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Mooinooi - He’s so laid back, it’s difficult to believe Divan van den Heever holds a two-stroke lead after his six-under-par 66 in the second round of the R500 000 Platinum Classic presented by UD Trucks.
He dropped a shot on his final hole after yet another wayward tee shot – his second bogey of the day after a drop on two, and only his second of the tournament – yet he was able to ask if it was possible to seem even more relaxed than usual.
That kind of approach to the game saw him hold the lead over a much steadier Jake Roos, who dropped his first shot of the tournament on the 12th, and who carded a six-under-par 66 to move to within striking distance of Van den Heever.
“I played well today,” said Van den Heever. “It’s a pity about those two bogeys. I didn’t birdie either of the par-fives on the back nine, either. I had a good round going, and I just lost a bit of focus, I think.”
It is testimony to the quality of his round that he missed out on the 14th and 17th and still made eight birdies as he did in his bogey-free opening round.
“I hit the ball longer than most,” he said, “or at least longer than average, I’d say, so on the par-fives, I look at scoring, and I’d like to attack them tomorrow.”
It was a driver that wasn’t straight enough which stymied his efforts in the second round. “I hit only six fairways again, as I did in the first round,” he said, “but I’m not hitting it off the planet – just missing fairways by a yard or two and that makes it difficult.”
Roos, on the other hand, was the very model of taking the direct route, hitting 11 of 14 fairways on his way to his 66. And he dropped his second shot of the tournament on the 16th as he missed one of the three fairways for the day. But once he got it onto the green, he was efficient getting it into the hole, taking just 28 putts for the round.
He’s had a quiet patch since his last Sunshine Tour victory in 2009, and with no eligibility except on the Sunshine Tour, he’s managed to rest a little instead of chasing that elusive great breakthrough. “Things are happening a bit more naturally now, where I was trying a bit too hard last year,” he said.
“It’s nice to be in contention – just to be there,” he added.
Roos finds himself two shots clear of a quartet of players sharing third, consisting of Dean Burmester, Warren Abery, Ulrich van den Berg and Charl Coetzee – all of whom can make up ground on him, and on Van den Heever.
“I’m confident,” said Van den Heever. “It’s not going to be easy. I think the guys will chase hard and I’m not going to be able to just go out there and just make pars – I’ll need to shoot under par.”
Scores (RSA unless specified):
130 - Divan van den Heever 64 66
132 - Jake Roos 66 66
134 - Dean Burmester 68 66, Warren Abery 67 67, Ulrich van den Berg 68 66, Charl Coetzee 68 66
136 - Danie van Tonder 67 69
137 - James Kamte 68 69, Allan Versfeld 70 67, Chris Swanepoel 66 71, Albert Pistorius 69 68
138 - Mark Williams 68 70, Doug McGuigan 71 67
139 - Anthony Michael 72 67, Martin du Toit 70 69, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 65 74, Louis de Jager 68 71, Andrew Georgiou 69 70, Divan Gerber 68 71
140 - Graham van der Merwe 70 70, Colin Nel 68 72, Vaughn Groenewald 71 69, Oliver Bekker 72 68, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 72 68, Des Terblanche 68 72, Neil Schietekat 71 69
141 - Thabang Simon 69 72, Joshua Cunliffe 69 72, Grant Muller 70 71, Matthew Carvell 73 68, Bryce Easton 70 71, Dean O'Riley 69 72, Brett Liddle 68 73, Steven Ferreira 69 72, Tyrone Ferreira 68 73, Justin Harding 73 68
142 - Daniel Greene 72 70, Morne Buys 70 72, Brandon Pieters 69 73, Justin Walters 71 71, Titch Moore 72 70, Mark Murless 71 71, Shaun Norris 70 72, Theunis Spangenberg 71 71
Missed the cut:
143 - Lyle Rowe 70 73, Hendrik Buhrmann 73 70, Jacques Blaauw 72 71, Drikus van der Walt 69 74, Merrick Bremner 77 66, Andre Cruse 73 70, Ryan Tipping 71 72, Wallie Coetsee 76 67, Alan McLean (SCO) 73 70
144 - Andrew Curlewis 71 73, Desvonde Botes 72 72, Michiel Bothma 70 74, JG Claassen 73 71, Lindani Ndwandwe 71 73, Nic Henning 71 73
145 - Omar Sandys 71 74, Toto Thimba (Jnr) 75 70
146 - Jaco Ahlers 77 69, Callie Swart 73 73, PH McIntyre 75 71
147 - Ockie Strydom 80 67, Prinavin Nelson 76 71
148 - Johan du Buisson 78 70, Coenie Bester 75 73
149 - Christiaan Basson 74 75
150 - Alan Michell 77 73
152 - Michael du Toit 77 75
166 - Mario Zietsman 86 80
He dropped a shot on his final hole after yet another wayward tee shot – his second bogey of the day after a drop on two, and only his second of the tournament – yet he was able to ask if it was possible to seem even more relaxed than usual.
