After playing poorly in the pro-am, Heinrich Bruiners found something while grinding on the range in strong winds. What he found saw him race to a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 on Thursday in the first round of the Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins of Golf event at St Francis Links.
Bruiners, who has won just once on the Sunshine Tour – back in 2013 in the Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Euphoria – has been showing glimpses of form for the past few tournaments, and was rewarded with his first top-10 finish of the season last week at the Wild Coast Sun. It all came together on the challenging St Francis Links as he fashioned a one-stroke lead over Ockie Strydom, with American Brooklin Bailey, Dylan Naidoo and Jaco Prinsloo in a share of third on five-under-par.
“I was really so bad in the pro-am,” lamented Bruiners, “so I took myself off to the range yesterday, and just worked for three hours in some heavy winds. I felt as if I found a little something with my swing that I could take into day, and it turned out I did.”
He started on the 10th, and immediately started finding fairways and greens. He found five of seven fairways on the front nine, and hit seven of the nine greens in regulation. It helped that he was putting well, too, and he had 14 putts on his first nine as he turned in three-under with four one-putts.
It was even better on his homeward nine. Although he only found three of seven fairways off the tee, he was deadly in to the greens and his putting was even better. He had 13 putts with five one-putts. His three successive birdies from four to six helped him to his best score to par for the season – matching his five-under 65 in the first round last week at the Wild Coast Sun.
“It was a good day,” said Bruiners, “and it was pretty calm out there. I’ve played this place with some strong winds, and this was really just a one- or two-club wind. I like the wind, and I find I play well in it.
“I’m experienced now, so I was able to keep calm and just keep working on what I found on the range. Also, I have been working with someone new on my swing generally, and that is starting to pay off.
“I talked with Wynand Dingle who won his first title at San Lameer two weeks ago, and he’s also very experienced. He had to work so hard for his win, and I’m determined to win another trophy now after listening to how he felt.
“It’s a question of keeping it together for the full three rounds. I was in contention with nine to go last week, and I let it slip. I need to be better than that.”
His was the only bogey-free round in the first round at St Francis Links. Two more good rounds on a course he enjoys and he should be in a position to fight for that trophy.
