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Christiaan Bezuidenhout maintained his push for back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour and European Tour’s South African Swing, but he still has company at the top of the South African Open leaderboard going into the weekend at the Gary Player Country Club.

Bezuidenhout signed for a second consecutive 67 on Friday to climb to 10 under par at the halfway stage of this tournament. While he managed to break free of the six-way tie for the lead he shared after day one, Welshman Jamie Donaldson went with Bezuidenhout and also came through the second round at 10 under par following a sublime 63.

They are two strokes clear of Dean Burmester and Dylan Frittelli, who posted rounds of 69 and 68 respectively.

But Bezuidenhout has shown no signs of a loss of momentum following his victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship last week, and seems in perfect control of his game at this point.

“I’m very pleased. I missed a few makeable putts on the par fives and a few short putts which hurt a bit, but no damage was done. I was controlled and solid today, and I’m very pleased to be at -10 at the halfway mark. You have to have good course management around here and I’ve had a good gameplan for this week. I’m not going to change anything,” he said.

Donaldson made the biggest move with his round of 63 and is equally excited about the prospect of contending on the weekend on a golf course he enjoys.

“This is a great country and I really enjoy playing this golf course. You’ve got to hit fairways here. If you hit it in the rough it’s so much harder to get the right distance into the greens. I hit a lot of tee shots in play and my iron shots were very close to the flags, and then I was able to capitalise on that with good putts. I must have holed four or five 20-foot putts. So all in all it was a very good day.”

Behind them, Frittelli in particular is also exactly where he planned to be at the start of this tournament.

“I said at the start if I can be within two or three shots going into the final nine holes, I feel l’ll have a chance. I’m within two of the lead so that’s perfect for the weekend.”

Christiaan Bezuidenhout opened with a five-under-par 67 to place him in a six-way tie for the first-round lead of the South African Open as he chases back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour and European Tour’s South African Swing.

The winner of last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship picked up where he left off at Leopard Creek as he made six birdies and only one bogey at the Gary Player Country Club on Thursday to join fellow South Africans Dean Burmester, Jacques Kruyswijk and Ruan Korb as well as Austria’s Matthias Schwab and Italian Aron Zemmer in the lead.

“I got off to a nice start and turned five under par, then I birdied my 10^th hole to get to six under,” said Bezuidenhout, who teed off the 10^th. But with the nines swapped for this tournament, he faced the more difficult nine as his second nine, and which was compounded by a strong wind which seemed to also put a chill on his putter.

“The putter just went cold. I just couldn’t make the putts coming in. The wind also picked up which made it more tricky. But it’s nice to have a good start and hopefully I can keep the momentum going and put myself in a good position come Sunday.”

Schwab played with Bezuidenhout and said he fed off the South African’s fast start on the first nine.

“I just tried to keep up with him. Then it got a little bit windy and I just kept the score together coming in. Overall it was good and it’s nice to be bogey-free,” he said after a round of three birdies and an eagle.

The leaders are one stroke clear of Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli. Frittelli also said the wind stopped the momentum he had built up to get to seven under through 10 holes before three bogeys coming in.

“It was a tale of two nines. I played really well on the first nine and everything was just flawless, and then I played poorly on the back. The wind got up which made it tricky. But it was a decent start. As long as I’m within two or three shots going into the final round I feel like I have a good shot.”

GolfRSA’s Casey Jarvis and Christiaan Maas both made strong claims for the Freddie Tait trophy as they each opened with rounds of one-over-par 73 to lead the amateur scoring on day one.

The 110^th playing of the South African Open at the Gary Player Country Club this week represents an incredible opportunity for the entire field, and none more so than for some of the Sunshine Tour’s golfers who see a victory this week as a career dream for them.

“This ranks very highly for me in terms of tournaments I want to win,” says Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who is looking for back-to-back victories following his triumph in last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship.

“It’s one of the most prestigious tournaments in world golf, and the second oldest national Open in golf. For any South African golfer it’s a dream to win their national Open. I’ve come close a couple of times and would love to pull it through this week.”

“It’s a special week – no doubt about it,” adds young Sunshine Tour professional Dylan Naidoo. “The SA Open is very important for all of us on the Sunshine Tour. This is a tournament that everyone marks on the schedule. I mean, you have somebody like Dylan Frittelli who’s just played in The Masters coming back to play here. All the top Sunshine Tour professionals support the South African Open.”

As a winner on the Sunshine Tour already in last year’s KCB Karen Masters, Toto Thimba Jnr. views the SA Open as the next step in his career.

“For me to win the SA Open would be huge. Every South African golfer wants to win this one. I’m very excited and pleased to be here competing this week.”