That kind of approach to the game saw him hold the lead over a much steadier Jake Roos, who dropped his first shot of the tournament on the 12th, and who carded a six-under-par 66 to move to within striking distance of Van den Heever.
“I played well today,” said Van den Heever. “It’s a pity about those two bogeys. I didn’t birdie either of the par-fives on the back nine, either. I had a good round going, and I just lost a bit of focus, I think.”
It is testimony to the quality of his round that he missed out on the 14th and 17th and still made eight birdies as he did in his bogey-free opening round.
“I hit the ball longer than most,” he said, “or at least longer than average, I’d say, so on the par-fives, I look at scoring, and I’d like to attack them tomorrow.”
It was a driver that wasn’t straight enough which stymied his efforts in the second round. “I hit only six fairways again, as I did in the first round,” he said, “but I’m not hitting it off the planet – just missing fairways by a yard or two and that makes it difficult.”
Roos, on the other hand, was the very model of taking the direct route, hitting 11 of 14 fairways on his way to his 66. And he dropped his second shot of the tournament on the 16th as he missed one of the three fairways for the day. But once he got it onto the green, he was efficient getting it into the hole, taking just 28 putts for the round.
He’s had a quiet patch since his last Sunshine Tour victory in 2009, and with no eligibility except on the Sunshine Tour, he’s managed to rest a little instead of chasing that elusive great breakthrough. “Things are happening a bit more naturally now, where I was trying a bit too hard last year,” he said.
“It’s nice to be in contention – just to be there,” he added.
Roos finds himself two shots clear of a quartet of players sharing third, consisting of Dean Burmester, Warren Abery, Ulrich van den Berg and Charl Coetzee – all of whom can make up ground on him, and on Van den Heever.
“I’m confident,” said Van den Heever. “It’s not going to be easy. I think the guys will chase hard and I’m not going to be able to just go out there and just make pars – I’ll need to shoot under par.”
Scores (RSA unless specified):
130 - Divan van den Heever 64 66
132 - Jake Roos 66 66
134 - Dean Burmester 68 66, Warren Abery 67 67, Ulrich van den Berg 68 66, Charl Coetzee 68 66
136 - Danie van Tonder 67 69
137 - James Kamte 68 69, Allan Versfeld 70 67, Chris Swanepoel 66 71, Albert Pistorius 69 68
138 - Mark Williams 68 70, Doug McGuigan 71 67
139 - Anthony Michael 72 67, Martin du Toit 70 69, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 65 74, Louis de Jager 68 71, Andrew Georgiou 69 70, Divan Gerber 68 71
140 - Graham van der Merwe 70 70, Colin Nel 68 72, Vaughn Groenewald 71 69, Oliver Bekker 72 68, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 72 68, Des Terblanche 68 72, Neil Schietekat 71 69
141 - Thabang Simon 69 72, Joshua Cunliffe 69 72, Grant Muller 70 71, Matthew Carvell 73 68, Bryce Easton 70 71, Dean O'Riley 69 72, Brett Liddle 68 73, Steven Ferreira 69 72, Tyrone Ferreira 68 73, Justin Harding 73 68
142 - Daniel Greene 72 70, Morne Buys 70 72, Brandon Pieters 69 73, Justin Walters 71 71, Titch Moore 72 70, Mark Murless 71 71, Shaun Norris 70 72, Theunis Spangenberg 71 71
Missed the cut:
143 - Lyle Rowe 70 73, Hendrik Buhrmann 73 70, Jacques Blaauw 72 71, Drikus van der Walt 69 74, Merrick Bremner 77 66, Andre Cruse 73 70, Ryan Tipping 71 72, Wallie Coetsee 76 67, Alan McLean (SCO) 73 70
144 - Andrew Curlewis 71 73, Desvonde Botes 72 72, Michiel Bothma 70 74, JG Claassen 73 71, Lindani Ndwandwe 71 73, Nic Henning 71 73
145 - Omar Sandys 71 74, Toto Thimba (Jnr) 75 70
146 - Jaco Ahlers 77 69, Callie Swart 73 73, PH McIntyre 75 71
147 - Ockie Strydom 80 67, Prinavin Nelson 76 71
148 - Johan du Buisson 78 70, Coenie Bester 75 73
149 - Christiaan Basson 74 75
150 - Alan Michell 77 73
152 - Michael du Toit 77 75
166 - Mario Zietsman 86 80
