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MOOKGOPHONG, Limpopo – Deon Germishuys claimed his second Sunshine Tour title when he won the Limpopo Championship by two strokes at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate on Sunday.

Germishuys signed for a final round of 66 to win on 22 under par and add to his victory in the 2022 Sishen Classic.

Jacques Blaauw, who led by one stroke over Germishuys going into the final round, finished second on 20 under par with a closing 69.

Jacques Kruyswijk (66) and Dylan Mostert (66) shared third place on 17 under par.

“I don’t know where to start,” said a relieved Germishuys. “Jacques played great golf for the first three days and even today in the final round.”

Blaauw started well with a birdie at the first while Germishuys made a bogey as early as the second hole. But as the putts dried up for Blaauw thereafter, Germishuys found his form on the greens. He birdied the third and then made his charge with four straight birdies from the sixth hole.

“I thought I had Jacques after nine holes after I made four birdies in a row, but he just didn’t back off,” said Germishuys.

Blaauw made four birdies on the back nine, but also two bogeys. Kruyswijk came with his own charge of five birdies in six holes from the ninth. But Germishuys made two birdies of his own on the back nine that proved enough to secure him the victory.

“I feel like the gameplan that my caddie and I worked out this week really helped. We just tried to hit as many shots to the middle of the green and make some putts, and obviously I put a new putter in the bag this week. It was a new feeling for me but it worked out well.

“As we walked up the 18^th I said to my caddie that it was basically perfect all day except for the one shot on the 12^th. The whole week I wasn’t hitting my irons close enough but I found something on the practice range this morning and it was perfect. It was really perfect the whole day around.”

The Sunshine Tour completes its season with this week’s Tour Championship delivered by The Courier Guy at Serengeti Estates, where the top 50 available professionals on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy will battle it out for glory. – Michael Vlismas.

MOOKGOPHONG, Limpopo – Jacques Blaauw decided to take a more aggressive approach to his putting and the result is a chance to claim his first Sunshine Tour title since 2016 when the final round of the Limpopo Championship tees off at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate on Sunday.

Blaauw produced a composed third round of 67 underpinned by some impressive putting to lead the field on 17 under par. He is one stroke clear of Deon Germishuys, who signed for a third round of 68.

Dylan Naidoo produced the low round of the day – a 64 that carried him into third place on 14 under par.

Blaauw’s round was highlighted by a string of good putts from the ninth to the 12^th holes where he made three birdies and an eagle.

“I putted unbelievably well,” said Blaauw. “I played with Ulrich van den Berg in the practice round and he said to me, no disrespect but you’re putting too tentatively. All my putts now are going in with speed. So it’s just a bit of speed now, and obviously moving down to the short putter makes it a little bit more free flowing for me.”

It also helped that the greens at Euphoria have rewarded good putting this week. “The greens have been really good. They’ve been very pure,” said Naidoo at just three shots off the lead and who got the most out of them on Saturday with his low round.

Blaauw has won four times on the Sunshine Tour, with his most prolific year coming when he claimed three titles in 2013. His last victory was in the Vodacom Origins of Golf in Sishen in 2016. But he has since finished second numerous times and he came into this week’s tournament having finished sixth in the recent Stella Artois Players Championship.

“It’s just keeping on the constant grind and I know I’ll keep on battling in the final round,” he said.

And he’ll at least be able to keep an eye on the preparations of his final-round playing partner, Germishuys, with the two of them staying together this week.

“Deon and I are staying in the same house. So it will be a relaxed evening around the braai before the final round.” – Michael Vlismas.

MOOKGOPHONG, Limpopo – The walk from the 18^th green to the first tee box at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate proved to be exactly the reset Zander Lombard needed as he found his rhythm to shoot a 64 and lead the Limpopo Championship by one shot going into the weekend.

The DP World Tour campaigner heads the field on 13 under par with Jacques Blaauw (65) and Deon Germishuys (66) his nearest challengers on 12 under par.

Lombard teed off Friday’s second round on the 10^th and said he struggled to feel comfortable as he turned in two under for the round.

“It was a tale of two nines. I fought my swing a bit on the back nine but still managed that nine well. Luckily there’s a long walk from the 18^th to the first and when I got to the first I flushed a three wood down the middle and found my swing again. Then the rest just happened on its own,” Lombard said of a second nine of 30 featuring six birdies that positioned him perfectly for the weekend.

His love of both this Annika Sorenstam-designed golf course and the bushveld has Lombard relishing the challenge of the next 36 holes.

