Bela Bela - Doug McGuigan and Bryce Easton will take a three-stroke lead into Friday’s final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Zebula Country Club.
But both are keenly aware that the serenity of the bushveld will be briefly interrupted by a scoring onslaught on the final day.
A second round of 64 from Easton and a 66 from McGuigan for a total of 12 under is by no means enough on a golf course where
the speed of the greens is matched only by the speed with which the leaderboard can change.
Andrew Georgiou is their nearest challenger at nine under, playing better golf with each week and hoping to reach top form as he builds towards a debut in the British Open in July.
And of the top 10 on the leaderboard, only one has failed to shoot par or better over two days. That was Louis de Jager, who followed up his opening 64 with a 73 on Thursday.
“There’s a bunch of players within two or three shots and you’re going to need another good round on the final day to stand a chance,” said Easton.
On a day when the wind was a bit stronger, Easton made his move over the turn. Teeing off the 10th, he birdied 15 and 17, and then hit a seven iron to 20 feet and holed the putt for eagle on the par-five 18th. “That really got the round going,” he said, as he
went on to birdie holes one, two and four before closing with a birdie at eight.
“I didn’t finish my first round like I wanted and was a bit frustrated, so I was pleased to have no bogeys today.”
McGuigan has been equally satisfied with two days of supreme consistency, including a second successive 66 and four nine-hole scores of 33.
“That’s a first for me. I also haven’t made a bogey in two days, which I’m pleased with. That’s a big confidence builder.”
Much like Easton, he did well to play holes six, seven and eight without dropping shots. The par-three eighth in particular did some damage to many a scorecard. Allan Versfeld followed up his eight on the par-four seventh with a five on the eighth on his way to an 80. And Theunis Spangenberg suffered just as much through that stretch, with a double bogey on seven, a quadruple bogey on eight and then a bogey on nine, also for an 80.
“Those last few holes on the front nine were tough so I was happy to make my pars there and move on,” said McGuigan, who has been enjoying the bushveld experience this week.
“I fed the elephants here the other day. That was a great experience.”
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
132 - Doug McGuigan 66 66, Bryce Easton 68 64
135 - Andrew Georgiou 66 69
136 - Dean Burmester 67 69, Colin Nel 71 65, Danie van Tonder 70 66
137 - Louis de Jager 64 73
139 - Titch Moore 71 68, Bradford Vaughan 70 69
140 - Daniel Greene 72 68, Prinavin Nelson 64 76, Vaughn Groenewald 72 68, Albert Pistorius 67 73, Neil Schietekat 69 71,Justin Harding 71 69, Shaun Norris 70 70
141 - Ulrich van den Berg 71 70, Brandon Pieters 71 70, Jean Hugo 73 68, Andrew Curlewis 73 68
142 - Merrick Bremner 73 69, Oliver Bekker 72 70, Keith Horne 69 73, Jake Redman 71 71, Grant Veenstra 69 73, PH McIntyre 73 69,Matthew Carvell 72 70, Michiel Bothma 70 72, Trevor Fisher Jnr 69 73, Ryan Thompson 72 70
143 - Attie Schwartzel 72 71, Morne Buys 73 70, Omar Sandys 71 72, Divan Gerber 75 68, Lean Boezaart 73 70,Christiaan Basson 73 70, Charl Coetzee 72 71
144 - Ockie Strydom 68 76, JG Claassen 71 73, Dean O'Riley 72 72, Jaco Ahlers 74 70
Missed the cut:-
145 - Allan Versfeld 65 80, James Kamte 70 75, Desvonde Botes 70 75, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 70 75, Mark Murless 71 74, Toto Thimba (Jnr) 73 72,Grant Muller 73 72
146 - Dion Fourie 73 73, Joshua Cunliffe 75 71, Johan du Buisson 73 73, Jacques Blaauw 72 74, Anthony Michael 72 74
147 - Mark Williams 73 74, David Hewan 72 75, Des Terblanche 74 73, Divan van den Heever 76 71, Jake Roos 78 69
148 - Callie Swart 74 74, Lyle Rowe 73 75
149 - Beyers Smith 72 77, Louis Calitz 76 73, Alan Michell 70 79, Thabang Simon 76 73, Steven Ferreira 73 76
150 - Wayne Westner 79 71
151 - Lindani Ndwandwe 74 77, Theunis Spangenberg 71 80, Ryan Tipping 77 74, Johan Bekker 75 76
156 - Chris Swanepoel 80 76
158 - Hendrik Buhrmann 79 79
But both are keenly aware that the serenity of the bushveld will be briefly interrupted by a scoring onslaught on the final day.
