Jonathan Broomhead, Hunter Epson and Estiaan Conradie shared the first-round lead of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zebula Country Club on Friday with opening rounds of 66, but with Sunshine Ladies Tour professional Cara Gorlei just one stroke behind them.
Gorlei certainly made a statement with her opening 67 in what is a significant week for the local professional game, with the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals competing together for the first time in the same tournament for the same prize money.
Gorlei, fresh from playing mixed events in Thailand, looked right at home with her round of five under par and sits alongside Jovan Rebula and Heinrich Bruiners in the chasing pack.
At the top of the leaderboard, Broomhead was particularly impressive with his putter in a round that featured two stretches of three birdies in a row.
Importantly, his first hat-trick of birdies came at the start of his round as he teed off on the 10thhole and began with three straights threes.
“I started really well and that has a lot to do with the setting where Zebula is, in the bushveld. I really enjoy the bush. It’s always relaxed and I just wanted to go out and see what I could do, and just take the round as it comes,” Broomhead said.
“It was a very crucial start for me. I’ve been hitting the ball really good lately and I hit it the same today. I’ve just been struggling with my putting and getting the ball in the hole. But my putting was the best part of my game today. I hit the ball well off the tees and the fairway, but I made a few fairly lengthy putts. I rolled the ball really nicely today and the greens are so good. They’re very fast and if you get the right line and pace then it pretty much always goes in. I definitely had more birdies today than I expected,” Broomhead said.
American Epson made an equally fast start to his round and also had three birdies in his first three holes on his way to a share of the lead.
Wingate Park’s Conradie started his round on the 10thand was in reasonable shape on three-under-par through 14 holes. But then he grabbed an eagle on the par-five sixth and a birdie three on the seventh in the late afternoon to join Broomhead and Epson at the top.
???Joint clubhouse leader @EstiaanC shares his thoughts on his round and the mixed field this week ??????#VOGZebula | #VOOG | #GreatnessBeginsHere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/tk1sn42ETe
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) August 11, 2023
FIRST-ROUND SCORES:
66- Jonathan Broomhead, Hunter Epson, Estiaan Conradie
67 - Cara Gorlei, Jovan Rebula, Heinrich Bruiners
68 - Keelan van Wyk, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Ryan Van Velzen, Jacques Kruyswijk, Neil Schietekat, Lyle Rowe, Madalitso Muthiya, Gerhard Pepler, Ricky Hendler, Aneurin Gounden
69 - Jack Hawksby, Nikhil Rama, Kieron van Wyk, Kyle Barker, Ruan Korb, Wade Jacobs, Wynand Dingle, Luca Filippi
70 - James Mack, Riekus Nortje, Adam Breen, Jake Roos, Pieter Moolman, Jean Hugo, Luke Brown, Toto Thimba Jnr, Sean Bradley, Jared Harvey, Francois Van der Walt, LB Boshoff, Vaughn van Deventer, Dylan Naidoo, Jason Smith, Erhard Lambrechts, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Karabo Mokoena
71 - Dan Erickson, Yurav Premlall, Keagan Thomas, Peter Karmis, Martin Rohwer, Chris Cannon, Kyle McClatchie, Louis Albertse, Willie Olivier, Reinhardt Blaauw
72 - Brandon Smith, David Wicks, Quintin Wilsnach, Michael Kok, Hennie Otto, Gerhard Trytsman, Rupert Kaminski, Anthony Michael, Christiaan Basson, James Hart du Preez, Jordan Duminy, Luke Jerling, Robin Williams, Jacques Blaauw, Rourke van der Spuy, Richard Joubert
73 - Stuart Krog, Gerard du Plooy, Robson Chinhoi, Albert Venter, Thabang Simon, Jacques P de Villiers, DK Kim, Tumelo Molloyi, Jonathan Waschefort, Hennie O'Kennedy, CJ du Plessis, Tyron Davidowitz
74 - Adriel Poonan, Jason Roets, Daniel van Tonder, Merrick Bremner, Ruan Conradie, Malcolm Mitchell, Clancy Waugh, Conner Mackenzie, Sentanio Minnie, Musiwalo Nethunzwi, Luke Trocado, Leon Visser, Franklin Manchest, Keegan Mclachlan
75 - Deon Germishuys, Tristen Strydom, Danie Van Niekerk, Jaco Van Zyl, Jastice Mashego, Tristin Galant, James Pennington, Drikus Joubert, Nadia van der Westhuizen, Combrinck Smit, Ulrich van den Berg, Fredrik From
76 - Dylan Mostert, Callum Mowat, Rhys West
77 - Sean Cronje, Marcel Steyn Scholtz, Irvin Mazibuko
78 - Ruan de Smidt, Tandi McCallum, Nicholaus Frade, Gregory Mckay, Brittney-Fay Berger, Alphius Kelapile, Larissa Du Preez, Ethan Smith, Siyanda Mwandla
79 - Allister de Kock, Ryan Tipping
80 /strong>- Slenda Sithebe
82 /strong>- Makhetha Mazibuko
87/strong> - Christiaan Burke