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Knysna - Jacques Blaauw recovered from two bogeys on his opening nine to post a five-under-par 67 and take the lead after the second round on Thursday of the R600 000 Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Simola Golf and Country Estate.
He leads by one from Neil Schietekat, who made double-bogey five on the ninth – his final hole of the day – to relinquish a one-stroke lead he held at that point.
Two strokes further back in a share of third are Ruan de Smidt, Tyrone Mordt and Danie van Tonder. De Smidt and Mordt each carded three-under 69, while Van Tonder had the best round of the day with his seven-under-par 65 and that included a bogey on nine.
For Blaauw, the bogeys on his opening nine could have caused more damage but for his calm approach.
"To get it back on track, it was just a matter of making good swings and concentrating on the shot at hand," he said.
"I have a tendency to think ahead, so I need to just play each shot as best I can. I’ve been trying to play just one shot at a time, and it’s been working."
After his opening round had nary a bogey on the card, it was frustrating to give up strokes to par.
"On 15, I just had a poor drive, a poor second shot and that was just a stupid bogey and then on 17 I hit it just left of the green and it was just a quick chip downhill," he said.
"I left it short and missed the putt."
But he did what he needed to do, and closed with five birdies in his final nine. "To make 31 coming home felt really good. It’s one of my better nines this year, so I’m quite chuffed with it," he said.
Schietekat was philosophical about his finish. "The whole day, I hit one bad shot," he said.
"I was between a five iron and a six iron. But one bad shot is not a problem."
Van Tonder turned his fortunes around after his opening one-over 73. His 65 included eight birdies.
"I battled on the greens yesterday, but today I obviously read them a lot better," he said.
Of the top five ahead of the final round, only De Smidt has won, so there could be a few nervy players in the final groups.
Not that it’s a problem for Blaauw.
"I haven’t been in a final group for some time, so I’m going to be nervous," he said.
"But that’s just how it’s going to be. I haven’t had to handle that pressure for a while so I’m actually looking forward to it and I want to see what my emotions are going to do."
Scores (RSA unless specified):
135 - Jacques Blaauw 68 67
136 - Neil Schietekat 67 69
138 - Ruan de Smidt 69 69, Tyrone Mordt 69 69, Danie van Tonder 73 65
139 - Bradford Vaughan 72 67, Justin Harding 72 67, Desvonde Botes 73 66, Alex Haindl 67 72, Mark Murless 71 68
140 - Jake Redman 65 75, James Kamte 72 68, PH McIntyre 69 71, CJ du Plessis 69 71, Tyrone Ferreira 70 70, Mark Williams 72 68
141 - Pieter Moolman 71 70, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 70 71, Ulrich van den Berg 73 68, Vaughn Groenewald 70 71, Merrick Bremner 72 69, Jean Hugo 72 69
142 - Ockie Strydom 72 70, Peter Karmis 69 73, Allan Versfeld 72 70, Andrew Curlewis 74 68, Drikus Bruyns 72 70
143 - Bennie van der Merwe 72 71, Derick Petersen 73 70, Clifford Howes 69 74, Heinrich Bruiners 71 72, Lindani Ndwandwe 72 71, Bryce Easton 72 71, Michael Hollick 70 73
144 - Des Terblanche 74 70, Chris Swanepoel 75 69, Gert Myburgh 71 73, Jared Harvey 72 72, Charl Coetzee 71 73
145 - Attie Schwartzel 72 73, Alan Michell 73 72, Grant Veenstra 73 72, Anthony Michael 74 71, Nic Henning 70 75, Divan Gerber 71 74, Divan van den Heever 73 72, Morne Buys 72 73
Missed the cut:
146 - Keenan Davidse 73 73, Warren Abery 73 73, Michiel Bothma 72 74, Steven Ferreira 75 71, Wallie Coetsee 72 74
147 - Theunis Spangenberg 71 76, Dean Burmester 76 71
148 - Riekus Nortje 71 77, Adrian Ford 77 71
149 - Ryan Tipping 72 77, Christiaan Basson 74 75, Hendrik Buhrmann 76 73
150 - Matthew Carvell 74 76
151 - Yubin Jung 75 76, Grant Muller 76 75, Titch Moore 80 71
152 - Jacques Kruyswijk 76 76, JJ Senekal 76 76
153 - Ryan Thompson 73 80, Ryan Strauss 76 77, Louis Calitz 75 78
154 - Lyle Rowe 78 76, JG Claassen 79 75
155 - Johan du Buisson 80 75
158 - Chris Erasmus 81 77
He leads by one from Neil Schietekat, who made double-bogey five on the ninth – his final hole of the day – to relinquish a one-stroke lead he held at that point.
