Author: Michael Vlismas

BELA-BELA, Limpopo – Frenchman Alexander Levy came to the bushveld seeking inspiration on his journey back to the DP World Tour, and he certainly found it amidst the giraffe, wildebeest and a 36-hole total of 12 under par that gives him a share of the lead into the weekend of the SDC Open at Zebula Country Club.

Levy added a second round of 68 to his opening 64 to share the lead with South Africa’s Louis Albertse (65) and Welshman Rhys Enoch (66) at the halfway stage of this Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

The trio are one shot clear of Wilco Nienaber on a leaderboard that is more tightly packed than a game drive at a lion spotting.

“I’m really pleased,” said Levy, who set the clubhouse target on Friday morning before he was caught later in the afternoon. “I didn’t have my A game today so to shoot under par was really good.”

Levy, a five-time winner on the DP World Tour who is looking to regain that form, turned level par for his round while not feeling entirely comfortable with his game. But his experience showed on the back nine as he made four birdies to maintain his place at the top of the leaderboard after also sharing the lead in the first round.

“I’m proud of what I did on the back nine. I was struggling on the front nine and didn’t feel my swing was good. It was the first time I’ve played here in the morning so it was a little bit more windy. But I just said to myself to stay calm and try to hit good shots at the right time. Then I started to play a little better and it’s nice to come back like I did and hit some good shots at the end of the round. I had a good birdie on the last to get some good momentum for tomorrow. The game is there.”

Levy’s experience will certainly count on a weekend that is set up for some thrilling golf.

Nienaber is looking like a golfer who has come into this year with a new approach that is clearly working as he chases his second Challenge Tour title.

On 10 under par Gerhard Pepler’s second round of 64 suggests he is enjoying his time in the bushveld, and Ryan van Velzen is just three shots back and chasing back-to-back victories following his win in last week’s Mediclinic Invitational.

BELA-BELA, Limpopo – Wilco Nienaber played his first competitive round after a long break and the 64 he posted was good enough to share the lead with Alexander Levy in Thursday’s first round of the SDC Open at the Zebula Country Club.

Nienaber and Levy lead by one over England’s Chris Paisley and Tom Shadbolt, Spain’s Angel Ayora, South Africa’s Malcolm Mitchell and Dutchman Lars van Meijel. Defending champion JJ Senekal opened with a round of level par 72.

Nienaber made his seven birdies, eagle and one bogey look fairly routine as he showed no signs of any competitive rust in setting the pace as the co-leader in this Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournament. Frenchman Levy joined him later in the day with a round that included six consecutive birdies.

“I took a long break which was really good. I really tried to put the clubs away and rest. I struggled to do so for longer than two weeks though. I played a few rounds but didn’t really focus on a score, so I’m pleased with this round. It felt pretty easy,” said Nienaber.

Levy was equally delighted with what was also his first competitive round of the year. “I practiced very hard the last few weeks in Dubai and I’m happy with my game today. I missed a few putts on my front nine but I remained patient and that was the key today,” said the five-time DP World Tour winner.

Nienaber certainly looked at ease on Thursday and hinted at a few elements to his game that he focused on in preparing for this week. “My distance off the tee certainly helps on this course. You can get lucky when you hit it offline here. But saying that, I’ve learned to manage that part of my game better. I’m not hitting it full blast the whole time.”

The key to his 64 came on the back nine – his first nine. Amidst his birdies at the 11^th, 13^th and 14^th was a very good par save on the par-four 12^th hole. “I hit my tee shot left and was in a thorn bush. I got it out into the bunker and then managed an up-and-down for par, so that kept the momentum going.”

He then took advantage with an eagle on the par-five 15^th. “I hit a really good drive and then a wedge to five feet and holed the putt. The par fives here are reachable and scoring on them is key here. Having said that I parred two of them today, but that’s good because it means there’s room for improvement.” – Michael Vlismas

The Limpopo Province’s growing status as a premium golf destination will once again be showcased by the Limpopo Tourism Agency and the Sunshine Tour when the sixth edition of the Limpopo Championship tees off in April 2024.
 