“I think it’s a great design from Annika Sorenstam. You hit every single club in your bag and you can’t just overpower it off the tee. You’re forced to hit to the right areas which I enjoy. I really like that kind of golf. But when you do take risks you get rewarded. I think it’s a great test. And then to combine that with some droëwors and a braai in the bushveld, it makes the week feel like home.”

The phenomenal consistency Lombard has shown on the DP World Tour and his experience will be a key factor on the weekend, but he’s certainly not taking anything for granted at a time when he believes world golf is extremely competitive.

“I think the level golf on all the tours has improved. The depth is incredible. When I turned professional 11 years ago a lot of cuts on the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour were made on two over par, level par or one under par. Now the depth has changed dramatically. If you make the cut you’re still in with a chance on the weekend. It just shows the improvement and I think the game is in a really good space.” – Michael Vlismas.

MOOKGOPHONG, Limpopo – The intense competitiveness of the Sunshine Tour shone through again on Thursday as the first round of the Limpopo Championship ended in a four-way tie for the lead at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate.

Wilco Nienaber, Michael Hollick, Deon Germishuys and Ethan Smith all opened with rounds of six-under-par 66 to share the lead in this bushveld retreat.

And just one shot behind them the quality continues with Zander Lombard and multiple Sunshine Tour winner Jean Hugo in a group of players on five under, while Luca Filippi – who finished second here last year – is just two shots off the lead.

There were even two holes-in-one in Thursday’s first round from Erhard Lambrechts on the par-three 17^th and Karabo Mokoena on the par-three eighth.

“The quality of golf on the Sunshine Tour is really strong, so my approach in a first round is to just try and not play yourself out of it,” said Nienaber.

The lanky young professional returned from a short break and posted a bogey-free opening round in a tournament where he finished second in 2020.

“Six under is always a nice score on any golf course, and to come back after a break and shoot a bogey-free round is always good,” said Nienaber.

“Today was really good and very solid, and pretty straightforward. The greens were pretty slow so that was tricky, but I managed well. My length off the tee does help here, but not always. There are some holes, like the par-five 18^th for instance, where you are restricted on how far you can hit it.

“But I have good memories here. I came here for the first time in 2020 and my dad caddied for me that week. This week I’m really trying to be happy on the golf course and realise that there are things that are going to happen during a round that aren’t within my control. So hopefully it will be more of the same over the next three rounds.”

Alongside him, Hollick is an obvious threat on the title as well. The KwaZulu-Natal professional has been playing impressive golf of late and comes into this tournament having finished second in the Stella Artois Players Championship in late March. – Michael Vlismas.

Ryan van Velzen returns to next week’s Limpopo Championship as the defending champion in a tournament that dramatically changed the course of his career.

Van Velzen made his Sunshine Tour breakthrough with victory in this R2 million tournament at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate last year.

It was a victory that launched the career of one of the most exciting young players on the Sunshine Tour as Van Velzen has gone on to win again on the Tour in the Bain’s Whisky Teams Challenge and the Mediclinic Invitational, and also challenge in several tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour and European Challenge Tour.

He returns to Limpopo for the 4-7 April event as the current leader on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

The list of entries for this year’s event is one of the strongest in the tournament’s history.

It includes multiple DP World Tour winner Thriston Lawrence and DP World Tour campaigner Zander Lombard as well as Robin Williams, who is currently second on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and who came close to a maiden victory on the DP World Tour this season.

Wilco Nienaber, Oliver Bekker and Luca Filippi, who have all finished runner-up in this tournament before, are also set to tee it up next week.

The field also includes Heinrich Bruiners, who won at the Eurphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate early in his career and last week ended an 11-year win drought with his victory in the Stella Artois Players Championship.

Haydn Porteous, a former DP World Tour winner who after a few challenging years finished second in the Stella Artois Players Championship last week, will continue his comeback in Limpopo.

The 72-hole tournament will be broadcast live on SuperSport and offers free entry for spectators to an event that is planning to showcase the impact of the tournament in a Limpopo Province that has seen over R25 million invested back into the local economy through this event as well as a 35% investment of the tournament’s operational budget in local businesses.

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – Heinrich Bruiners woke up at 1:30am on the day of the final round of the Stella Artois Players Championship and had the number of eight under par in his mind. Several hours later he shot an eight-under-par 64 to end an 11-year win drought with his emotional victory in this Sunshine Tour event at Dainfern Golf Estate on Sunday.

Bruiners birdied his final three holes to finish on 28 under par, one shot ahead of Jaco Ahlers (66), Michael Hollick (68) and Haydn Porteous (68).