Two strokes further back in a share of third are Ruan de Smidt, Tyrone Mordt and Danie van Tonder. De Smidt and Mordt each carded three-under 69, while Van Tonder had the best round of the day with his seven-under-par 65 and that included a bogey on nine.
For Blaauw, the bogeys on his opening nine could have caused more damage but for his calm approach.
"To get it back on track, it was just a matter of making good swings and concentrating on the shot at hand," he said.
"I have a tendency to think ahead, so I need to just play each shot as best I can. I’ve been trying to play just one shot at a time, and it’s been working."
After his opening round had nary a bogey on the card, it was frustrating to give up strokes to par.
"On 15, I just had a poor drive, a poor second shot and that was just a stupid bogey and then on 17 I hit it just left of the green and it was just a quick chip downhill," he said.
"I left it short and missed the putt."
But he did what he needed to do, and closed with five birdies in his final nine. "To make 31 coming home felt really good. It’s one of my better nines this year, so I’m quite chuffed with it," he said.
Schietekat was philosophical about his finish. "The whole day, I hit one bad shot," he said.
"I was between a five iron and a six iron. But one bad shot is not a problem."
Van Tonder turned his fortunes around after his opening one-over 73. His 65 included eight birdies.
"I battled on the greens yesterday, but today I obviously read them a lot better," he said.
Of the top five ahead of the final round, only De Smidt has won, so there could be a few nervy players in the final groups.
Not that it’s a problem for Blaauw.
"I haven’t been in a final group for some time, so I’m going to be nervous," he said.
"But that’s just how it’s going to be. I haven’t had to handle that pressure for a while so I’m actually looking forward to it and I want to see what my emotions are going to do."
Scores (RSA unless specified):
135 - Jacques Blaauw 68 67
136 - Neil Schietekat 67 69
138 - Ruan de Smidt 69 69, Tyrone Mordt 69 69, Danie van Tonder 73 65
139 - Bradford Vaughan 72 67, Justin Harding 72 67, Desvonde Botes 73 66, Alex Haindl 67 72, Mark Murless 71 68
140 - Jake Redman 65 75, James Kamte 72 68, PH McIntyre 69 71, CJ du Plessis 69 71, Tyrone Ferreira 70 70, Mark Williams 72 68
141 - Pieter Moolman 71 70, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 70 71, Ulrich van den Berg 73 68, Vaughn Groenewald 70 71, Merrick Bremner 72 69, Jean Hugo 72 69
142 - Ockie Strydom 72 70, Peter Karmis 69 73, Allan Versfeld 72 70, Andrew Curlewis 74 68, Drikus Bruyns 72 70
143 - Bennie van der Merwe 72 71, Derick Petersen 73 70, Clifford Howes 69 74, Heinrich Bruiners 71 72, Lindani Ndwandwe 72 71, Bryce Easton 72 71, Michael Hollick 70 73
144 - Des Terblanche 74 70, Chris Swanepoel 75 69, Gert Myburgh 71 73, Jared Harvey 72 72, Charl Coetzee 71 73
145 - Attie Schwartzel 72 73, Alan Michell 73 72, Grant Veenstra 73 72, Anthony Michael 74 71, Nic Henning 70 75, Divan Gerber 71 74, Divan van den Heever 73 72, Morne Buys 72 73
Missed the cut:
146 - Keenan Davidse 73 73, Warren Abery 73 73, Michiel Bothma 72 74, Steven Ferreira 75 71, Wallie Coetsee 72 74
147 - Theunis Spangenberg 71 76, Dean Burmester 76 71
148 - Riekus Nortje 71 77, Adrian Ford 77 71
149 - Ryan Tipping 72 77, Christiaan Basson 74 75, Hendrik Buhrmann 76 73
150 - Matthew Carvell 74 76
151 - Yubin Jung 75 76, Grant Muller 76 75, Titch Moore 80 71
152 - Jacques Kruyswijk 76 76, JJ Senekal 76 76
153 - Ryan Thompson 73 80, Ryan Strauss 76 77, Louis Calitz 75 78
154 - Lyle Rowe 78 76, JG Claassen 79 75
155 - Johan du Buisson 80 75
158 - Chris Erasmus 81 77