There will also be eight GolfRSA amateurs in the field – South African number one Casey Jarvis as well as Kyle de Beer, Yurav Premlall, Sam Simpson, Christo Lamprecht, Christiaan Maas, Jordan Duminy and Massimo Mbetse – all chasing opportunities of their own to further their careers as they look to add their names to the Freddie Tait trophy as the leading amateur at the end of the week.

The national Open is indeed a week of immense golf opportunity, as five-time champion Ernie Els points out.

“What the SA Open has meant to me has been immense. My career started by winning the SA Open at Houghton in 1992. It got me into European Tour events and into The Open where I finished fifth that year. There’s so much in the SA Open I’m grateful for.”

And it’s an opportunity Naidoo is certainly not taking for granted.

“I’ve watched the SA Open growing up and to be playing here as a Sunshine Tour professional is special. For someone young like me to have this opportunity is something I’ve always looked forward to.”

Dylan Frittelli believes so much in the history and tradition of the South African Open that he goes as far as to say he wouldn’t feel his career would be complete without adding his name to the trophy of the second oldest national Open in golf.

“I’ve won on the European Tour and on the PGA Tour, and if I don’t win the South African Open, it’s definitely going to be something that I’ll feel like I haven’t accomplished in my career,” Frittelli said ahead of his appearance in the 110^th edition of the national Open at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City this week.

Frittelli returns to South Africa shortly after his tied fifth finish in The Masters to support the South African Swing of the Sunshine Tour and European Tour, and in particular this tournament which is jointly supported by Nedbank and Sun International.

And he believes the fact that the South African Open is being played at the Gary Player Country Club for the first time in its history gives him one of his best opportunities to join the list of greats who have won this title.

“The South African Open is the one I want to win. I used to watch the South African Open as a kid and I remember a bunch of them. I definitely remember the duel between Ernie Els and Retief Goosen at Fancourt in 2005.

“When I knew it was coming here to Sun City, I thought that was good for me because I’ve done well here in a few Nedbank Golf Challenges. This is also a ball striker’s course which seems to favour me. So I’m really excited.”

After a practice round on Tuesday to acquaint himself with the nines that have been swapped for this year’s tournament, allowing the par-five ninth to serve as the finishing hole this week, Frittelli is even more excited about his chances.

“The course looks really good, and the heat’s going to be a factor this week for sure. My game is feeling good. I got rid of the jet lag last week. I’m healthy and feeling fresh, so I’m really looking forward to this week.”

Christiaan Bezuidenhout claimed his second victory in a memorable year for him as he won the Alfred Dunhill Championship by four strokes at Leopard Creek on Sunday.

Bezuidenhout bounced back from a front nine where he dropped three shots in two holes and then made three key birdies on the back nine to close with a 69 and win on 14 under par.

This was his second victory this year after winning the Dimension Data Pro-Am on the Sunshine Tour in February, and it came two weeks after he made his debut in The Masters and finished tied 38^th there. It’s also his second European Tour title after his victory in last year’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters.

“I’m really pleased I pulled it off,” said a delighted Bezuidenhout. “Leopard Creek has always been a special place for me, and the golf course this week was immaculate. You don’t get much better than this. I’ve always wanted to win this tournament.”

A group of four players finished tied second on 10 under par including South Africa’s Jayden Schaper, England’s Richard Bland, American Sean Crocker and Poland’s Adrian Meronk.

Bezuidenhout started the final round three shots off the lead of Meronk. Meronk struggled to a final round of 76. The door was briefly open for Schaper as he moved to the top of the leaderboard, but then a back nine of 40 crushed his title hopes as he closed with a 75.

Bezuidenhout also thought he might be out of the running after his double bogey on the seventh and then a bogey on eight.

“I thought after that double bogey on seven it would be tough to come back from there. It was tough out there. We played in a two-club wind that was swirling all over the place. You stood over your ball and it was downwind, and then when you hit it was suddenly into the wind. The pins were also tucked away on the greens. I just tried to play clever golf today. But all credit to my caddie. He stuck in there with me today and we pulled it through together,” he said.

The Sunshine Tour and European Tour South African Swing travels to Sun City this week for the South African Open at the Gary Player Country Club.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk will take a one-stroke lead into a final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship that is poised to showcase some of the finest young talent on both the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour at Leopard Creek on Sunday.

Meronk has already made history this week as the first Polish professional to ever lead a tournament on the European Tour. He now has the chance to add his first European Tour title to that list as he tees off the final round on 14 under par following a third round of 71 on Saturday.

After a slow start that saw him bogey two of his opening four holes, Meronk found his form on the back nine and made three birdies in four holes from the turn to keep himself at the top of the leaderboard.

