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KITWE, Zambia – Herman Loubser and Sunshine Tour veteran Hennie Otto finished Thursday’s first round of the Mopani Zambia Open in a share of the lead following their rounds of five-under-par 67 at the Nkana Golf Club.

They are one stroke clear of Sweden’s Fredrik From and defending champion MJ Viljoen from South Africa.

Loubser, who started his round on the back nine and had to work for a few pars early on, claimed the early clubhouse lead with a solid round including three birdies and an eagle.

“I started off a little bit shaky but made good up-and-downs for par that kept the momentum going. My course management was good today. At the par-five second hole I holed it out of the bunker with my third shot for eagle, which I haven’t done in a while,” said Loubser, who wasn’t even born yet when his fellow leader Otto finished second in this tournament in 1998.

“The nice things about these tournaments are that all the guys stay in the same spot, so it’s always very social. The people here are so friendly. I love this place. Africa in general is just a fun experience,” Loubser said. 

The young Sunshine Tour professional was delighted with his start and hopes to continue with this momentum.

“It’s quite a weird position to be in. Usually I try to shoot a low round to make the cut, but it’s nice to put myself in a good position.” – Michael Vlismas Media

IRENE, Gauteng – Mexico’s Luis Carrera made Sunshine Tour history by becoming the first player to win the tour’s Qualifying School and then the first two tournaments of the season as he claimed victory in the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club on Sunday.

Carrera has hit the Sunshine Tour by storm ever since he closed with a final round of 61 to win the tour’s Qualifying School in April. He then claimed his maiden victory in the FBC Zim Open last week, and followed this up with a commanding 10-stroke win on 30 under par in the Kit Kit Cash & Carry Pro-Am.

These are the first two tournaments of the Sunshine Tour’s new 2025/26 season.

His victory also represents the growing global stature of the Sunshine Tour and its ability to draw some of the most exciting young professionals from around the world.

A total of about 60% of the players, Carrera included, who earned their Sunshine Tour playing privileges at the recent Qualifying School were foreigners.

Sunday was another dominant performance by Carrera who closed with a 62 to win his second Sunshine Tour title in a week where he dropped only one shot in 72 holes. He has also earned close to R1 million in prize money in his brief time on the Sunshine Tour.

“It feels amazing. It’s a wonderful feeling. I played some of the best golf I played in my life and I’m happy about that. The Irene Country Club is a great golf course. I really enjoyed playing here,” said Carrera.

The Mexican beat a quality field for his second Sunshine Tour victory.

Dylan Frittelli, playing the golf course where he grew up, was his nearest challenger going into the final round only two strokes back. But his own 73 against the flawless golf played by Carrera saw him finish tied ninth.

And a clutch of Sunshine Tour champions in Oliver Bekker, Trevor Fisher Jnr., Jonathan Broomhead and Gerhard Pepler all settled for second place on 20 under par.

Carrera was simply in a class all his own on Sunday as he opened with two consecutive birdies and then made a further three birdies on his outward nine. He started the back nine equally strong with an eagle and a birdie, and then closed with two consecutive birdies to take the title and establish himself as the Sunshine Tour’s newest star.

Defending champion Kieran Vincent ended the tournament on 18-under par for a share of seventh place. – Michael Vlismas Media

Louis Albertse, the winner of the inaugural Waterfall City Tournament of Champions, supported by Attacq and WCMC, has praised the tournament as a great showcase of the depth in South African golf.

The official launch of this year’s tournament, which will be played at Royal Johannesburg’s famed East Course from 22-25 May as part of the Sunshine Tour’s new 2025/26 season, took place at Waterfall City on Monday, with several Sunshine Tour stars present.

Albertse won the inaugural tournament last year after a memorable week in which Sunshine Ladies Tour professional Casandra Alexander finished tied second.

“It was a great event. I enjoyed the golf course and the challenge, and to come out as the winner was special,” said Albertse, who took home the R1 million in first-place prize money for this event.

This year’s tournament will once again bring 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).

The professionals, drawn from the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour, will again compete for a first prize of R1 million.