A second round of 64 from Easton and a 66 from McGuigan for a total of 12 under is by no means enough on a golf course where
the speed of the greens is matched only by the speed with which the leaderboard can change.
Andrew Georgiou is their nearest challenger at nine under, playing better golf with each week and hoping to reach top form as he builds towards a debut in the British Open in July.
And of the top 10 on the leaderboard, only one has failed to shoot par or better over two days. That was Louis de Jager, who followed up his opening 64 with a 73 on Thursday.
“There’s a bunch of players within two or three shots and you’re going to need another good round on the final day to stand a chance,” said Easton.
On a day when the wind was a bit stronger, Easton made his move over the turn. Teeing off the 10th, he birdied 15 and 17, and then hit a seven iron to 20 feet and holed the putt for eagle on the par-five 18th. “That really got the round going,” he said, as he
went on to birdie holes one, two and four before closing with a birdie at eight.
“I didn’t finish my first round like I wanted and was a bit frustrated, so I was pleased to have no bogeys today.”
McGuigan has been equally satisfied with two days of supreme consistency, including a second successive 66 and four nine-hole scores of 33.
“That’s a first for me. I also haven’t made a bogey in two days, which I’m pleased with. That’s a big confidence builder.”
Much like Easton, he did well to play holes six, seven and eight without dropping shots. The par-three eighth in particular did some damage to many a scorecard. Allan Versfeld followed up his eight on the par-four seventh with a five on the eighth on his way to an 80. And Theunis Spangenberg suffered just as much through that stretch, with a double bogey on seven, a quadruple bogey on eight and then a bogey on nine, also for an 80.
“Those last few holes on the front nine were tough so I was happy to make my pars there and move on,” said McGuigan, who has been enjoying the bushveld experience this week.
“I fed the elephants here the other day. That was a great experience.”
Scores (RSA unless otherwise specified):
132 - Doug McGuigan 66 66, Bryce Easton 68 64
135 - Andrew Georgiou 66 69
136 - Dean Burmester 67 69, Colin Nel 71 65, Danie van Tonder 70 66
137 - Louis de Jager 64 73
139 - Titch Moore 71 68, Bradford Vaughan 70 69
140 - Daniel Greene 72 68, Prinavin Nelson 64 76, Vaughn Groenewald 72 68, Albert Pistorius 67 73, Neil Schietekat 69 71,Justin Harding 71 69, Shaun Norris 70 70
141 - Ulrich van den Berg 71 70, Brandon Pieters 71 70, Jean Hugo 73 68, Andrew Curlewis 73 68
142 - Merrick Bremner 73 69, Oliver Bekker 72 70, Keith Horne 69 73, Jake Redman 71 71, Grant Veenstra 69 73, PH McIntyre 73 69,Matthew Carvell 72 70, Michiel Bothma 70 72, Trevor Fisher Jnr 69 73, Ryan Thompson 72 70
143 - Attie Schwartzel 72 71, Morne Buys 73 70, Omar Sandys 71 72, Divan Gerber 75 68, Lean Boezaart 73 70,Christiaan Basson 73 70, Charl Coetzee 72 71
144 - Ockie Strydom 68 76, JG Claassen 71 73, Dean O'Riley 72 72, Jaco Ahlers 74 70
Missed the cut:-
145 - Allan Versfeld 65 80, James Kamte 70 75, Desvonde Botes 70 75, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 70 75, Mark Murless 71 74, Toto Thimba (Jnr) 73 72,Grant Muller 73 72
146 - Dion Fourie 73 73, Joshua Cunliffe 75 71, Johan du Buisson 73 73, Jacques Blaauw 72 74, Anthony Michael 72 74
147 - Mark Williams 73 74, David Hewan 72 75, Des Terblanche 74 73, Divan van den Heever 76 71, Jake Roos 78 69
148 - Callie Swart 74 74, Lyle Rowe 73 75
149 - Beyers Smith 72 77, Louis Calitz 76 73, Alan Michell 70 79, Thabang Simon 76 73, Steven Ferreira 73 76
150 - Wayne Westner 79 71
151 - Lindani Ndwandwe 74 77, Theunis Spangenberg 71 80, Ryan Tipping 77 74, Johan Bekker 75 76
156 - Chris Swanepoel 80 76
158 - Hendrik Buhrmann 79 79