“It was a solid comeback at the end after a slow start. I didn’t really play badly, I just made those two bogeys out of nowhere. But I played well the rest of the round. I enjoyed the battle of the third round, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of the final round as well,” he said.

Meronk’s nearest challenger is South African Jayden Schaper, who made an eagle and two birdies in his final four holes on Saturday for a 67.

In January Schaper was still an amateur when he challenged the professionals in the South African Open at Randpark Golf Club and went on to finish tied sixth. Almost a year later and he is also hunting his maiden professional title at Leopard Creek.

“If you’re nervous it means you’re near the top, and that’s a good thing. Growing up I’ve always kept myself in the moment and I’ve really enjoyed the pressure. So I’m going to go out and enjoy every moment and have the best time of my life out there,” he said.

Following him is fellow South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout on 11 under par after a 68. Bezuidenhout is already a European Tour champion who this year made his debut in The Masters and finished tied 38^th. He finished off his third round with five birdies on the back nine after turning in one over par for the day.

“It was nice to finish with those five birdies. I just couldn’t find my rhythm early in the round and got off to a slow start. But the back nine I was hitting it better and got into a better rhythm and it was nice to see couple more putts go in as well,” he said.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk finished in the near darkness of an African evening as he secured a three-shot lead going into the weekend of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

Meronk signed for a second round of 66 on Friday that included a bogey at the treacherous par-five 18^th, but it did nothing to stop his quest for a European Tour victory as he topped the leaderboard on 13 under par.

“I’m very pleased. I hit a lot of good shots and am very happy with my position,” said Meronk. “The last couple of holes were quite dark, especially the last one. I didn’t want to rush anything because I’ve been in that position before and rushed it. I’m excited. It’s only halfway and there’s still a lot of golf to be played. But I’m excited.”

Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen produced the low round of the day with a 64 that saw him join England’s Richard Bland (67) as Meronk’s nearest challengers on 10 under.

“It’s really nice to play the way I am right now and I just want to keep that going. I got it going out there and holed some good putts and kept that momentum. It’s working quite well right now and hopefully that continues for the next two days,” said Hansen, who is looking for back-to-back victories following his win in last week’s Joburg Open.

Jayden Schaper leads the South African challenge on eight under alongside Frenchman Robin Roussel. The young star signed for a second round of 67 and is feeling confident for the next 36 holes on a golf course he loves.

“I love this place. I love being here. It’s just an awesome atmosphere here. I’m really positive for the weekend. I’m just going to keep being positive and make the same decisions. The trick is not to change anything but just to continue with what’s got me here,” he said.

A double-bogey six on the 14^th was the only setback in a second round where Schaper seemed to really settle into his rhythm and strategy for this tournament.

“I’m very happy. I felt pretty good out there. I watched the morning scores and I wanted to chase them. I’m very happy with how I hit the ball today. It was a lot better than in the first round. And I made a lot of clutch putts to save par because I didn’t hit too many greens in the middle of my round. I got a little bit upset with my wobble on the 14^th, but I’m really happy with the way I finished it off.”

Frenchman Robin Roussel and Poland’s Adrian Meronk both took the most advantage of a receptive Leopard Creek course in Thursday’s first round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship and shared the lead with their rounds of seven-under-par 65.

Roussel enjoyed a run of five consecutive birdies from the turn on his way to the top of the leaderboard, while Meronk had two eagles – chipping in from the bunker for one of them – as they opened up a one-stroke lead over the rest of the field.

Their nearest challenger is Scotland’s Scott Jamieson who birdied four of his last five holes for a 66. Ockie Strydom leads the South African challenge after day one following a rare bogey-free round of four-under-par 68.

A bit of overnight rain and cooler conditions softened up the Leopard Creek course on day one of this Sunshine Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned tournament, which allowed particularly the morning field to take advantage.

“The course is definitely softer than what it was when we last played here in December. The greens were soft this morning, but it’s still Leopard Creek and a very good course so I’m delighted with a 65,” said Roussel.

“I had a bunch of good birdies on the back nine. I was lucky enough to have a local caddie on the bag and he read the greens pretty well. I had quality putts in that stretch and it’s thanks to him. But overall I’m so happy to be here in the middle of this amazing wildlife. There are so many good vibes here and I think that helped me a lot.”

Meronk started his round off the 10^th, which he birdied. His two eagles came on the par-five 18^th and the par-four sixth hole, where he chipped in.

“I played really solid and had many chances to go even lower, but I’m very happy with how I played. I made some good decisions out there. My first eagle on 18 I hit a drive left of the fairway and I hit a six iron to about 15 feet and holed the putt. The second eagle on the sixth I holed a bunker shot. My short game and putting was pretty solid all day. This is my second time at Leopard Creek and I love it here. I love seeing the animals in their natural habitat.”

