Francesco Laporta calls South Africa his second home, and this weekend he is looking to become the first Italian winner of South Africa’s oldest professional golf tournament – the Investec South African Open.
Laporta took advantage of a windless morning in the winelands on Friday and signed for a 64 to lead this championship on 10-under-par. He is one shot clear of England’s Nathan Kimsey, who also posted his 65 on Friday morning.
Dean Burmester leads the South African challenge on eight-under-par following his second round of 67. And Hennie du Plessis proved just how good the morning conditions were for low scoring when he carded a course record 63 – confirmed by Stellenbosch Golf Club in light of their tee box changes for this championship and the enlarged water hazard on 18 – to climb into contention on seven-under-par.
Laporta spent several years living in Johannesburg and played on the Sunshine Tour before moving back to Italy, and he says his love for South Africa and its people has never left him.
“I like playing in South Africa. It’s been my second home for a long time. This course actually reminds me a lot more of the Johannesburg courses. It’s tough, the fairways are tight and there’s a lot of rough so you have to hit it straight. I like it. I’m looking forward to the weekend. I’m sure the fans will cheer for the South Africans. But South Africans are always fair and it’s always good to play in front of them,” said Laporta.
The closest an Italian has ever come to winning the Investec South African Open was Renato Paratore who finished tied second in 2023. Laporta is hoping his accuracy off the tee, which has been his strongpoint, continues on the weekend to give him a shot at making history.
“My tee shots were good. On this golf course if you hit your tee shots straight you have a lot of opportunities,” he said.
Just one shot behind him, Kimsey is equally excited about the opportunity that awaits for him on a huge weekend where an exemption into the 2026 Masters and exemptions for the top three finishers not already exempt into The Open are on offer.
“My game’s been good and I’m glad I could put myself in contention here,” he said.
At two shots off the lead, Burmester has a chance at a second Investec South African Open title after winning in 2023, even though he didn’t feel like he took full advantage of the calm Friday morning conditions.
“Considering how good the conditions were in the morning, the course was really gettable and I just didn’t feel like I had my best game with me. I’m proud of the way I hung in there because the driver misbehaved quite a bit. But we’ll see what the weekend holds.”
Even Du Plessis is making no secret of his intentions this weekend.
“I feel like my game has been trending for the last month or so, and I’ve focused all of my preparation on this incredible tournament.”
The chase for a place in Investec South African Open history is about to enter the final 36 holes.