“The tournament is a great showcase of what South Africa is doing in golf and the depth of our game. It was great to compete with the Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals, and Casandra pushed us quite close that week. The talent in South African golf is very deep,” said Albertse.

“It’s a great way to start the season. I came into the event on the back of a good season, and then moving into the new season with a win and going overseas after that was a nice confidence boost to show me what I’m capable of.”

The 2025 field will include, upon availability, the winner of the 2024/25 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by the Courier Guy, the 2024/25 Fortress Rookie of the Year, the leading Papwa Sewgolum Class player from the 2024/25 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by the Courier Guy not otherwise exempt, South African winners of international tournaments held outside of the borders of South Africa from 1 January 2024 until the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions, supported by Attacq and WCMC, the winner of the 2025 Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit, Sunshine Ladies Tour winners from 2025, the winner of the 2024 Betway Big Easy Tour Order of Merit, the winner of the 2025 Africa Amateur, the leading amateur from the GolfRSA Order of Merit as nominated by GolfRSA, and five wild card entries.

The amateurs and professionals will compete over 72 holes of stroke play, while the SADGA golfers will compete over 36 holes of medal play.

There will be comprehensive TV coverage of the event on SuperSport Channel 213 Golf.

Willie Vos, CEO of Waterfall City Management Company, said: “We are very proud to be associated with the Sunshine Tour, which strives for excellence, as do Waterfall City Management Company and our associates. We also appreciate the innovative format of the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions. It echoes the innovation we apply to both the design and management of our city, which aligns perfectly with our mission of creating a place where people love to be.”

Michael Clampett, Asset and Property Management Executive at Attacq, said: “We are excited to welcome the Sunshine Tour back to Waterfall City. This tournament not only showcases South Africa’s exceptional golf talent but also embodies the values of inclusivity and opportunity that Attacq champions. We’re proud to partner with SADGA and the Sunshine Tour to bring this event to life and enabling all passionate golfers to participate in a prestigious televised golfing tournament.”

Scotland’s Calum Hill claimed one of the most dramatic victories in the history of the Joburg Open when he won a three-man playoff at Houghton Golf Club on Sunday.

Under brooding Johannesburg thunderclouds, the sparks truly flew on the back nine of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament as Hill surged through the field with a final round of 62 to lead in the clubhouse on 14 under par, and was then joined on that total by South Africans Jacques Kruyswijk (who closed with a 66) and Shaun Norris (who signed for a 70).

Playing the par-four 18^th as the first playoff hole, all three golfers parred the hole.

Then on the second playoff hole, Norris found the right fairway bunker off the tee and then hit his second into the water on his way to a double bogey. Kruyswijk bogeyed the hole, and Hill parred to claim his second DP World Tour title.

“I’m a little bit taken aback at the moment. I was quite far back at the start of the final round, and then played a great round of golf where a lot of putts went in. I’m a bit shocked, but delighted to come out with the trophy,” said Hill.

It was a tense start to the final round as Norris’s four-shot lead overnight was reduced to two with his back-to-back bogeys on the opening two holes, and with five players lining up behind him as his nearest challengers.

The closing holes provided plenty of drama.

Norris, tied for the lead with Hill, hit his second into the water on the 12^th on his way to a double bogey. Hill missed a par putt on 16 to also make bogey. All of which left Dylan Frittelli coming off a bogey on 15 and finding himself tied for the lead with Hill. Kruyswijk then joined for a three-way tie for the lead after his birdie on 13.

Kruyswijk took the lead on his own on 14 under with a birdie on 14, but dropped a shot back with a bogey on 15. Hill then birdied 18 after a magnificent shot into the green, which kicked off the greenside bank and left him a little over a metre putt for birdie to set the clubhouse target at 14 under.

Kruyswijk birdied the 17^th to join the playoff, and Norris made a tremendous putt for birdie on 18 to also force his way into the playoff.

“I thought we might need one or two more birdies. I just had to wait and see and fortunately -14 held up to get into a playoff, and then anything can happen. I’m just fortunate to come out on top,” said Hill. – Michael Vlismas

DURBAN (KwaZulu-Natal) –  South Africa’s Shaun Norris seized control of the Investec South African Open lead on a day when countryman Dylan Naidoo surged into contention with a 61, and England’s Dale Whitnell stunned the field with his two holes-in-one in a single round at Durban Country Club on Friday.

