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On the tee: Jacques Kall-ee

Cape Town - "On the tee Jacques Kall-ee".

Follow Jacques Kallis and Fourie du Preez (plus several others) at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

The official announcer, clearly not too au fait with one of the world's greatest ever cricketers, didn't pronounce the 's' at the end of Kallis, assuming it was a silent 's' - as in the French language.

Kallis' professional partner in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, fellow South African Jaco Ahlers, saw the funny side of it.

"He's French," he said to anyone in earshot of the first tee of the Old Course on Friday at the start of the second round of the tournament.

"I'm taking the game pretty seriously these days," said the 42-year-old, who is being coached by South Africa's swing guru Grant Veenstra, and who plays off an impressive plus-one handicap back home, where he is a member of Westlake Golf Club in Cape Town.

Kallis' best round to date has been a sizzling 65 at Durbanville, while he posted a 67 at the Outeniqua course at Fancourt during the Sunshine Tour's annual Dimension-Data Pro-am.

Kallis has a classic golf swing and plays with plenty of rhythm. To be honest, he looks every inch a professional as he excels in his new-found sport.

"I love this game although here it's a lot different to what we're used to back home where you can get your club nicely under the ball in the kikuyu grass. On this turf in Scotland the lies are really tight and you have to adjust and be so precise. But it's a challenge and I love it."

In Kallis' fourball on Friday was another South African sporting star, world-class Springbok scrumhalf of a few years back, Fourie du Preez, who also plays a mean game of golf.

His handicap is six at Leopard Creek.

"Like Jacques, the golf bug has bitten and what a privilege to play on these great links courses here in Scotland on a beautiful day like today," Du Preez said.

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