CAPE TOWN, Western Cape – It’s been over a decade since South Africa’s Trevor Fisher Jnr. last won a title, and he heads into the weekend of the CIRCA Cape Town Open with a chance to end that wait at Royal Cape Golf Club.
Using a putter that was given to him by fellow professional Rupert Kaminsky, Fisher Jnr. signed for a 67 and the overall lead on 11 under par.
“I took Rupert’s putter on Tuesday and it’s been working unbelievably well. So sorry, Rupert, but you’re not getting it back,” said Fisher Jnr.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position. I think I need to get my hands on a trophy again. But I won’t be getting ahead of myself.”
His nearest challenger in this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour event is Spain’s Pablo Ereno on 10 under following his second round of 68 on Friday.
On a day when Royal Cape started to play more to its true form with a constant wind, Fisher Jnr. teed off his round with successive birdies and was five under through his first eight holes. He played the next 10 holes in level par as a few bogeys crept in. But he was more than satisfied with a round that has given him a shot at a trophy again.
“I got off to a nice start today and was coasting. I hit one or two bad shots but that’s going to happen in the wind, which was tricky today. You don’t have to hit the ball perfectly to win a golf tournament. You’ve just got to manage yourself. I think there is still a low score out there,” said the former DP World Tour champion.
And he’s bringing a different mindset to the weekend.
“There are a lot of good players behind me. I’m just trying to enjoy myself. I’m just grateful to be in a position to chase this title. I haven’t done that for some time. But there is still a long way to go. I feel like I’m a bit more relaxed this week. I actually don’t care if I win or lose, which is a nice attitude to have. I think you can put yourself under too much pressure to try and win tournaments. You’ve just got to try and control what you can, enjoy yourself, walk easy out there and not put too much pressure on yourself to try and shoot a good score. Just play the game.”
Behind him, Spain’s Enero is enjoying being in contention in his first tournament in South Africa.
“I’m playing on an invitation this week so my aim is to just do my best to get some status on a tour this year because I don’t have any at the moment. It’s exciting to be in contention. This is why I play golf. I love the pressure. This is my first time in South Africa and I like the country a lot,” he said. – Michael Vlismas
