GOLFING NEWS - Matt Bright took a huge step towards an IGT Challenge Tour breakthrough when he opened up a yawning five shot lead over Sunshine Tour winner Merrick Bremner in the Woodhill Challenge.
The 23-year-old Pretoria golfer moved to 12 under on Tuesday, courtesy of a second round 68 that included half-a-dozen birdies at Woodhill Country Club.
Although not nearly as explosive as his flawless first round 64, Bright was nonetheless happy to post another sub-par round and was upbeat about his chances.
“It’s a nice cushion to sleep on, but I won’t get complacent,” said Bright. “I putted well, but I didn’t sink as many putts today and the driver wasn’t as sharp. It’s tough to follow a low round with another, but I’m pleased that I kept it in play and hit a lot of greens in regulation.
“The conditions were tougher with the wind up, but I played solid golf. I didn’t have any spectacular moments; just made some good birdie putts and good pars. I made a great save at the 12th after I hit flew the green with my tee shot. I pitched it to three feet and made the putt to keep the round going.
“Hopefully I can shoot another low one in the final round to put some pressure on the guys behind me. Merrick almost went really low today and Louis de Jager cashed in on the low round of the day with a 66. Both of them won on the IGT Challenge Tour in the last couple of months.
“If I can get to 16 under, it will put pressure on the pack. They will have to shoot at least 66 or lower to catch me. And if someone does that, they deserve to win.”
Bremner claimed successive victories on the country’s premier golf development circuit in April.
His round had the makings of a pacesetting score after a trio of eagles, but the Els Club Copperleaf golfer let himself down with a double bogey at six and further drops at eight, 10, 12 and 16. A birdie-birdie finish helped Bremner to second and he leads by one stroke form Kenya’s Stefan Engell Andersen and Pretoria rookie Ruan Conradie.
Engell Anderson tidied up for a 69 after a bogey start, while Conradie – hunting his first professional title after two turns in the winner’s circle as an amateur – cancelled a double bogey at 11 and bogeys at 15 and 16 with a quartet of birdies for an even-par 72.
Sunshine Tour campaigner Jake Redman reeled in four birdies on the back nine for a 68 to move into a tie for fifth with Mpumalanga amateur Peetie van der Merwe (69) and yet another local rookie, Ruan Korb (70).
Meanwhile rookie Ivanna Samu signed for a 74 to join Nobuhle Dlamini from Swaziland at 11 over 153, while fellow Sunshine Ladies Tour player Mae Cornforth shot 76 to finish a further three shots back.
Second Round Scores
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as AMA
132 - Matt Bright 64 68
137 - Merrick Bremner 69 68
138 - Ruan Conradie 66 72, Stefan Engell Andersen (KEN) 69 69
140 - Jake Redman 72 68, Peetie van der Merwe AMA 71 69, Ruan Korb 70 70
141 - Louis de Jager 75 66
142 - Michael Kok AMA 72 70
143 - Conway Kunneke 75 68
144 - Dylan Kok AMA 73 71, Paul Boshoff 72 72
145 - Estiaan Conradie 71 74, Armand van Dyk AMA 74 71
146 - Jason Roets 71 75, Nicholaus Frade AMA 75 71, Quintin Wilsnach 75 71, Theunis Bezuidenhout AMA 75 71, Albert Visser 73 73, Richard Kruger AMA 68 78
147 - Dean Martin AMA 74 73, Clinton Grobler 72 75
148 - Ruan de Smidt 73 75, Roberto Lupini 77 71, Bradley Diggeden AMA 73 75, Victor Lange 75 73, Ruan Huysamen (NAM) 76 72, Dawid Opperman AMA 73 75
149 - Duane Keun 77 72, Divan Marais 77 72, Leon Visser AMA 75 74, Christopher van der Merwe AMA 77 72
150 - Nicol Kromhout AMA 74 76, Leon Vorster AMA 73 77, Luke Brown AMA 77 73
151 - Jade Buitendag 73 78, Matthew Hands AMA 77 74, Tertius van den Berg 79 72
152 - Adriel Poonan AMA 76 76, Fanie Wolmarans AMA 78 74, Roux Jeffery (NAM) 75 77, Christian Basson AMA 74 78, Dean du Plessis AMA 75 77
153 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWA) 76 77, WM Coetzee AMA 74 79, Basil Wright 77 76, Bryce Myburgh 75 78, Ivanna Samu 79 74, Martinus Barnard 79 74, Juan Pierre Cooper AMA 79 74, Terry Smith 78 75
154 - Nicholas Wolak AMA 75 79, Herman Anderson AMA 80 74
155 - Milton Maloon AMA 80 75, Patric Dowling AMA 77 78, Mark Bright 78 77
156 - Jabulane Mabilane 77 79, Mae Cornforth 80 76, Christopher de Beer AMA 73 83
157 - Shaun van Tonder 79 78, Michael van Rooyen 74 83, Dwayne Coetzee 81 76, Tudor Bismark (ZIM) 78 79
Missed the cut:-
158 - Nic Watson AMA 80 78
159 - Marais Visagie 80 79, Edwin Stafford AMA 79 80, Cedric Brummer 78 81, Nqobani Ndabambi 79 80, Christiaan Pretorius 76 83, Alex Krebs AMA 80 79
160 - Shaun Bernstein AMA 83 77, Rudolph van de Venter AMA 81 79, Jaco van der Merwe AMA 84 76
161 - Marc de Jager (ENG) 76 85
163 - Armand van Tonder AMA 81 82, Jordan Prytz AMA 80 83, Ryan Dantu AMA 82 81
165 - Sam Metcalfe AMA 81 84
166 - Andrej Skrbinsek AMA 80 86
167 - Nikola Uskokovic AMA 84 83
168 - Jacques Snyman AMA (NAM) 82 86, Tristan Webel AMA 88 80, Christopher Constantinou AMA 81 87
169 - Vusi Zungu AMA 87 82
172 - Malachi Schulz AMA 87 85
179 - Dylan van Rensburg AMA 90 89
180 - Divan Stander AMA 92 88
181 - Zarko Fabricius AMA 96 85
WDN - Callum Mowat 72 WDN, Hendrik Janse Van Rensburg 77 WDN
RTD - Gareth Anderson AMA 83 RTD
ARTICLE: LALI STANDER
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