By the end of a long day in which the field had to complete the suspended first round and then go straight into the second, Norris finished off his opening 66 and then produced a second round of 64 to lead on 14 under par overall.

“I finished off the first round nicely and then just carried that into the second round. I’m hitting the ball nicely and putting myself in good positions where I’m looking at birdie all the time. I’m very happy. I’ve left a few putts out there, but that’s a positive for me because it means we can hopefully still go a little bit deeper,” said Norris. The second round will have to be completed on Saturday morning following the delayed start on day one.

But it was one of those remarkable days in the history of this proud championship where anything that could happen pretty much did, including the rare feat of two holes-in-one by the same player in the same round.

Whitnell aced the par-three second hole with a seven iron, and then added another ace on the par-three 12^th hole with a 50 degree wedge on his way to a second round of 63 and a tournament total of nine under par.

His second round started with a birdie, hole-in-one and then an eagle in his first three holes and he went from fighting to make the cut to being right in the hunt for the title.

“That was a hot start. I didn’t realise the first hole-in-one went in until I heard the cheers. Then to have a second hole-in-one on the 12^th is bizarre. It’s a weird feeling. I now have five holes-in-one, but this is the first time I’ve done so in a tournament. It’s incredible,” he said.

One man who also left nothing out there was Naidoo, who went on a scoring frenzy in which he admitted he didn’t even know what his score was at one stage as he signed for a 61 to finish Friday as Norris’s nearest challenger on 13 under par. He’s chasing a DP World Tour title once again after also challenging for December’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

“It’s crazy. I honestly had no idea what I shot. I was just trying to hit the best shots I could. I had a few spectators ask me on 11 what my score was and I said, ‘No clue’. But this shows me again I’m good enough to compete and I’ve got what it takes at this level,” said Naidoo, who is keenly aware of the history of Durban Country Club and the great Indian golfer Sewsunker “Papwa” Sewgolum’s place therein.

“It’s such a beautiful club and we’re lucky to be here, and it’s important to remember the history as well,” he said.

Former Investec South African Open champion Branden Grace finished Friday alongside Darren Fichardt and Andrea Pavan on 11 under par, while England’s Sam Bairstow was also on 11 under with 10 holes still to complete before darkness forced a suspension of play.

Christiaan Maas produced a masterful 64 to easily lead the amateur race for the Freddie Tait Cup on 10 under par overall, while another former Investec South African Open champion in Brandon Stone is just five shots off the lead.

GEORGE, Western Cape – Jacques Blaauw beat the weather and the fading light to post an impressive nine-under-par 63 for the clubhouse lead on a difficult opening day of the NTT DATA Pro-Am at Fancourt on Thursday.

Heavy rain forced a lengthy suspension of the first round of this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned tournament and resulted in two restarts as the three golf courses of The Links, Montagu and Outeniqua recovered from the downpour.

When an overcast first day drew to a close, Blaauw had just made it into the clubhouse with his bogey-free round on the Outeniqua. He leads by two shots over Denmark’s Christoffer Bring, who signed for a 65. England’s Eddie Pepperell and South Africa’s JC Ritchie are also on seven under but still busy with their first rounds.

The first round will have to be completed on Friday morning, with the second round tee times adjusted accordingly.

Blaauw was delighted with his performance in the testing conditions.

“It was a tough morning with the weather, and frustrating. But I’m happy that we could eventually get out there and I was able to make a good score,” said the South African, who added that he had to reset mentally for the challenge ahead.

“It’s difficult because you’re hungry but don’t want to eat because your prep is normally different. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but in the end it worked out. I could take advantage of the soft greens and make a few birdies. I was pretty good overall through my game.”

As his nearest challenger, Bring was also all smiles on a grey day.

“I had to warm up three times but it was a great day for me. We had to come in after a couple of holes, but when we went back out there wasn’t much wind and the greens were soft which meant I could make lot of birdies. I just tried to stick to my routine and reset mentally. I hit lots of greens and felt in control of my game,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

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