Publications
Partners
Port Edward - Jacques Blaauw turned the time he is spending with the man who helps Charl Schwartzel prepare mentally into a fine six-under-par 64 in the second round of the R540 000 Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Wild Coast Sun Country Club on Thursday.
Blaauw, 25, is still searching for his first victory after turning professional in 2008, and was flawless round the 5 807-metre par-70 layout to trail leader Jean Hugo by only three strokes going into the final round of the 54-hole event.
He’s turned to Jan Botha, the man who is an adviser to the Masters champion on the psychological front, for a way through what has become a bit of a logjam for him.
“I’ve been battling to put two good nines together,” said Blaauw. “I’ve been getting myself so caught up in the outcome, that I have neglected the process.”
He made bogey-bogey-double bogey following a three-putt in the second round of the last tournament and missed the cut, but there was no sign of that in his second round at the Wild Coast.
“I made 34 putts in the first round, and only 28 today, so that was six shots right there," said Blaauw.
“And I managed not to get caught up in bad shots, and to concentrate instead of what was in front of me.”
While it was not enough to give him the lead, it puts him into the final group in the final round with Hugo and Justin Harding.
Hugo eagled the 16th to move to six-under for the tournament and, when, his playing partner Harding made his second bogey in three holes on the same hole, a two-stroke lead ahead of a final round which could take him to his second title in the series in two weeks.
Hugo overturned a six-stroke deficit he had on Peter Karmis at Simola a fortnight ago and won on the first playoff hole.
First-round leader Vaughn Groenewald slipped to a one-over 71 after his opening 66, and three-under for the tournament, level with Blaauw.
Further down the leaderboard, three other players matched Hugo’s 65: Michiel Bothma moved into a share of seventh with his five-under round; Keith Horne was one-over and in 17th; and Michael du Toit joined Horne in 17th after he too carded a 65.
But no-one was able to match Blaauw’s 64. “I’ve been playing well, and this round was a long time coming,” said Blaauw.
If he keeps going, he will be pleased to finish better than the three third-place finishes which represent his best showing so far.
Scores (RSA unless specified):
134 - Jean Hugo 69 65
136 - Justin Harding 67 69
137 - Jacques Blaauw 73 64, Vaughn Groenewald 66 71
138 - Shaun Norris 69 69, Christiaan Basson 70 68
139 - David Hewan 73 66, Tjaart van der Walt 71 68, Prinavin Nelson 71 68, Michiel Bothma 74 65, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 69 70, Merrick Bremner 71 68, Jbe' Kruger 71 68
140 - Darren Fichardt 73 67, Adilson da Silva (BRA) 73 67
141 - Keith Horne 76 65, PH McIntyre 73 68, Albert Pistorius 72 69, Andrew Curlewis 71 70, Michael du Toit 76 65, Bradford Vaughan 74 67, Oliver Bekker 72 69, Alex Haindl 74 67, Grant Veenstra 75 66
142 - Jake Roos 74 68, Charl Coetzee 73 69, Desvonde Botes 75 67, Daniel Greene 70 72, Johan du Buisson 71 71, Brandon Pieters 74 68, Louis de Jager 72 70, Louis Moolman 72 70
143 - Chris Swanepoel 73 70, Allan Versfeld 76 67, Colin Nel 71 72
144 - Brett Liddle 74 70, James Kamte 78 66, Jaco Ahlers 76 68, Ryan Tipping 76 68, Wallie Coetsee 77 67, Theunis Spangenberg 70 74, Grant Muller 75 69, Warren Abery 72 72
Missed the cut:-
145 - Lindani Ndwandwe 74 71, Ulrich van den Berg 71 74, Michael Scholz 78 67
146 - Neil Schietekat 80 66, Dean O'Riley 76 70
147 - Divan van den Heever 80 67, Peter Karmis 79 68, Stuart Clark (WAL) 77 70, Des Terblanche 73 74, JG Claassen 74 73
148 - Mark Fensham 77 71, Justin Walters 79 69, Willie van der Merwe 77 71, Doug McGuigan 75 73
149 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 79 70, Tyrone Ferreira 80 69
150 - Louis Calitz 78 72, Mark Murless 76 74
151 - Omar Sandys 76 75
152 - JJ Senekal 77 75, Alan Michell 79 73
153 - Jeff Inglis (ENG) 74 79, Bryce Easton 79 74
154 - Lyle Rowe 81 73, Ryan Strauss 77 77, Teboho Sefatsa 72 82
156 - Coenie Stoop 74 82
157 - Anthony Michael 80 77
DSQ - Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 72
Blaauw, 25, is still searching for his first victory after turning professional in 2008, and was flawless round the 5 807-metre par-70 layout to trail leader Jean Hugo by only three strokes going into the final round of the 54-hole event.
