The prices you pay for inaccuracy at the Royal Harare Golf Club are steep, but Michael Hollick continues to largely avoid that problem with his precise game taking him to the top of the leaderboard after the third and penultimate round of the FBC Zim Open on Saturday.
Hollick followed up his first two rounds of 66 and 67 with an impressive 68 in the third round, leaving him on 15-under-par and enjoying a one-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round.
The one-time Sunshine Tour winner made a slow start on Saturday, with a bogey on the par-three second meaning he was one-over after four holes.
But he then birdied the fifth and sixth holes, and began the back nine birdie-birdie. Hollick followed up a bogey on the par-three 15th with an eagle on the 16th, and then birdied 17 before dropping a shot on the last hole to halve his lead.
🗣️ The leaders share their thoughts ahead of the final round of the FBC Zim Open. #FBCZimOpen #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/4gqa3irFTD
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 11, 2024
“This golf course is very demanding, there’s not a lot of room for error. You have to be accurate, it’s like a game of chess out there,” Hollick said. “The greens are super-quick, probably the fastest we play on all year and they are very firm now after three days.
“They’re also all elevated with run-offs and narrow entrances to the greens, so if you don’t hit your target then you’re unlikely to get up-and-down. But I’m definitely feeling good, the last few months have been good for me and success breeds confidence. My swing and my short game are good and I’m just sticking to my guns,” Hollick said.
While other golfers have found the back nine at Royal Harare Golf Club especially testing, Hollick’s cool and calm approach saw him prosper there on Saturday as he came home in 33 shots, one or two strokes less than anyone else in the top four.
“Of late, I’ve been making a bogey at the start of my round, but I’ve always been able to recover. I’m quite relaxed, so I just carry on, knowing a birdie is probably around the corner.
“On the back nine today, I hit all the fairways, except for 18, and hit some nice irons, which makes it much easier to get those birdies,” Hollick said.
The evergreen Darren Fichardt is the chief challenger to Hollick, his 69 on Saturday lifting him to 14-under-par. The 48-year-old had four birdies and three bogeys, but an eagle at the par-five sixth made all the difference.
Kieran Vincent is the chief home hope on 11-under-par after a 67, leaving him tied for third with Anthony Michael (71). But two more Zimbabweans, Benjamin Follett-Smith and Kieran’s older brother Scott are one shot further back, alongside MJ Viljoen (66).
Follett-Smith fired the low round of the day, a seven-under-par 65, and was five-under at the turn.
🗣️ Scott Vincent enjoyed the passionate home crowded during his third today at Royal Harare. 🇿🇼🔊#FBCZimOpen #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/IvPrOgjrGb
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 11, 2024
Thank you Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 for your support, let’s do it again tomorrow. 🙌#FBCZimOpen #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/3Px2tKXURZ
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 11, 2024
SCORES:
201 - Michael Hollick 66 67 68
202 - Darren Fichardt 67 66 69
205 - Kieran Vincent 71 67 67, Anthony Michael 67 67 71
