Publications
Partners
Two rounds in the Telkom PGA Championship gave Le Roux Ferreira a newfound confidence on Thursday as he surged his way to a seven-under-par 65 and the first-round lead of the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open.
Six birdies, and eagle and just a single bogey around Royal Harare Golf Club saw him one stroke clear of the formidable duo of Jacques Blaauw and Jean Hugo, with a big group of six players a further shot back on five-under-par 67.
That group included the leading Zimbabwean, Tongoona Charamba as well as the 2010 Zimbabwe Open champion Jbe’ Kruger.
“Since last week, I started to believe more in myself,” he said.
“I had a couple of good rounds in the Telkom Business PGA Championship, and I just felt that this week is going to be a good week.”
Those good rounds came in the second and third rounds of South Africa’s second-oldest tournament, during which he carded 69 and 68 and eventually finished in a share of 44th in a tournament which has given him his best-ever finish on the Sunshine Tour – 18th in 2013.
“Good scores make you believe in yourself,” he said.
“I played here last year, but I didn’t play well. I like it a lot more now. It’s an awesome golf course. It’s one of the best we play all year.”
His sentiments echoed those of all the players, and Blaauw, after a bogey on the second, got the hang of it as he made an eagle and five birdies to share second with Hugo.
“I had a stupid three-putt from just over the green, but after that I steadied the ship and played nicely,” he said.
Joining Charamba and Kruger on five-under par were Daniel Greene, Englishman Jack Harrison, Warren Abery and Alan Michell, with a further six players on four-under-par 68, including Ulriuch van den Berg who lost to Titch Moore in a dramatic five-hole play-off in last week’s Telkom Business PGA Championship.
Moore had a quiet start after firing a 10-under-par 62 in the previous day’s pro-am. His two-under-par 70 matched defending champion Jake Roos’ score, and they are both still distinctly in contention.
Ryan Cairns was the next-best Zimbabwean after Charamba with his one-under-par 71.
Scores:
65 - Le Roux Ferreira (RSA)
66 - Jean Hugo (RSA), Jacques Blaauw (RSA)
67 - Jbe' Kruger (RSA), Daniel Greene (RSA), Jack Harrison (ENG), Warren Abery (RSA), Alan Michell (RSA), TC Charamba (ZIM)
68 - Martin du Toit (RSA), Ulrich van den Berg (RSA), Roberto Lupini (RSA), Stuart Smith (BOT), Keith Horne (RSA), Alan McLean (SCO)
69 - Haydn Porteous (RSA), PH McIntyre (RSA), Vaughn Groenewald (RSA), JG Claassen (RSA), Madalitso Muthiya (ZAM), Shaun Norris (RSA), Steven Ferreira (RSA), Lyle Rowe (RSA), Allan Versfeld (RSA), Justin Turner (RSA)
70 - Juan Langeveld (RSA), JJ Senekal (RSA), Charl Coetzee (RSA), Brandon Stone (RSA), Andrew Georgiou (RSA), Ruan de Smidt (RSA), Jake Roos (RSA), Anthony Michael (RSA), Danie van Tonder (RSA), JC Ritchie (RSA), Eddie Taylor (RSA), Drikus van der Walt (RSA), Titch Moore (RSA), Doug McGuigan (RSA), Louis de Jager (RSA), Wallie Coetsee (RSA), Theunis Spangenberg (RSA), Neil Schietekat (RSA), CJ du Plessis (RSA)
71 - Pieter Moolman (RSA), Dismas Indiza (KEN), Toto Thimba (Jnr), Jake Redman (RSA), Ignatius Mketekete (ZIM), Merrick Bremner (RSA), Colin Nel (RSA), Andrew Curlewis (RSA), Ryan Cairns (ZIM), Steve Surry (ENG), Michael Hollick (RSA), Jacques Kruyswijk (RSA)
72 - Gert Myburgh (RSA), Torben Baumann (GER), Matthew Carvell (RSA), Jeff Inglis (ENG), Jaco Ahlers (RSA), Christiaan Basson (RSA), Sheldon Steyn (ZIM), Stuart Krog (ZIM) (AMA), Tertius van den Berg (RSA), Lindani Ndwandwe (RSA), Darryn Lloyd (RSA), Shaun Smith (RSA), Alex Haindl (RSA), James Kamte (RSA), Ryan Lang (ZIM)