He’s turned to Jan Botha, the man who is an adviser to the Masters champion on the psychological front, for a way through what has become a bit of a logjam for him.
“I’ve been battling to put two good nines together,” said Blaauw. “I’ve been getting myself so caught up in the outcome, that I have neglected the process.”
He made bogey-bogey-double bogey following a three-putt in the second round of the last tournament and missed the cut, but there was no sign of that in his second round at the Wild Coast.
“I made 34 putts in the first round, and only 28 today, so that was six shots right there," said Blaauw.
“And I managed not to get caught up in bad shots, and to concentrate instead of what was in front of me.”
While it was not enough to give him the lead, it puts him into the final group in the final round with Hugo and Justin Harding.
Hugo eagled the 16th to move to six-under for the tournament and, when, his playing partner Harding made his second bogey in three holes on the same hole, a two-stroke lead ahead of a final round which could take him to his second title in the series in two weeks.
Hugo overturned a six-stroke deficit he had on Peter Karmis at Simola a fortnight ago and won on the first playoff hole.
First-round leader Vaughn Groenewald slipped to a one-over 71 after his opening 66, and three-under for the tournament, level with Blaauw.
Further down the leaderboard, three other players matched Hugo’s 65: Michiel Bothma moved into a share of seventh with his five-under round; Keith Horne was one-over and in 17th; and Michael du Toit joined Horne in 17th after he too carded a 65.
But no-one was able to match Blaauw’s 64. “I’ve been playing well, and this round was a long time coming,” said Blaauw.
If he keeps going, he will be pleased to finish better than the three third-place finishes which represent his best showing so far.
Scores (RSA unless specified):
134 - Jean Hugo 69 65
136 - Justin Harding 67 69
137 - Jacques Blaauw 73 64, Vaughn Groenewald 66 71
138 - Shaun Norris 69 69, Christiaan Basson 70 68
139 - David Hewan 73 66, Tjaart van der Walt 71 68, Prinavin Nelson 71 68, Michiel Bothma 74 65, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 69 70, Merrick Bremner 71 68, Jbe' Kruger 71 68
140 - Darren Fichardt 73 67, Adilson da Silva (BRA) 73 67
141 - Keith Horne 76 65, PH McIntyre 73 68, Albert Pistorius 72 69, Andrew Curlewis 71 70, Michael du Toit 76 65, Bradford Vaughan 74 67, Oliver Bekker 72 69, Alex Haindl 74 67, Grant Veenstra 75 66
142 - Jake Roos 74 68, Charl Coetzee 73 69, Desvonde Botes 75 67, Daniel Greene 70 72, Johan du Buisson 71 71, Brandon Pieters 74 68, Louis de Jager 72 70, Louis Moolman 72 70
143 - Chris Swanepoel 73 70, Allan Versfeld 76 67, Colin Nel 71 72
144 - Brett Liddle 74 70, James Kamte 78 66, Jaco Ahlers 76 68, Ryan Tipping 76 68, Wallie Coetsee 77 67, Theunis Spangenberg 70 74, Grant Muller 75 69, Warren Abery 72 72
Missed the cut:-
145 - Lindani Ndwandwe 74 71, Ulrich van den Berg 71 74, Michael Scholz 78 67
146 - Neil Schietekat 80 66, Dean O'Riley 76 70
147 - Divan van den Heever 80 67, Peter Karmis 79 68, Stuart Clark (WAL) 77 70, Des Terblanche 73 74, JG Claassen 74 73
148 - Mark Fensham 77 71, Justin Walters 79 69, Willie van der Merwe 77 71, Doug McGuigan 75 73
149 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 79 70, Tyrone Ferreira 80 69
150 - Louis Calitz 78 72, Mark Murless 76 74
151 - Omar Sandys 76 75
152 - JJ Senekal 77 75, Alan Michell 79 73
153 - Jeff Inglis (ENG) 74 79, Bryce Easton 79 74
154 - Lyle Rowe 81 73, Ryan Strauss 77 77, Teboho Sefatsa 72 82
156 - Coenie Stoop 74 82
157 - Anthony Michael 80 77
DSQ - Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 72