The Limpopo Championship at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate is one of three major golf tournaments that the province will host on the Sunshine Tour in 2024, including the SDC Open and the Vodacom Origins of Golf.
 
Strong regional golf tournaments such as the Kudu Amateur Championship, the Big 5 Tournament, the Limpopo Youth Championship and a strong amateur calendar add significantly to the province’s golf offering.
 
The province also welcomes a new tournament this year in the Limpopo Ladies PGA Pro-Am Championship to be played in August at Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate.   
 
The Limpopo Championship remains the crown jewel in the province’s golf offering and will be played from 4-7 April with a field expected to include defending champion Ryan van Velzen, who will seek to emulate JC Ritchie’s back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020 as he joins the leading Sunshine Tour professionals in the bushveld to challenge for the R2 000 000 prize fund.
 
Sports tourism is central to the Limpopo Tourism Agency’s growth strategy and golf continues to deliver impressive results for the province. Golf destination marketing has directly contributed towards an increase in visitors, economic investment, job creation, and golf development.
 
This year’s Limpopo Championship will showcase this and more in a week-long lifestyle and golf programme that includes live entertainment, an after party, a business exhibition, a pro-am golf day, and hospitality area where fans and their families can experience the best of the Limpopo culture.
 
“The Limpopo Tourism Agency is proud of its partnership with the Sunshine Tour and the staging of a top professional international tournament in the sixth Limpopo Championship. The Waterberg District is now a sought-after golf destination for South Africa and continues to excite international golf enthusiasts, leisure and business travelers. The district, which is a permanent home of this prestigious tournament, has a myriad of tourist destinations like the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, a RAMSAR Site with over 400 bird species; the Waterberg Biosphere; Makapans Valley World Heritage Site; Welgevonden Private Game Reserve with its approximately 66 lodges; the Waterberg Meander; the Marakele National Park and many private game reserves. To this end, the Agency and its partners are poised to deliver a bigger and better edition of the Limpopo Championship this year,” said Moses Ngobeni, LTA CEO.

VEREENIGING, Gauteng – Ryan van Velzen claimed his third Sunshine Tour victory in 10 months when he won the Mediclinic Invitational by four shots in a dominant performance at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Van Velzen carded a final round of 64 – his second 64 of the weekend – to finish on 25 under par overall, with Neil Schietekat taking second place on 21 under par following a closing 67. LB Boshoff, Jason Roets, Jovan Rebula, Dylan Mostert and Yurav Premlall shared third place on 18 under par.

Van Velzen’s victory comes on the back of a strong summer where he challenged for the DP World Tour co-sanctioned Investec South African Open before finishing second, and also adds to his wins in the Limpopo Championship and the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Team Championship last year.

But this latest triumph has surprised even him considering the long holiday he took before returning to competition again this week.

“I can’t explain it actually. I took a month off from the game and it just came back to me. I got better without practising,” he said.

Van Velzen was only one shot clear of Schietekat going into the final round and it was still a tight contest between the two over the opening holes despite his eagle on the second. But five birdies, an eagle and only one bogey thereafter saw him pull away from the field.

“I hit the ball so well today and didn’t miss many fairways. Before the final round my caddie and I set a target of 25 under par. That’s what we thought would be the winning total. Then we got to 26 under par and set our sights on 28 under, but then just finished the round off.”

Van Velzen’s win is perfect timing as he now heads into a busy few weeks on the Sunshine Tour featuring tournaments co-sanctioned with the European Challenge Tour and the DP World Tour, and which has given him even bigger goals to aim for.

“I’m trying to win the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. That’s huge for me. To win that on the Sunshine Tour would be incredible because this tour is just so competitive. That’s my next goal.”

