Ryan van Velzen had a superb homeward nine of six-under-par 30 at ERPM Golf Club on Monday on his way to a seven-under-par 65 in the first round of the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour’s Race to Q-School #6.
Van Velzen didn’t start too well, making a bogey on the opening hole, and another on the fifth, but he made two birdies in between those two drops on the second and fourth. There were five more birdies and an eagle through the rest of his round as he took a one-stroke lead over Herman Loubser. Michael Kok was third on five-under, with Kyle McClatchie fourth on four-under. There were seven players in a share of fifth on three-under, including former number one South African amateur, Martin Vorster.
Van Velzen birdied the ninth to turn in one-under 35, and then his good scoring began. He birdied 11, 12, 13 and 16, and then picked up his eagle on the par-five 17th before signing off with a par on the final hole.
Loubser was bogey free for his 66, with nines of 33 and 33, while Kok had one bogey in his round and McClatchie made a double-bogey six on the 11th.
There are four more tournaments in this series after ERPM, and it will all finish up at Pecanwood.