Behind them, Jamieson was equally delighted with his start. “A strong finish for a 66 is perfect as far as I’m concerned. I enjoy the tougher conditions this golf course offers. I like a tournament where the winner is 10 under, not 20 under.”

And Strydom singled out his bogey-free round as his best ever on Leopard Creek.

“I think it’s probably one of my best rounds in a very long time. It’s mentally tough out there. To keep the bogeys off the card is always special, but especially on a course as tough as this one. I think it’s the best round I’ve ever played here.”

He’s also not too concerned with being three shots back after the first round.

“There are always some players that go low in the first round, but my dad always taught me that you can’t win the golf tournament on the first day, but you can certainly lose it. I’m just keeping focused on my own game.”

It is with a sense of immense gratitude that Pablo Larrazabal has arrived at a Leopard Creek course he calls paradise to defend his Alfred Dunhill Championship title.

Last year, the Spaniard battled through a final round of intense heat and severe blisters on his way to victory in this European Tour and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned tournament. This year, he’s well aware of the greater challenge out there, and that to simply be able to play tournament golf in this spectacular setting is a victory in itself.

“We are fortunate as golfers to be able to come to places such as this at the end of this year. We are so lucky. It doesn’t matter how well we play this week, it’s still the best week of the year. It’s a dream to come here and play the game of golf,” he said.

“It was special the way everything happened last year in this place that I call paradise. Everything I love in life is here. The best in nature and the best golf course makes Leopard Creek a dream place for me.”

Larrazabal is hoping to become the third back-to-back winner of this championship after fellow Spaniard Pablo Martin and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel.

But he faces a field equally in awe of this iconic golf course that shares this environment with the untamed wilderness of the Kruger National Park, and equally determined to make the most of it.

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard is seeking a place in Alfred Dunhill golf history as only the second player after Branden Grace to possibly do the double of winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

“It’s a privilege to be here. I think any golfer that has played here realises how special it is to be back. I’m very happy to be back and hopefully I can join Branden in that elite group,” he said.

The South African challenge is a strong one, including Joburg Open runner-up Wilco Nienaber, recent European Tour winners Garrick Higgo and George Coetzee, 2020 Masters debutant Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and former Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Brandon Stone.

“You know, you drive through the gates here and arrive at what feels like the cradle of golf. You’re just filled with awe and inspiration for the week ahead,” said Stone.

The Leopard Creek course is certainly set to provide exactly the challenge many in the field are looking for.

“The course is playing a lot different to what it did last year,” said Higgo. “It’s a lot softer and the rough feels a bit shorter to me.”

“The golf course is in great condition and I’m looking forward to it,” added Scotland’s most recent European Tour champion, Robert MacIntyre.

“It’s a tough test of golf. That’s one of the reasons I travelled out here to play in this event. This is just a great golf course, and it’s one of those weeks that if you knuckle down and if you play well you’re going to be right in there.”

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard will seek to become only the second golfer in history to win both the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and its sister tournament the Alfred Dunhill Championship when he tees it up in the latter at Leopard Creek Golf Club this week.

Bjerregaard won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews in Scotland in 2018 to claim his second European Tour title. A win at Leopard Creek will see him join South Africa’s Branden Grace as the only players to have ever won both of these titles. Grace achieved this in 2012 and 2014.

“They are two very special events in their own way, and played on very special courses. So of course I’m really excited about going to Leopard Creek, and hopefully I can join Branden in winning both of them,” said Bjerregaard.

The professionals’ appreciation for Leopard Creek as one of the most special tournament venues in world golf is universal, and Bjerregaard is no exception.

“Leopard Creek is so unique. I’ve never played a course quite like it. I’m always amazed when I’m there as to how Gary Player and Johann Rupert could even imagine a golf course like that in those surroundings. I think anyone that has ever had the privilege of playing Leopard Creek has been amazed standing on the 13^th green (which overlooks the Kruger National Park). It’s pretty special putting with rhinos, elephants and crocodiles in the background.”

A victory at Leopard Creek would also be a first for Danish golf. Bjerregaard was the second Danish golfer to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but a Danish golfer has yet to triumph in the Alfred Dunhill Championship. The closest they have come is two runner-up finishes by Anders Hansen and Thorbjørn Olesen.

“Any win at Leopard Creek would be special. We’re so blessed to play such a unique course so it would obviously mean a lot to me,” said Bjerregaard.

Apart from a place in golf history, Bjerregaard has another incentive to come to South Africa.

“I can’t lie I love the food in South Africa. We always get treated so well in South Africa and I’ve met a lot of great people while being there. I’ve been on a few amazing safaris there and I try to go as much as I can. It’s always amazing seeing all these animals.”