VEREENIGING, Gauteng – Ryan van Velzen picked up exactly where he ended 2023 by playing the same high quality golf as he signed for a 64 in a weather-interrupted third round to lead the Mediclinic Invitational by a single stroke at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Saturday.

Despite a major thunderstorm that delayed play, Van Velzen showed the composure of a young star who knows he belongs at the highest level of the game as he climbed into the lead on 17 under par.

Behind him on 16 under lies the experience of Neil Schietekat who posted a 66, while the equally experienced Oliver Bekker will start Sunday’s final round just two shots back following a 66 of his own.

Further down the leaderboard, Yurav Premlall is pushing for his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour at 14 under par after posting a third round of 66, while Dylan Naidoo is also well placed on 13 under par, and also with a round of 66.

But Van Velzen’s incredible 2023 has given him a quiet confidence for the challenge that lies ahead on Sunday. The former GolfRSA elite amateur won twice on the Sunshine Tour last year and came tantalisingly close to a maiden DP World Tour title in the co-sanctioned Investec South African Open where he finished second.

“I took a month off over the festive season just to reflect on how good last year was for me. I put the clubs away and had a good holiday,” said Van Velzen.

“I actually feel like I’m playing better than I was last year.”

The experience he gained from last year showed itself as early as the par-five second hole when Van Velzen hit his second shot into the water and then hit a poor wedge shot to the back fringe of the green before making the putt to save par. Then he chipped in on the par-four third hole for an eagle.

“I think that woke me up a bit because I could’ve easily started my round with a par then a double bogey but instead I was two under through my first three holes.”

Van Velzen will have a world of experience around him on Sunday as he tees off in the final group alongside Bekker and Schietekat.

“It should be nice. I think I’ll be quite calm out there in the final round.”

VEREENIGING, Gauteng – Neil Schietekat’s “holiday swing”, as he called it, yielded a sublime 64 and earned him a one-stroke lead headed into the weekend of the Mediclinic Invitational at Maccauvlei Golf Club.

The five-time Sunshine Tour winner made two eagles on his front nine as he climbed to 10 under par for the tournament on Friday.

His nearest challengers are Jovan Rebula, Oliver Bekker, Sean Bradley, Ryan van Velzen and Willie Olivier.

Olivier, who shared the first round lead with Bekker, teed off on the 10^th and led the field on 11 under with six holes of his second round still to play. But he played those with a double bogey, bogey and just one birdie on his card.

The trio of Bekker, Van Velzen and Rebula remained consistent in terms of their title chase on day two. Bekker signed for a 70 while Van Velzen and Rebula both carded rounds of 69, and Bradley climbed the leaderboard with a 68.

But it was Schietekat who made the biggest move following his round of two under par on Thursday.

“It feels like I’m far from my best still. I’ve still got the holiday swing,” said Schietekat. But there appeared very little rust in his game on Friday.

Eagles on the par-five second and seventh holes and then a birdie on the eighth took him out in 31, and he added four birdies and a single bogey on the back nine to stake his claim for another victory following his latest triumph in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at the Pezula Championship Course in November last year.

“I made two eagles on the front nine and that always sets you up nicely for a low round, and I putted well today. But this is also just a nice golf course and I do enjoy it here.”

The four-round tournament is the perfect preparation early in the year for the upcoming swing of DP World Tour and European Challenge Tour events in February and March.

“This is a great event to start the year off with, and it’s always nice to have new sponsors on the Sunshine Tour like Mediclinic. We’re extremely fortunate to have a full tour in South Africa, and this is a great event to get our campaigns going again after the break.

“I’m looking forward to the next two days to get a little bit more practice in before our co-sanctioned events. But I’m not even taking it day by day now. It’s more like hole by hole. We’ll see what the next two days have in store for me and I’m looking forward to it.”

VEREENIGING, Gauteng – Veteran Sunshine Tour campaigner Oliver Bekker did exactly what he intended to do while his Mediclinic Invitational first round co-leader Willie Olivier did what he hopes can lead to the kind of career his more experienced compatriot has had.

