With every outing on the Sunshine Tour, rookie Keegan Mclachlan is learning, and on Thursday he broke new ground as he claimed a share of the first-round lead with Robin Williams in the PGA Championship at the St Francis Links with an impressive four-under-par 68.
The SA PGA Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in the local game with a list of past champions including Gary Player, Dale Hayes, John Bland, Tony Johnstone, Ernie Els, David Frost, Mark McNulty and Louis Oosthuizen.
And this year the event celebrates the significant support of the Eastern Cape Tourism and Parks Agency and African Bank.
It is the first time Mclachlan, who has a title apiece on the Blue Label Development Tour and the Altron Big Easy Tour, has led on the Sunshine Tour.
Playing in his 11th event, he started South African golf’s second-oldest professional tournament on the back nine and birdied his first two holes, before picking up another two birdies to go to four-under through seven holes.
Back-to-back bogeys on the tricky par-four 18th and first holes were offset by three successive birdies from the fourth hole. Mclachlan closed with a bogey-five on the par-four ninth hole.
Frame 1: A damage limiting putt by Keegan Mclachlan to retain the share of the lead 🔥👏
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) September 21, 2023
Frame 2: left to hear Keegan’s thoughts on a round that was at this challenge St Francis Links layout #PGAChampsSA| #Greatnessbeginshere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/hFZyTzLYRp
“I played quite nicely in the morning and it was a good start. There was not too much wind, but it started to pick up on my back nine. But overall it was a good round, for most of the day I kept the ball in play well, my approach shots were good and I made a few nice putts,” Mclachlan said.
“Overall it was very solid and you just have to accept the bogeys and enjoy the challenge. I feel that my game is in a good spot at the moment, I just haven’t scored as well as I would have liked, but it’s been feeling close.
“I’ve learnt a lot already in my 10 tournaments on tour but this is the first time I’m leading. It’s been a cool learning curve and I’m just trying to learn and enjoy myself as my career continues,” the 24-year-old Mclachlan said.
The South African born but England-based Williams also started solidly, from the first hole, managing to go bogey-free until the par-four 12th hole, while also collecting four birdies in five holes from the third.
He collected further birdies on the par-five 13th and par-four 15th holes, but also bogeyed the 400-metre 18th hole.
Williams and Mclachlan have a one-stroke lead over a quartet of golfers on three-under 69 – Rupert Kaminski, CJ du Plessis, Peter Karmis and Jake Redman.
Du Plessis, who started his round on the 10th, had birdied the par-four eighth hole to go to five-under and the sole lead, but he then managed to double-bogey the ninth, his last hole, to drop back.
Two @bigeasytourgolf winners this season lead the #PGAChampsSA standings at St Francis Links 📈#GreatnessBeginsHere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/QguV97iRfq
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) September 21, 2023
SCORES:
68 - Robin Williams, Keegan Mclachlan
69 - Rupert Kaminski, CJ du Plessis, Peter Karmis, Jake Redman
70 - Pierre Pellegrin, Ryan Van Velzen, Matthew Spacey, Jordan Duminy, Jean Hugo, James Mack
71 - Mutahi Kibugu, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Daniel van Tonder, David Wicks, Gregory Mckay, Fredrik From, Adam Breen, Jaco Van Zyl, Allister de Kock
72 - Christiaan Basson, Leon Visser, Robson Chinhoi, Luke Jerling, Nyasha Muyambo, Albert Venter, Aldrich Potgieter, LB Boshoff, Malcolm Mitchell, Stuart Krog, Rhys West, Doug McGuigan, Dayne Moore
73 - Dylan Naidoo, DK Kim, Jared Harvey, Martin Rohwer, Lyle Rowe, Merrick Bremner, Erhard Lambrechts, Jacques P de Villiers, Hunter Epson, Jake Roos, Joe Long, Jonathan Broomhead, Louis Albertse
74 - Combrinck Smit, Christiaan Burke, Dan Erickson, Michael Kok, Callum Mowat, Vaughn van Deventer, Hayden Griffiths, Jacquin Hess, Jacques Blaauw, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Wynand Dingle
75 - Ethan Smith, Estiaan Conradie, Pieter Moolman, Heinrich Bruiners, James Hart du Preez, Luke Trocado, Adriel Poonan, Dean O'Riley, Nikhil Rama, Ruan Korb, Sean Bradley, Marcel Steyn Scholtz, Jason Roets
76 - Reinhardt Blaauw, Keagan Thomas, Kyle Barker, Clancy Waugh, Tumelo Molloyi, James Pennington, Madalitso Muthiya, Luca Filippi, Anthony Michael, Ricky Hendler
77 - Tyron Davidowitz, Gerhard Trytsman, Danie Van Niekerk, Gavin Vorster, Aneurin Gounden, Yurav Premlall, Kyle De Beer, Makhetha Mazibuko, Wade Jacobs, Ronald Rugumayo
78 - Wiele Rademeyer, William Guy, Andre Loots, Rourke van der Spuy, Lwazi Gqira, BP Viljoen, Toto Thimba Jnr, Jack Hawksby, Hennie Otto, Tristin Galant, Karabo Mokoena, Conner Mackenzie
79 - Njoroge Kibugu, Quintin Wilsnach, Sentanio Minnie, Drikus Joubert
80 - Gregg Upton, Gerhard Pepler, Chris Cannon, Travis Ladner
81 - Alex Haindl, Jonathan Waschefort, Nicholaus Frade
82 - Richie O'Donovan, Richard Joubert, Kyle McClatchie
83 - Willie Olivier, Benjamin Thorne
84 - Stiaan Albertyn, Alphius Kelapile, Keelan van Wyk
87 - Jacques Kok, Mark Williams
89 - Arno Marais
90 - Regardt Richter
92 - Mandla Dlamini Jnr, Fezekile Kana