By Matthews Mfubu
A certain Alex Haindl will be quietly confident of his chances when the inaugural Mangaung Open tees off at Bloemfontein Golf Club and his home course, Schoeman Park Golf Club, on Thursday.
This tournament is one of seven which are being co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the Challenge Tour and Haindl will be enviably familiar with both layouts as these two iconic golf courses neighbour each other in the ‘City of Roses’, as Mangaung is affectionately known. This could be an important detail in his charge for a home victory.
Add to that the fact that he has not had a bad season at all up to this point: his most recent of two wins this term came about eight months ago in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen and while he may have had five missed cuts in the 12 events that followed, Haindl has had some solid results too and currently sits 19th on the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit standings.
Like many Sunshine Tour players in the field, Haindl is aware of the importance and benefits of working oneself up the Road to Mallorca rankings. His two missed cuts in the first three co-sanctioned events in South African soil (Dimension Data Pro-Am and last week’s Jonsson Workwear Open) isn’t a cause for panic yet because with four more to go, the experienced campaigner has time to build momentum.
He has an opportunity this week to pull a victory out of the hat just as he has often done on the Sunshine Tour, on a bigger stage and on terrain he knows so well. Testing as both courses are, with Schoeman Park at 6,993 yards and Bloemfontein at 6,865 yards, Haindl is well-equipped for the test that lies ahead.
Boasting five Sunshine Tour titles to his name, Haindl is as experienced as they come and has been known to sneak in for victory while flying under the radar. His course-management and big-game temperament will be important tools to have when facing both these courses and the sheer talent that makes up this international field.
Bloemfontein is no stranger to hosting international golf events as the Bloemfontein Golf Club has hosted two SA Open Championships, four SA Amateur Championships and an exhibition match between Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player back in 1966.
Haindl will hope to make his own history by becoming the first Mangaung Open champion in his home town and at his home course.
Other local boys who will be licking their lips with excitement this week include the big-hitting Wilco Nienaber whose breakthrough win on both the Sunshine Tour and the Challenge Tour came in last year’s Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt. Makhetha Mazibuko is also a local here and will aim for a performance of his life when this $250,000 event goes into his backyard.
