Robin Williams (67) on 11-under-par.

But it was touch-and-go whether he would even be playing the tournament after he fell ill the day before the start at the classic parkland course in eastern Johannesburg. And that’s when the inspiration of a young man named Cameron, who often follows Bruiners around the courses whenever he plays in Johannesburg, came into the equation.

“On Wednesday I had food poisoning and I really considered withdrawing,” Bruiners said. “But I decided to try and then on the first morning I saw this schoolboy who has generally walked with me whenever I play in Joburg, since he was like 14 years old. He came running up to me and said ‘I just love watching you play golf!’ He’s in matric now and when I saw him I just thought I must push through and put my feelings of illness aside.

“And then on the first hole of the tournament, I stuck it in the hole for eagle from 155 metres, which was just unbelievable and I just decided it was a sign and I must just let loose now. After the second round, I went to him, we had a photo, I gave him a cap and told him ‘you have no idea how much it means to me to see you’,” Bruiners said.

His start was Friday was almost as spectacular as he birdied four of the first five holes and he was six-under-par through 11.

“Even though I’m a good putter, I’ve changed my putter and I really enjoy the new one. I made some really nice putts on the first five holes, so those were good holes even though my ball-striking was average – I hit only one fairway in the first eight holes.

“It was about keeping a score on the board, taking your opportunities and, as the round progressed, I felt more comfortable and started to hit the ball better. I’ve just fought hard as the week has progressed.

“When you’re not feeling 100%, golf is not the biggest thing on your mind, you just want to feel better. So I was more lenient with myself and you kind of get out of your own way,” Bruiners said.

Bruiners went off early at 7am in the fourth group of the day from the 10^th tee, alongside Trevor Fisher Jnr, who shared the first-round lead after his opening 63. But the experienced Fisher Jnr perhaps did not have as good a cup of morning coffee as he struggled to a 74 on Friday to slip to seven-under, four off the pace.

Michael Hollick also began the tournament with a 63, and he could only manage a par-72 in the second round, sitting on nine-under-par with Estiaan Conradie and Nikhil Rama, who shot a 67 and was within one shot of the lead before bogeying the ninth, his last hole.

Danie van Niekerk produced the outstanding round of the day, a 64 that lifted him to eight-under-par.

JOHANNESBURG – Durban professional Michael Hollick described his opening 63 at Glendower Golf Club for a share of Thursday’s first-round lead in the Fortress Invitational as amongst the top three rounds of his career. And it’s no surprise that it comes at a time when he is the most settled in his life – both on and off the fairways. 

Hollick came through day one of this Sunshine Tour event tied for the lead with Trevor Fisher Jnr. following their rounds of nine under par, and two strokes clear of the field. 

“A 63 around Glendower in a tournament is always a very special round of golf. It’s probably in my top three tournament rounds of golf ever. My iron play was phenomenal and I drove the ball well. I like Glendower and the course really suits my eye,” said Hollick. 

Clearly, what also suits Hollick’s game is fatherhood and building a life off the fairways. 

“My wife Gina and I had our baby two weeks ago. Fatherhood puts things into perspective. She is absolutely adorable and she is the most important thing for me now. I do have a lot of stability in my life now. I’m coaching at Mount Edgecombe and it’s going really well. We own a gym in Durban. My wife is a psychologist and she has her practice. Life does feel pretty settled. It’s a good time of my life. 

“I don’t play as many tournaments anymore, but when I do I play well because I’m hungry to play and not just on that weekly treadmill out on tour. As a touring professional in the past it was hard to pay the bills. But now with the increases in prize funds on the Sunshine Tour it’s giving good players the opportunity to express themselves on the golf course and make a living out of it, and the standard of golf is incredibly strong on the Sunshine Tour. 

“But I’m enjoying tournaments again and long may it continue, with hopefully many more good results.” – Michael Vlismas 

JOHANNESBURG – If the name of this tournament is anything to go by, then Glendower Golf Club is indeed somewhat of a fortress when it comes to Trevor Fisher Jnr. who once again showed his love for this classic parkland course to share the lead in the first round of the Fortress Invitational on Thursday. 

Fisher Jnr. and Michael Hollick both opened with rounds of nine-under-par 63 and lead by two strokes over Heinrich Bruiners, and with Robin Williams well-placed on six under par. 

It was an impressive start on a Glendower golf course that is always a true test of the game, and which Fisher Jnr. in particular has shown to enjoy over the years. 

On the five occasions that the South African Open Championship (now the Investec South African Open) was played here most recently, Fisher Jnr. finished no worse than tied 15^th. In 2017, the year Rory McIlroy played in the SA Open at Glendower, Fisher Jnr. finished as high as tied fifth. 

On Thursday, Fisher Jnr. made only one bogey in a round that also included five birdies, an eagle and an albatross on the par-five 17^th. 

“That albatross on 17 really helped a lot. I had a few pars in the middle of the round but pars are never bad at Glendower. But I just played solid golf all day and wasn’t really in too much trouble. I gave myself a lot of chances for birdie which was my goal for the day,” said Fisher Jnr. 

“This golf course has always been good to me and I’ve played some of my best tournaments here. I nearly won the SA Open here. It just suits my eye. So let’s see what we can do with the next three rounds.” 

Fisher Jnr. also credited his good friend and fellow Sunshine Tour professional Ulrich van den Berg for a putting tip that played a part in his success on Thursday. 

“Uli helped me earlier in the week and I’m putting really well. You have to do that around here. I’ll just stay patient and give myself chances on each hole.” 

Just two shots off the lead, Bruiners has certainly been building towards a breakthrough on the Sunshine Tour this season. He came close to a win when he finished second in the Vodacom Origins of Golf in August, and then came into this week with a finish of tied 18^th in the South African PGA Championship. 
– Michael Vlismas