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Sishen, Northern Cape - It was one key putt that enabled Trevor Fisher Jnr to claim a one-stroke lead headed into Friday’s final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Sishen Golf Club. And it came from one of his closest friends.
On the par-four 14th green, Ulrich van den Berg hit a magnificent chip to about two feet from the hole to set up a birdie. But from there he three-putted for an unlikely bogey that ended up being the difference between him and leader Fisher Jnr.
Fisher Jnr made it into the clubhouse on eight under, with Van Den Berg at seven under alongside Christiaan Basson.
But it was that kind of day that even with three birdies and no bogeys, Fisher Jnr felt like he was battling out there for his 69.
“It was tough out there with the wind, and I’ll be honest, I was fighting out there. But I just tried to make my pars,” he said of a day when gusting winds whipped through this short but challenging layout.
“It’s never easy with the wind blowing, and the greens and fairways are hard so the ball runs a lot.”
Van Den Berg held the lead before his slip-up on 14 and on his way to a 70. “I’d say I’m pretty disappointed. I left a lot of shots out there. On 14 I had a short birdie putt from two feet and walked off with a bogey. This course isn’t easy when you miss a green, so you’ve got to be very aware of where you put your golf ball, and that’s not easy in wind like this.”
And Basson did some fighting of his own for a 71 that saw him stumble with three straight bogeys on the front nine, and recover with three consecutive birdies on the back.
“That was a bad run. I had some bad luck and suddenly made three bogeys in a row without really hitting a terrible shot. But I knew there were some nice birdie chances on the back nine.” The key for him was a birdie on the tough par-three 13th.
“That’s a hard hole, and I took a bit of momentum from there and finished quite well.”
While being a good friend of Van Den Berg’s, Fisher Jnr. would love to claim back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour following his win at the Wild Coast Sun last week. “We’re good friends, but in the final round it’s back to business and we’ll both be doing our best to win.”
And Fisher Jnr is hoping to retain the simple philosophy that has made all the difference to his game of late.
“This game is all about putting the ball in the hole. We all look for these perfect swings, and actually it’s just about putting the ball in the hole. So I’m trying not to think too much, and to keep it simple out there.”
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
136 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 67 69
137 - Ulrich van den Berg 67 70, Christiaan Basson 66 71
138 - Doug McGuigan 69 69, Danie van Tonder 66 72
139 - Justin Harding 69 70
140 - Grant Muller 72 68, Hendrik Buhrmann 69 71
141 - Jean Hugo 65 76
142 - Ruan de Smidt 73 69, Mark Williams 72 70, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 70 72, Michiel Bothma 67 75, Jake Roos 70 72, Merrick Bremner 70 72,Matthew Carvell 71 71
143 - Colin Nel 74 69, Brandon Pieters 70 73, Bradford Vaughan 69 74
144 - Vaughn Groenewald 68 76, Charl Coetzee 70 74
145 - PH McIntyre 76 69, Chris Swanepoel 73 72, Louis de Jager 74 71, Theunis Spangenberg 73 72, Daniel Greene 70 75,Dean O'Riley 70 75, Ross Wellington 72 73
146 - Andrew Curlewis 73 73, Jaco Ahlers 75 71, Desvonde Botes 72 74, David Hewan 77 69, Thabo Maseko 75 71,Jacques Blaauw 72 74
147 - Andre van Zyl 75 72, Keenan Davidse 74 73, Divan van den Heever 74 73, Titch Moore 77 70, Thabang Simon 75 72,JG Claassen 72 75
Missed the cut:-
148 - Pieter Moolman 73 75, Andrew Georgiou 76 72, Dean Burmester 74 74, Morne Buys 71 77, Divan Gerber 73 75, Ryan Tipping 72 76
149 - Andre Cruse 75 74, Louis Calitz 77 72, Attie Schwartzel 72 77, Neil Schietekat 70 79, Oliver Bekker 74 75
150 - Allan Versfeld 73 77, Ryan Thompson 76 74
151 - Lean Boezaart 72 79, Steven Ferreira 74 77
152 - Lindani Ndwandwe 73 79, Bryce Easton 75 77, Albert Pistorius 73 79, Riekus Nortje 77 75
153 - Derick Petersen 80 73, Johan du Buisson 73 80
154 - Prinavin Nelson 77 77, PG van Zyl 74 80, Stuart Smith (BOT) 77 77, Jake Redman 74 80, Alan Michell 76 78
155 - Derik Ferreira 74 81, Ockie Strydom 76 79
159 - Brett Liddle 79 80, Maurice Prinsloo 74 85, Michael McGrady 78 81
On the par-four 14th green, Ulrich van den Berg hit a magnificent chip to about two feet from the hole to set up a birdie. But from there he three-putted for an unlikely bogey that ended up being the difference between him and leader Fisher Jnr.
