Although he missed a simple birdie putt on 18, Christiaan Bezuidenhout carded a five-under-par 67 on Friday to move into a share of the halfway lead of the South African Open Championship being played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City.
It was his second-successive score of five-under, and although that short missed putt cost him the sole lead, Bezuidenhout kept pace with Wales’ Jamie Donaldson who carded the low round of the tournament with a nine-under 63. The pair had a two-shot lead over Dylan Frittelli and Dean Burmester.
“I’m really happy with the way things are going,” said Bezuidenhout. “It’s a matter of respecting the golf course, because if you go wrong around here, it can bite you very quickly. So I’ve come up with a game plan and I intend to follow it for the rest of the week.”
Bezuidenhout, who is in great shape after his win in last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, kept things simple throughout. Mistakes were at a minimum, and his short-range putting was exemplary. He also managed to sink some longer-range putts, all of which were just reward for accuracy off the tee and into the green. And when he strayed in line somewhat, his touch around the greens was in great working order too.
“My putting has been solid at mid-range for quite a while now,” he said. “It was a bit frustrating to miss a couple of shorter one, inside five feet, but I know I can depend on making more than I miss and that is a big help.”
At Sun City, he took a similar approach to last week’s victory at Leopard Creek, where he showed the course the utmost respect, and took what chances that came his way, rather than trying to bludgeon it into submission.
He started steadily, and then picked up birdies on four six and nine on his way out to turn in 33. On the way in, he made two more, one on the 12th and the other on the difficult 17th – normally the eighth when the course is played in the more familiar sequence of the Nedbank Golf Challenge. It was a sublime approach which set up that birdie, one which typified his play all day.
“I have been hitting it well,” he said, “and there is the added bonus of being able to hold the greens with approaches. That gives me just a little bit more confidence.”
Donaldson came within a single putt of equalling Lee Westwood’s course record around the Gary Player Country Club layout when his eagle putt on 18 slipped narrowly by on the right. But he made 10 birdies and a bogey to go with his opening round of 71 to vault into the share of the lead he held at halfway.
For Bezuidenhout, the knowledge that there are low scores out there is encouraging. “I think just keeping it in the 60s is going to be good this week,” he said. “And hopefully, Jamie doesn’t get a second 63!”
Three shots behond Frittelli and Burmester are Ruan Korb and Jacques Kruyswijk on five-under for the tournament in a share of fifth place, together with Holland’s Joost Luiten, Aaron Cockerill of Canada and Austrian Matthias Schwab.
Hennie du Plessis was alone in 10th place on four-under after a round of two-under 70.