The duo opened with rounds of seven-under-par 65 at the Maccauvlei Golf Club to lead by one shot over the group of Quintin Wilsnach, Ryan van Velzen, Matthew Spacey, Makhetha Mazibuko and Jovan Rebula.

Bekker’s name at the top of the leaderboard in the Sunshine Tour’s first tournament of 2024 is certainly to be expected from a man with eight wins on the Tour, a European Challenge Tour title, and a narrow playoff defeat in a DP World Tour event on his CV.

That’s something Olivier is certainly working towards, and his 65 was a big step in the right direction for a 25-year-old professional looking to make his mark on the Sunshine Tour.

“This was a very satisfying start to the year for me, with a good round like this,” said Olivier.

“I’m currently on the bubble in terms of keeping my card for this season with only a few tournaments left for me, so this is a good sign of what is to come. I’m very happy playing the golf I know I can play. I was a bit shaky off the tee at the start of the round and managed my wayward shots to save par. My putter was working though and a lot of birdie putts went in. My irons were also good and I was hitting them close enough, and then rolling them in with the putter always helps.

“There were some snippets of good golf last year and I’m glad everything is coming together now. It’s exciting for the rest of the tournament and the rest of the season.”

Having played on Altron Big Easy Tour, the Sunshine Tour represents a definite step up for Olivier and he’s taking in everything he can to grow his game.

“I didn’t have much off time over the festive season because I knew I had to perform in the new year to keep my card. So I only took about two weeks off and started grinding again. I had one simple thing I needed to work on in my swing to get greater consistency and that’s improved.

“The Sunshine Tour is another level. On the Altron Big Easy Tour there are smaller fields, but on the Sunshine Tour everyone is next level. Everyone’s here for a reason though. We can all play golf and it’s about making your bad shots average and your good shots exceptional. It’s about getting more consistent in your golf. Your bad rounds need to be less damaging and your good rounds need to be very good to compete with the best in South Africa.”

Louis Oosthuizen is a Major champion who has been ranked as high as fourth in the world and has achieved an abundance of accolades in a stellar career. But this one, a victory in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and with his family there to see him win for the first time in his career and also claim back-to-back title for the first time, is special indeed.

With a birdie on the last hole of a La Réserve Golf Links course that he co-designed with Peter Matkovich for a final round of 69, Oosthuizen claimed his second victory in as many weeks on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour with a two-shot triumph on Sunday.

“I’ve never gone back-to-back in my life before so it’s a big dream to be able to do that, and then having my family with me for the first time when I’ve won in my career is very special,” said Oosthuizen, who closed out the week on 17 under par to add to his victory last week in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Oosthuizen’s victory completes a remarkable run by South African golfers in the four Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments to end this year, with Dean Burmester winning both the Joburg Open and the Investec South African Open.

England’s Laurie Canter finished second on 15 under par following a closing 68, while Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg signed for a 63 to share third place on 14 under par alongside England’s Daniel Brown (65) and South Africa’s Jacques P de Villiers (71).

Having only arrived in Mauritius in the early hours of last Tuesday morning following the Monday finish of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, Oosthuizen had to quickly acclimatise to not only the travel but also a golf course which even though he co-designed he had yet to play himself.

“The golf course was spectacular to play and I think in a year or two, when it has settled and the greens are faster and the rough will have grown a bit, it’s going to be really tough. But for the team here to get this ready to be hosting the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open this year was some magic,” said Oosthuizen.

The South African didn’t have the best start with back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes which opened the door for several others to challenge for the lead.

“I started poorly and didn’t hit it great, but then I found some rhythm there on holes six, seven and eight. On the back nine I felt really comfortable and started hitting good shots. And coming down the 18th it’s nice to have three putts to win,” said Oosthuizen.

And there’s every indication that he plans to return next year.

“These two events (the Alfred Dunhill Championship and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open) will probably go on my schedule now, and from now on will be a nice way to start my holiday.”