It was an emotional win for a man who has worked so hard to reclaim the form that saw him win the 2013 Vodacom Origins of Golf, and who has had to overcome a car accident, serious injury and sometimes even his own doubts as he’s fought his way back into the winner’s circle.

“It’s been such a long journey to stand with a trophy again. I never stopped believing, but it was tough. But everyone behind the scenes has been supporting me. The Nomads, the guys on the driving ranges – I’m so grateful for those who have been behind me. When you’re on top everybody wants to be part of the victory but there is a lot of darkness and searching to get to the top,” said Bruiners, who finished before the final group and was on the putting green preparing for a playoff before he broke down in tears when it was confirmed that he had won.

“I just want to thank everybody involved and everybody who supports the Sunshine Tour. My fellow professionals have stepped up to another level and it’s pushed me to work even harder. We all fight to get on the big stage and it’s really nice to stand here with a trophy. I told my girlfriend I’m going to do something special this week. It’s crazy. It’s written in the stars,” he said.

This week showcased some of the best scoring seen on the Sunshine Tour as players threatened to shoot 59 while a number of golfers had 29s for nine holes. It was exactly the realization of how the standard of golf is improving on the Sunshine Tour that Bruiners says pushed him to work even harder at his own game.

“Everyone has been playing so well and the standard of golf is unbelievable. I remember shooting four under at Glendower Golf Club in a regular Sunshine Tour event and finishing in the top 10. This year, four under on the same golf course was just the cut at the Jonsson Workwear Open. It’s unbelievable.” – Michael Vlismas.

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – Haydn Porteous drew on the “good thoughts and good feelings” of the golf he knows he’s capable of playing to claim a share of the Stella Artois Players Championship lead headed into Sunday’s final round at Dainfern Golf Estate.

Porteous signed for a third round of 63 to share the lead on 23 under par with Keenan Davidse (63) and Michael Hollick (64).

Their nearest challenger is former champion Jaco Ahlers on 21 under par following his 66 on Saturday.

It’s been seven years since Porteous won and he’s keenly aware of that as he chases a victory on Sunday.

“It’s no secret that I’ve really been struggling over the last few years and definitely not playing to the kind of standard that I know I’m capable of,” said Porteous.

“But that’s golf. I think a lot of it is about growing up and dealing with a few more thoughts than normal. At first I was reacting to those thoughts, but slowly but surely I’m beginning to understand them and recognise them as just thoughts, and just stick to what I’m trying to achieve.

“We battle with these negative thoughts and I felt like I was putting a lot of emphasis on those thoughts. Now I recognise them as bad thoughts, and I’m trying instead to focus on the good thoughts and good feelings and focus my energy on the good rather than the bad. It’s making a big change in my game. Over the last six months I’ve been playing better, and this week was a good opportunity for me to do something in light of where I am on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.”

As much as he’s been working on his mind, Porteous’ game inside the ropes has been equally solid this week.

“Looking at the previous scores for this tournament I knew we needed to take it low. The par fives are there for the taking and I’ve done that well. My iron play has also helped me a lot this week. It’s been a pretty nice week so far.”

While admitting it’s obviously been a while since he’s contended, Porteous said he’s feeling confident going into the final round.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position, but we live for these moments. It’s been difficult for me to enjoy the game while not being able to feel these feelings over the past few years. A lot of the time I found myself hanging around the cut mark, and that’s not where I want to play my golf.” – Michael Vlismas.

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – When Heinrich Bruiners was asked what it will take to win the Stella Artois Players Championship at Dainfern Golf Estate this weekend, the co-leader laughed. After another day of incredible scoring, it feels as though nothing short of a 59 will be needed to claim victory on Sunday.

“I can’t believe it. The amount of rounds of 10 under par I saw today was incredible. I think the winning score will be around 27 under or 28 under with the way things are going. It just shows the level of golf on the Sunshine Tour,” said Bruiners, who is in a four-way tie for the lead on 15 under par going into the weekend.

Bruiners secured his place at the top of the leaderboard with a bogey-free 65. He is joined there by Michael Hollick who also signed for a 65, Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi who posted a 64, and 2022 champion Jaco Ahlers who shot an incredible 62.

They are only one shot clear of a host of players on 14 under par including first-round leader Rourke van der Spuy.

But further down the leaderboard the scoring was still equally impressive on Friday.

Wynand Dingle worked his way to within two shots of the lead with a bogey-free 61. JJ Senekal also heads into the weekend on 13 under par following a 62. And Ryan van Velzen and Nikhil Rama both had nines of 29 to lift them to 11 under par overall.