73 - Phillip Tshuma (ZIM), Desne van den Bergh (RSA), Hendrik Buhrmann (RSA), Teboho Sefatsa (RSA), Trevor Fisher Jnr (RSA), Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Drikus Bruyns (RSA), Micky Hough (ZIM), Tyrone Ferreira (RSA), Attie Schwartzel (RSA), Scott Vincent (ZIM) (AMA), Riekus Nortje (RSA)
74 - Sean Farrell (ZIM), Divan van den Heever (RSA), Heinrich Bruiners (RSA), Rhys Enoch (WAL), Desvonde Botes (RSA), James Kingston (RSA), Justin Harding (RSA), Clifford Howes (RSA), Mohammad Rauf Mandhu (ZIM), T I Mazibuko (RSA), Jason Jackson (ZIM), Louis Calitz (RSA), Tich Musemburi (ZIM), Nic Henning (RSA), Oliver Bekker (RSA), Bryce Easton (RSA), Francois Coetzee (RSA)
75 - Ryan Strauss (RSA), Jared Harvey (RSA), Callum Mowat (RSA), Joe Nawanga (NAM), Scott Ferguson (ZIM), Jaco Prinsloo (RSA), Njuguna Ngugi (KEN), Ryan Tipping (RSA), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Wynand Dingle (RSA), Andre Cruse (RSA), John Bele (RSA)
76 - Andrew Light (RSA), Rhys West (RSA), Peter Karmis (RSA), Mark Murless (RSA), Derick Petersen (RSA), Stephen Ferreira (POR), Dean Burmester (RSA), Brett Liddle (RSA), Brian Gondo (ZIM)
77 - Tyrone Ryan (RSA), Kayyam Rauf Mandhu (ZIM), Maritz Wessels (RSA), Kangwine Chiluba (ZAM)
78 - Arthur Horne (SWZ), Gideon Pienaar (RSA), Stefan Engell Andersen (KEN), Tranos Muradzikwa (ZIM), David Amm (ZIM) (AMA), Farayi Chitengwa (ZIM), Greg Bentley (ZIM), Robson Saurombe (ZIM), Bennie van der Merwe (RSA), Nyasha Muyambo (ZIM), Thembelani Vudhla (ZIM) (AMA), Peter Banda (ZIM), Paul de Beer (RSA), Dale Howie (ZIM)
79 - Day Muyambo (ZIM), Davison Elijah (ZIM), Jack Allard (ZIM) (AMA), Makhetha Mazibuko (RSA), Shaahid Mahmed (ZIM) (AMA), Mike Maile (RSA), Simon Katembenuka (ZIM)
80 - Chris Swanepoel (RSA), Yubin Jung (RSA), Shain Johnson (ZIM), Coenie Stoop (RSA), Thabang Simon (RSA)
81 - Bryce Bibby (RSA)
82 - Clive Nguru (ZIM) (AMA), Julius Kamalizeni (ZIM), Mpho Mafishe (RSA)
85 - Christian Mbanga (ZIM) (AMA)
Six birdies, and eagle and just a single bogey around Royal Harare Golf Club saw him one stroke clear of the formidable duo of Jacques Blaauw and Jean Hugo, with a big group of six players a further shot back on five-under-par 67.
That group included the leading Zimbabwean, Tongoona Charamba as well as the 2010 Zimbabwe Open champion Jbe’ Kruger.
“Since last week, I started to believe more in myself,” he said.
“I had a couple of good rounds in the Telkom Business PGA Championship, and I just felt that this week is going to be a good week.”
Those good rounds came in the second and third rounds of South Africa’s second-oldest tournament, during which he carded 69 and 68 and eventually finished in a share of 44th in a tournament which has given him his best-ever finish on the Sunshine Tour – 18th in 2013.
“Good scores make you believe in yourself,” he said.
“I played here last year, but I didn’t play well. I like it a lot more now. It’s an awesome golf course. It’s one of the best we play all year.”
His sentiments echoed those of all the players, and Blaauw, after a bogey on the second, got the hang of it as he made an eagle and five birdies to share second with Hugo.
“I had a stupid three-putt from just over the green, but after that I steadied the ship and played nicely,” he said.
Joining Charamba and Kruger on five-under par were Daniel Greene, Englishman Jack Harrison, Warren Abery and Alan Michell, with a further six players on four-under-par 68, including Ulriuch van den Berg who lost to Titch Moore in a dramatic five-hole play-off in last week’s Telkom Business PGA Championship.
Moore had a quiet start after firing a 10-under-par 62 in the previous day’s pro-am. His two-under-par 70 matched defending champion Jake Roos’ score, and they are both still distinctly in contention.
Ryan Cairns was the next-best Zimbabwean after Charamba with his one-under-par 71.