Fisher Jnr made it into the clubhouse on eight under, with Van Den Berg at seven under alongside Christiaan Basson.
But it was that kind of day that even with three birdies and no bogeys, Fisher Jnr felt like he was battling out there for his 69.
“It was tough out there with the wind, and I’ll be honest, I was fighting out there. But I just tried to make my pars,” he said of a day when gusting winds whipped through this short but challenging layout.
“It’s never easy with the wind blowing, and the greens and fairways are hard so the ball runs a lot.”
Van Den Berg held the lead before his slip-up on 14 and on his way to a 70. “I’d say I’m pretty disappointed. I left a lot of shots out there. On 14 I had a short birdie putt from two feet and walked off with a bogey. This course isn’t easy when you miss a green, so you’ve got to be very aware of where you put your golf ball, and that’s not easy in wind like this.”
And Basson did some fighting of his own for a 71 that saw him stumble with three straight bogeys on the front nine, and recover with three consecutive birdies on the back.
“That was a bad run. I had some bad luck and suddenly made three bogeys in a row without really hitting a terrible shot. But I knew there were some nice birdie chances on the back nine.” The key for him was a birdie on the tough par-three 13th.
“That’s a hard hole, and I took a bit of momentum from there and finished quite well.”
While being a good friend of Van Den Berg’s, Fisher Jnr. would love to claim back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour following his win at the Wild Coast Sun last week. “We’re good friends, but in the final round it’s back to business and we’ll both be doing our best to win.”
And Fisher Jnr is hoping to retain the simple philosophy that has made all the difference to his game of late.
“This game is all about putting the ball in the hole. We all look for these perfect swings, and actually it’s just about putting the ball in the hole. So I’m trying not to think too much, and to keep it simple out there.”
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
136 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 67 69
137 - Ulrich van den Berg 67 70, Christiaan Basson 66 71
138 - Doug McGuigan 69 69, Danie van Tonder 66 72
139 - Justin Harding 69 70
140 - Grant Muller 72 68, Hendrik Buhrmann 69 71
141 - Jean Hugo 65 76
142 - Ruan de Smidt 73 69, Mark Williams 72 70, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 70 72, Michiel Bothma 67 75, Jake Roos 70 72, Merrick Bremner 70 72,Matthew Carvell 71 71
143 - Colin Nel 74 69, Brandon Pieters 70 73, Bradford Vaughan 69 74
144 - Vaughn Groenewald 68 76, Charl Coetzee 70 74
145 - PH McIntyre 76 69, Chris Swanepoel 73 72, Louis de Jager 74 71, Theunis Spangenberg 73 72, Daniel Greene 70 75,Dean O'Riley 70 75, Ross Wellington 72 73
146 - Andrew Curlewis 73 73, Jaco Ahlers 75 71, Desvonde Botes 72 74, David Hewan 77 69, Thabo Maseko 75 71,Jacques Blaauw 72 74
147 - Andre van Zyl 75 72, Keenan Davidse 74 73, Divan van den Heever 74 73, Titch Moore 77 70, Thabang Simon 75 72,JG Claassen 72 75
Missed the cut:-
148 - Pieter Moolman 73 75, Andrew Georgiou 76 72, Dean Burmester 74 74, Morne Buys 71 77, Divan Gerber 73 75, Ryan Tipping 72 76
149 - Andre Cruse 75 74, Louis Calitz 77 72, Attie Schwartzel 72 77, Neil Schietekat 70 79, Oliver Bekker 74 75
150 - Allan Versfeld 73 77, Ryan Thompson 76 74
151 - Lean Boezaart 72 79, Steven Ferreira 74 77
152 - Lindani Ndwandwe 73 79, Bryce Easton 75 77, Albert Pistorius 73 79, Riekus Nortje 77 75
153 - Derick Petersen 80 73, Johan du Buisson 73 80
154 - Prinavin Nelson 77 77, PG van Zyl 74 80, Stuart Smith (BOT) 77 77, Jake Redman 74 80, Alan Michell 76 78
155 - Derik Ferreira 74 81, Ockie Strydom 76 79
159 - Brett Liddle 79 80, Maurice Prinsloo 74 85, Michael McGrady 78 81