Bruiners says it’s a reflection of the standard of golf being played on the Sunshine Tour, and it’s inspired him to work even harder at his game.

“I think people out there would immediately assume the golf course is a lot shorter, but we play it off the back tees. Look, you can go out and try and shoot those scores. It’s just awesome to see the standard the Sunshine Tour is at. It’s really impressive. It’s also been an added boost for me to work even harder.

“I’m excited. It’s so nice to be in the mix and leading the tournament. I enjoy it when I’m up there. I know people feel there’s expectation, but this is what I work for and I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made.”

It’s now been 11 years since Bruiners’ last victory on the Sunshine Tour and he says he’s more motivated than ever to prove he can win again.

“This has been the cumulation of a lot of things. I’ve changed my golf ball and made a few equipment changes, but I’ve also worked very hard. I’ve been driven to work even harder and keep making changes. Since Covid I’ve been grinding it out. I just want to feel like I can win again. That’s a big thing for me. I know people say you should play to make a living, but my biggest drive is to win on the big stage and I won’t stop until I get it right. I feel like I’m on the right path and have a bit more clarity about what I need to do. I’ll just hang in there and be patient until it’s my time.” – Michael Vlismas.

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – Rourke van der Spuy set the tone for what should be another low-scoring Stella Artois Players Championship with his opening nine-under-par 63 to lead the incomplete first round of this Sunshine Tour event by a single stroke at Dainfern Golf Estate on Thursday.

Van Der Spuy’s putting was superb as he rolled in nine birdies – starting with back-to-back birdies over his opening two holes – and didn’t make a single bogey.

His nearest challengers are Heinrich Bruiners, Daniel van Tonder, Haydn Porteous and Michael Hollick following their rounds of 64. Luca Filippi, who challenged for this title last year before Kyle Barker claimed the victory, is once again in contention after opening with a round of seven-under-par 65.

The round was suspended at 17:06 due to dangerous conditions. The first round will resume at 07:15 on Friday morning, with 24 players still to complete their rounds.

But even before he teed off on Thursday, Van Der Spuy was well aware that it was once again going to take some low scoring to win this week.

It was at this tournament last year where Casey Jarvis shot a 59 in the third round to equal the lowest round in Sunshine Tour history, and scores of 29 over nine holes are also not uncommon.

“The tone has been set in this tournament over the last few years so you know what to expect. Before I teed off there were already a couple of six-, seven- and eight-unders up on the leaderboard. And then with what Casey did last year, you just know that it’s out there,” said Van Der Spuy.

It’s certainly a golf course that suits Van Der Spuy’s eye, but the critical differentiator for him on Thursday was his putting.

“The difference today was I just made a few putts. That’s normally my Achilles heel. I made a nice putt on the first and birdied the second, so I got off to a good start which opens up the floodgates a little bit. If I can make a couple of putts like I did, then that’s when low scores are out there.

“It’s also one of those courses where I like every shot off the tee boxes. You know that if you hit good tee shots, the par fives are reachable. I didn’t make any eagles today, but you know there are eagles out there. And the greens are just so solid, so it’s just an all-round good experience if you’re hitting it in the right places. I hit a lot of fairways and those I did miss, I was still in position. So I really set myself up well off my drives today. It’s just a matter of keeping the ball in play like I did and giving myself as many chances as possible.” – Michael Vlismas.

DAINFERN, Johannesburg – Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo, who created a global sensation when he became the first Ugandan to make the cut in a DP World Tour event in February, will tee it up on the Sunshine Tour in this week’s Stella Artois Players Championship at Dainfern Golf Estate.

Rugumayo is well known to the Sunshine Tour and its fans, having played on the Tour before. But he became a global golf sensation when he became the first Ugandan golfer to make the cut in a DP World Tour event – the Magical Kenya Open – in February.

It was a moment that even drew headlines in the United States on the PGA Tour, was reported on by Sky News and celebrated by some of the top professionals in the game.

In September last year Rugumayo made his first cut on the Sunshine Tour in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Western Cape where he finished tied 42^nd. He also achieved a runner-up finish on the Blue Label Development Tour last year.

This week’s field includes both the previous champions of the Stella Artois Players Championship in Jaco Ahlers and Kyle Barker.

They add to a quality field that will tee off in Thursday’s first round.

Ryan van Velzen, the leader on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, is also in the field alongside Robin Williams, the leader on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings.

The field includes eight of the top 10 players on the current Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.