Albertse’s fast start gives him the lead in FBC Zimbabwe Open

Louis Albertse will remember with fondness the first three holes of the Royal Harare Golf Club as he birdied them all en route to a superb seven-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open on Thursday.

The Dundee Golf Club representative also birdied holes five through seven, giving him a tremendous start of six birdies in his first seven holes.

But the back nine of the parkland course In Zimbabwe’s capital did bite back a bit, with Albertse dropping shots at the 10^th and 16^th holes.

The birdies also kept coming, though, with the 25-year-old making a four at the par-five 12^th hole, a three at the 14^th and then finishing in style with another birdie at the par-four 18^th.

Herman Loubser, the winner of the Lombard Insurance Classic last weekend at Arabella, shot a 66 at nearby Chapman Golf Club, the other course being used for a historic tournament that unfortunately could not be played for the last three years,  to claim second place on the first day of one of the premier African tournaments on the Sunshine Tour schedule.

Keagan Thomas and Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya were in third place, having shot five-under-par 67s at Royal Harare.

The 121-year-old course was kinder to them on the back nine than it was to Albertse, with both Thomas and Muthiya coming home in just 33 strokes.

Albert Venter, Luca Filippi and Ryan van Velzen were all on four-under-par on a congested leaderboard, with 34 golfers shooting under-par to showcase the exciting young golf talent in Southern Africa.

Albertse challenged strongly at Arabella last weekend after shooting 66 in the first round, but his last two rounds (73, 75) did not work out quite as he had planned.

But he is obviously a young man building on the confidence of a groundbreaking 2021/22 season on the Sunshine Tour in which he finished in the top 50 on the Luno Order of Merit for the first time in his career, including a maiden victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Mount Edgecombe.

Scores:

65 - Louis Albertse

66 - Herman Loubser

67 - Keagan Thomas, Madalitso Muthiya

68 - Albert Venter, Luca Filippi, Ryan Van Velzen

69 - Therion Nel, Jared Harvey, Martin Rohwer, Jean Hugo, James Mack, Louis de Jager, JJ Senekal, Simon Katembenuka

70 - Jaco Ahlers, Dan Erickson, Slade Pickering, Byron Coetzee, Wynand Dingle, Nikhil Rama

71 - Erhard Lambrechts, Ricky Hendler, Ryan Cairns, Keegan Shutt, Martin Vorster, Sean Cronje, Hennie O'Kennedy, Sean Bradley, Brian Gondo, Combrinck Smit, Clancy Waugh, Kyle Barker, Thorne Juan Van Zyl

72 - Chris Cannon, Shaahid Mahmed, Neil Schietekat, Michael Kok, Deon Germishuys, Benjamin Follett-Smith, Paul Chidale, Hayden Griffiths, Kyle McClatchie, Danie Van Niekerk, Michael Palmer, Pride Sembo, MJ Viljoen, Rhys West, Nyasha Muyambo, Tatende Makunde

73 - Harry Konig, Stephen Ferreira, Jacques Blaauw, Rupert Kaminski, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu, Visitor Mapwanya, Jacques P de Villiers

74 - Sydney Wemba, Jack Allard, Robson Chinhoi, Adam Breen, Trainos Muradzikwa, Jovan Rebula, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Joshua Seale, Brooklin Bailey, Teaghan Gauche, Luke Jerling, Lyle Rowe, Davison Elijah, Stuart Krog, Clive Nguru

75 - Kayyam Rauf Mandhu, Kyle Lucas, Mutahi Kibugu, Clayton Mansfield, Tristin Galant, Dylan Naidoo, Ignatius Mketekete, Ronald Rugumayo

76 - Leon Vorster, Bradley Bawden, Callum Mowat, Mark Williams, Dylan Mostert, Phumlani Maluka, Li Shijie, Tariro November

77 - Julius Kamalizeni, Tafara Mpofu, Luke Brown, Robson Saurombe, Jacquin Hess, Joe Long, Paul Boshoff, Bradley Kulaisi, James Pennington, Andre Van Dyk, Henning du Plooy, Akil Yousuf

78 - Mairosi Katembenuka, Wayne Stroebel, Gabriel Chibale, Merrick Bremner, Aloys Nsabimana, Erick Ooko Obura, Jake Redman, Victor Kachepatsonga, Michael Wallace

79 - Vaughn van Deventer, Gerard du Plooy, Maverick Faber, Simon Murungweni, Adam Sailesi, Promise Sombrero, Young Sik Baek

80 - Campbell Macmillan, Pranay Kapur, Clifford Sibanda, Ndazura Munashe, Phillip Tshuma

81 - Anyway Katembenuka

82 - Liberty Gumisa, Gary Ferguson, Paidon Chiwaka, Morton Kombai, William Lake, Titch Musemburi

83 - Braydon Amm, Celestin Nsanzuwer, Sean Bell, Tanaka Chatora, Dean Schoultz, Tawana Mangoma

84 - Kevin Rhoderick, Howard Bauti, Never Milazi

85 - Gareth Sargent, Clive Muchenje, Matthew Mortimer, Takudzwa Basopo

86 - Keegan Meth, Mandla Dlamini Jnr, Tonderayi Masunga

87 - Roy Narsing

88 - Rasheed Mohomed

89 - Munashe Madhodha

97 - Matthew Campbell