Scores:
65 - Le Roux Ferreira (RSA)
66 - Jean Hugo (RSA), Jacques Blaauw (RSA)
67 - Jbe' Kruger (RSA), Daniel Greene (RSA), Jack Harrison (ENG), Warren Abery (RSA), Alan Michell (RSA), TC Charamba (ZIM)
68 - Martin du Toit (RSA), Ulrich van den Berg (RSA), Roberto Lupini (RSA), Stuart Smith (BOT), Keith Horne (RSA), Alan McLean (SCO)
69 - Haydn Porteous (RSA), PH McIntyre (RSA), Vaughn Groenewald (RSA), JG Claassen (RSA), Madalitso Muthiya (ZAM), Shaun Norris (RSA), Steven Ferreira (RSA), Lyle Rowe (RSA), Allan Versfeld (RSA), Justin Turner (RSA)
70 - Juan Langeveld (RSA), JJ Senekal (RSA), Charl Coetzee (RSA), Brandon Stone (RSA), Andrew Georgiou (RSA), Ruan de Smidt (RSA), Jake Roos (RSA), Anthony Michael (RSA), Danie van Tonder (RSA), JC Ritchie (RSA), Eddie Taylor (RSA), Drikus van der Walt (RSA), Titch Moore (RSA), Doug McGuigan (RSA), Louis de Jager (RSA), Wallie Coetsee (RSA), Theunis Spangenberg (RSA), Neil Schietekat (RSA), CJ du Plessis (RSA)
71 - Pieter Moolman (RSA), Dismas Indiza (KEN), Toto Thimba (Jnr), Jake Redman (RSA), Ignatius Mketekete (ZIM), Merrick Bremner (RSA), Colin Nel (RSA), Andrew Curlewis (RSA), Ryan Cairns (ZIM), Steve Surry (ENG), Michael Hollick (RSA), Jacques Kruyswijk (RSA)
72 - Gert Myburgh (RSA), Torben Baumann (GER), Matthew Carvell (RSA), Jeff Inglis (ENG), Jaco Ahlers (RSA), Christiaan Basson (RSA), Sheldon Steyn (ZIM), Stuart Krog (ZIM) (AMA), Tertius van den Berg (RSA), Lindani Ndwandwe (RSA), Darryn Lloyd (RSA), Shaun Smith (RSA), Alex Haindl (RSA), James Kamte (RSA), Ryan Lang (ZIM)
73 - Phillip Tshuma (ZIM), Desne van den Bergh (RSA), Hendrik Buhrmann (RSA), Teboho Sefatsa (RSA), Trevor Fisher Jnr (RSA), Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Drikus Bruyns (RSA), Micky Hough (ZIM), Tyrone Ferreira (RSA), Attie Schwartzel (RSA), Scott Vincent (ZIM) (AMA), Riekus Nortje (RSA)
74 - Sean Farrell (ZIM), Divan van den Heever (RSA), Heinrich Bruiners (RSA), Rhys Enoch (WAL), Desvonde Botes (RSA), James Kingston (RSA), Justin Harding (RSA), Clifford Howes (RSA), Mohammad Rauf Mandhu (ZIM), T I Mazibuko (RSA), Jason Jackson (ZIM), Louis Calitz (RSA), Tich Musemburi (ZIM), Nic Henning (RSA), Oliver Bekker (RSA), Bryce Easton (RSA), Francois Coetzee (RSA)
75 - Ryan Strauss (RSA), Jared Harvey (RSA), Callum Mowat (RSA), Joe Nawanga (NAM), Scott Ferguson (ZIM), Jaco Prinsloo (RSA), Njuguna Ngugi (KEN), Ryan Tipping (RSA), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Wynand Dingle (RSA), Andre Cruse (RSA), John Bele (RSA)
76 - Andrew Light (RSA), Rhys West (RSA), Peter Karmis (RSA), Mark Murless (RSA), Derick Petersen (RSA), Stephen Ferreira (POR), Dean Burmester (RSA), Brett Liddle (RSA), Brian Gondo (ZIM)
77 - Tyrone Ryan (RSA), Kayyam Rauf Mandhu (ZIM), Maritz Wessels (RSA), Kangwine Chiluba (ZAM)
78 - Arthur Horne (SWZ), Gideon Pienaar (RSA), Stefan Engell Andersen (KEN), Tranos Muradzikwa (ZIM), David Amm (ZIM) (AMA), Farayi Chitengwa (ZIM), Greg Bentley (ZIM), Robson Saurombe (ZIM), Bennie van der Merwe (RSA), Nyasha Muyambo (ZIM), Thembelani Vudhla (ZIM) (AMA), Peter Banda (ZIM), Paul de Beer (RSA), Dale Howie (ZIM)
79 - Day Muyambo (ZIM), Davison Elijah (ZIM), Jack Allard (ZIM) (AMA), Makhetha Mazibuko (RSA), Shaahid Mahmed (ZIM) (AMA), Mike Maile (RSA), Simon Katembenuka (ZIM)
80 - Chris Swanepoel (RSA), Yubin Jung (RSA), Shain Johnson (ZIM), Coenie Stoop (RSA), Thabang Simon (RSA)
81 - Bryce Bibby (RSA)
82 - Clive Nguru (ZIM) (AMA), Julius Kamalizeni (ZIM), Mpho Mafishe (RSA)
85 - Christian Mbanga (ZIM) (AMA)
