Defending champion Pieter Moolman continued his phenomenal hot streak at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club on Friday, shooting an excellent seven-under-par 63 to claim the lead after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast event.
Moolman leads by one stroke over Ricky Hendler, with the Benoni golfer overcoming a slow start after beginning his round on the 10th, being one-over after six holes.
But Moolman then birdied 16, 17 and 18, before a remarkable front nine in which he collected five birdies – at the second, third, fifth, seventh and eighth holes.
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The 33-year-old Moolman shot a 62 in his last tournament at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club, his fantastic final-round effort lifting him to tied-fifth in the SunBet Challenge event here in July.
And last year Moolman shot a 64 in the final round to win the Vodacom Origins of Golf event in a playoff, while he was also the runner-up in the 2022 SunBet Challenge tournament held here.
“I can’t exactly explain it, but I’m just happy here,” Moolman said. “It feels like home. I really enjoy the layout and I just seem to know what to hit on whatever hole and whatever the wind. I just think I’m comfortable here no matter which way the wind blows, and you always play a little better when you like being somewhere.
“I hit some good shots coming in on my front nine after I started a bit slow. Starting on the 10th was a bit tough because we were into the wind and it was blowing hard. I didn’t play badly, but I just missed a couple of up-and-downs on 11 [bogey 4] and 12 [par 5].
“I just tried to keep giving myself opportunities and this course is really about whoever makes the putts, and that was a bonus today. I was then really steady on my back nine, my tee-shots weren’t bad and I hit some good irons. It’s all about giving yourself the best chance when you are out of position, it’s more about where you miss than hitting perfect golf shots. On the weekend, I will just keep doing what I always do around here,” Moolman said.
PERSONAL BEST FOR HENDLER
A trio of golfers who also live far away from the coast also excelled on Friday, as did an overseas golfer.
Hendler, from Dainfern in Johannesburg, posted a 64, his lowest ever score on the Sunshine Tour.
He also started on the 10th but was out of the blocks straight away with birdies on his first two holes.
In a wonderful round of bogey-free golf, Hendler collected further birdies on the 16th, 18th, first and ninth holes.
Veteran Trevor Fisher Jnr from Modderfontein had bogeys on the par-four second and par-five 12th holes, but gathered five birdies and an eagle on the 492m par-five 16th, to post a 65 and finish in the tie for third.
A strong start by Trevor Fisher Jnr to the first round.
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Gerhard Pepler of Mogol Golf Club in Limpopo dropped just one shot, on the 168m par-three 13th, but also eagled 16 and made four other birdies to also shoot 65.
The other golfer to shoot 65 was Scotsman Craig Ross, who was also bogey-free.
Brittney-Fay Berger was the leading women’s golfer with a 71.
SCORES:
63 - Pieter Moolman
64 - Ricky Hendler
65 - Trevor Fisher Jnr, Gerhard Pepler, Craig Ross
66 - Keelan van Wyk, Ruan de Smidt, Ruan Korb
67 - Wynand Dingle, Jacques P de Villiers, Nikhil Rama, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Malcolm Mitchell, Jean-Paul Strydom, Luke Brown, Estiaan Conradie, Ruan Conradie, Albert Venter, Gregory Mckay, Luke Jerling, Peter Karmis, Merrick Bremner, Jaco Van Zyl, Callum Mowat
68 - Austin Bautista, James Mack, Alex Haindl, Fredrik From, MJ Viljoen, Heinrich Bruiners, Kyle De Beer, Hennie O'Kennedy, Jason Roets, Combrinck Smit, Sean Bradley, Christiaan Burke, Herman Loubser, Kyle Barker, Jean Hugo, Franklin Manchest, Stals Swart, Shaahid Mahmed
69 - DK Kim, Jordan Duminy, Jovan Rebula, Regan Steyn, Thabiso Ngcobo, Graham van der Merwe, Dayne Moore, Allister de Kock, Matthew Spacey, Otto Van Buynder, Samuel Simpson, Simon du Plooy, Vaughn van Deventer, Therion Nel, Marcel Steyn Scholtz
70 - LB Boshoff, Doug McGuigan, Jack Hawksby, Sentanio Minnie, Jonathan Broomhead, Jacob Oakley, Danie Van Niekerk
71 - Umar Davids, Quintin Wilsnach, Nick Cunningham, Ethan Smith, Neil Schietekat, Brittney-Fay Berger, Jacques Blaauw, Dylan Naidoo, Keenan Davidse, Kirby Coe-Kirkham
72 - Brandon Meads, Jastice Mashego, Altin van der Merwe, Conner Mackenzie, Robson Chinhoi, Tristin Galant, Hayden Griffiths, Kyle McClatchie, Christiaan Basson, Haydn Porteous, Lyle Rowe, Trevor Mahoney, Keagan Thomas, Ruan Groenewald
73 - Pride Sembo, Promise Sombreiro, Shaydon Johnson, Lyle Pedro, Rhys West, Astin Arthur, Rourke van der Spuy, Adam Breen, Keegan Mclachlan, Thanda Mavundla, Lindani Ndwandwe, Brandon Pieters, Werner Deyzel, Gerard du Plooy, Pierre Pellegrin, Christian Kriek, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu, David Amm, Gary Kemp
74 - Paul Adam Chidale, Keanu Pestana, CJ du Plessis, Colin Nel, Leon Vorster, Jared Harvey, Danielle du Toit, Terence Boardman, Travis Ladner
75 - Nadia van der Westhuizen, Gabrielle Venter, Andre De Decker, Slenda Sithebe, Steven Le Roux, Janko van der Merwe
76 - Leon Visser, Irvin Mazibuko, Cara Gorlei, Kelsey Nicholas
77 - Toto Thimba Jnr
78 - Brandon Gildenhuys
79 - James Pennington, Isabella van Rooyen
80 - Stephen Ferreira
82 - Christopher Long
84 - Robert Mavundla