206 - Benjamin Follett-Smith 70 71 65, MJ Viljoen 68 72 66, Scott Vincent 67 73 66
207 - JC Ritchie 69 69 69
208 - Rupert Kaminski 72 67 69, Martin Vorster 70 62 76
209 - Gerhard Pepler 71 69 69, Fredrik From 71 69 69, Jaco Ahlers 65 71 73
210 - Doug McGuigan 68 73 69, Louis Albertse 70 70 70, Combrinck Smit 68 70 72
211 - Hennie O'Kennedy 73 69 69, Hennie Otto 72 70 69, Gregory Mckay 75 64 72
212 - Keegan Mclachlan 72 72 68, Keagan Thomas 71 73 68, Jaco Van Zyl 70 73 69, Nikhil Rama 73 69 70, Craig Ross 72 68 72
213 - Daniel van Tonder 71 72 70, Jovan Rebula 70 72 71, Brandon Gildenhuys 73 69 71, Irvin Mazibuko 71 69 73, Robson Chinhoi 72 68 73
214 - Dylan Mostert 71 74 69, Stuart Krog 73 72 69, Jaco Prinsloo 74 71 69, Danie Van Niekerk 71 73 70, Yurav Premlall 70 74 70, Dylan O'Leary 71 72 71, Jason Roets 67 76 71, Ian Snyman 74 67 73
215 - Pride Sembo 74 70 71, Kyle McClatchie 73 71 71, Lyle Rowe 72 71 72, Conner Mackenzie 70 72 73, Toto Thimba Jnr 72 70 73, Madalitso Muthiya 69 72 74
216 - Ruan Korb 74 71 71, Nick Cunningham 71 73 72, Christiaan Basson 71 73 72, Herman Loubser 69 74 73, Ethan Smith 71 70 75
217 - Kyle Barker 70 75 72, Luke Brown 72 72 73, Kyle De Beer 70 72 75
218 - Ricky Hendler 71 74 73, Biggie Chibvuri 71 73 74, Rhys West 73 70 75, Jacques Blaauw 67 75 76, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu 73 69 76
219 - Mathew Bramford 71 74 74
220 - Neil Schietekat 74 70 76, Warwick Purchase 69 74 77
221 - Brandon Meads 72 72 77
224 - Jacques P de Villiers 73 72 79
Missed the cut:
146 - Luca Filippi 75 71, Dayne Moore 72 74, Steven Le Roux 74 72, Ronald Rugumayo 75 71, James Mack 69 77, Keegan Shutt 73 73, Ignatius Mketekete 73 73, Promise Sombreiro 72 74
147 - Jake Redman 74 73, Luke Jerling 72 75, Trainos Muradzikwa 77 70, Christian Kriek 78 69, Therion Nel 72 75, Martin Rohwer 75 72, Quintin Wilsnach 70 77
148 - Basil Wright Jr 72 76, Clive Nguru 75 73, Thanda Mavundla 70 78, Jean Hugo 74 74, Wynand Dingle 74 74, Otto Van Buynder 73 75, Trevor Mahoney 71 77, Tristin Galant 77 71, Keelan van Wyk 72 76, Franklin Manchest 74 74, Shaydon Johnson 74 74
149 - Haydn Porteous 78 71, Tatenda Makunde 74 75, Samuel Simpson 71 78
150 - Werner Deyzel 77 73, Vaughn van Deventer 74 76, Ethan Fichardt 78 72, Adam Breen 70 80, Stephen Ferreira 73 77, Slenda Sithebe 74 76, Ruan de Smidt 79 71, Albert Venter 76 74, Brian Gondo 72 78, Jacquin Hess 76 74
151 - Hayden Griffiths 76 75, Pieter Zwart 75 76, Jacob Oakley 73 78, David Amm 77 74, Ulrich van den Berg 74 77, Callum Mowat 77 74, Alex Haindl 71 80, Paul Adam Chidale 76 75
152 - Regan Steyn 77 75, Rourke van der Spuy 75 77, Mutahi Kibugu 76 76, Njoroge Kibugu 71 81, Nyasha Muyambo 73 79, Jared Harvey 77 75, Devon Valentine 80 72, Christopher Long 77 75
153 - Jastice Mashego 75 78, Nevy Milazi 76 77, Jabulane Mabilane 80 73, Simon Murungweni 78 75, Matthew Spacey 76 77, Braydon Amm 78 75, Davison Elijah 75 78
154 - Stals Swart 82 72, Austin Bautista 81 73, Stefan Wears-Taylor 74 80
155 - Travis Ladner 79 76, Christiaan Burke 78 77, Merrick Bremner 75 80
156 - Akil Yousuf 79 77, Anyway Katembenuka 76 80, Shaahid Mahmed 77 79, Tanaka Chatora 78 78, Sean Bradley 81 75
157 - Tongoona Charamba 76 81, Liberty Gumisa 74 83
158 - Tafara Mpofu 77 81, LB Boshoff 79 79, Tonderai Masunga 72 86
160 - William Geach 82 78
164 - Innocent Mukumba 78 86
165 - Kelly Tembo 86 79, Jordan Duminy 82 83
170 - Lloyd Dube 89 81