Hermanus’ Tyron Davidowitz played himself into contention of this week’s Betway Big Easy Tour event, producing a disciplined two-under-par 70 to total six-under for the week and place himself in a three-way tie for the lead ahead of the final round at Benoni Country Club.
He made 13 pars, four birdies, and a double on his way to the top of the leaderboard on Wednesday.
“It was a good one,” Davidowitz remarked. “I started on the 10th; birdied that one in the cold. I had the ball on the string but couldn’t make any putts. I hit it to maybe four feet on 18 for eagle but I missed the putt, which was a bit embarrassing. Then, I lost a bit of momentum there and made par on the first hole, the par five.
“I hit one bad shot on three; it put me in a tough place and I walked away with a double-bogey there and then I birdied the last to make lunch taste a little bit better. But, overall, it was a good day. The greens were still fast and firm, so it was not a bad day at all.”
Tyron Davidowitz reflects on his second round of the Betway Big Easy Tour. At -6 for the week, he is in contention for a win at #benonicountryclub.@Betway_za#betwaybigeasytour #greatnessbeginshere pic.twitter.com/b3oPTrJcpw
— Big Easy Tour (@bigeasytourgolf) June 26, 2024
Sharing the lead with Davidowitz is the duo of Brandon Gildenhuys and overnight leader, Martin Vorster.
The latter laboured to a one-under 71 to consolidate his spot at the summit of the leaderboard while the former produced a second successive 69 to claim his place at the top.
“I’m very excited for tomorrow,” admitted Gildenhuys who plays out of Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate in Ekurhuleni.
“It’s the first time I have to play in the final group in a Betway Big Easy Tour tournament, so it will be a new challenge for me. It will be good to see how my nerves hold up but other than that, I am excited for tomorrow. We’ll take it as it comes.”
DELTEL MAKES A MOVE
Gildenhuys’s round of 69 was characterised by six birdies and three dropped shots
“I know it sounds cliché but for one who has never been in this position on this Tour before, one has to take things one shot at a time,” added Gildenhuys.
“At the end of the day, we’re just playing golf; the sport we love, so it’s all good. The pressure is always there but you try to focus on what’s important at that moment.
“Towards the end of today’s round, it was starting to get cold and it became a little tough making birdies towards the end. But, I started really nicely today again; I was driving it superbly again and holed a couple of good putts.”
Making the most of moving day on Wednesday was Bryanston Country Club’s Jaden Deltel whose five-under-par 67 on day two catapulted him to solo fourth on five-under.
In a share of fifth on four-under is the duo of Tyrone Ryan and member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Yurav Premlal.
Slade Pickering, Sentanio Minnie and Kyle McClatchie are a shot further and share the seventh spot on the leaderboard.
As things stand after 36 holes of the first tournament of the new Betway Big Easy Tour season.
— Big Easy Tour (@bigeasytourgolf) June 26, 2024
The final round is going to be an exciting one!#betwaybigeasytour#greatnessbeginshere pic.twitter.com/qeaTCukr0u
SCORES:
138 - Tyron Davidowitz 68 70, Leon Vorster 67 71, Brandon Gildenhuys 69 69
139 - Jaden Deltel 72 67
140 - Tyrone Ryan 70 70, Yurav Premlall 70 70
141 - Slade Pickering 72 69, Kyle McClatchie 71 70, Sentanio Minnie 72 69
142 - Toto Thimba Jnr 70 72, Andrew McLardy 72 70, Luke Mayo 75 67
143 - Ryan Tipping 71 72
144 - Jastice Mashego 74 70, Gerhard Trytsman 68 76, Joe Knox 73 71, Jonathan Waschefort 72 72, Jacquin Hess 73 71
145 - Dillon Germshuys 73 72, Thabang Simon 70 75, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 71 74, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 69 76, Vaughn van Deventer 74 71, Trevor Mahoney 72 73, Eugene Du Plessis 69 76, Warwick Purchase 75 70
146 - Kayle Wykes 72 74, Andre De Decker 71 75, Eric Wowor 74 72, Amilkar Bhana 72 74, Terence Boardman 72 74, Werner Deyzel 75 71, Allister de Kock 72 74
Missed the cut:-
147 - Christian Kriek 72 75, David Amm 75 72, Nicholas Lewis 71 76, Keelan van Wyk 73 74, Sean Paxton 77 70, Gerard du Plooy 76 71, Jason Froneman 74 73, Philip Geerts 72 75
148 - Therion Nel 75 73, Graham van der Merwe 74 74, Erhard Lambrechts 73 75, Louis Liebenberg 75 73
149 - Slenda Sithebe 80 69, Makhetha Mazibuko 74 75, Luke Trocado 75 74, Irvin Mazibuko 68 81, Sabelo Xolani Majola 71 78, Johnathan Ackerman 73 76, Andre Van Dyk 72 77, Xander Basson 74 75, Paul Boshoff 71 78, Drikus Joubert 71 78
150 - Siyanda Mwandla 75 75, Teboho Sefatsa 76 74, Lyle Pedro 74 76, Steven Le Roux 73 77, Keagan Crosbie 76 74, Karabo Mokoena 73 77
151 - Eben Spangenberg 78 73, Christopher Long 73 78, Regan Steyn 73 78, Brandon Pieters 71 80, Ruan de Smidt 77 74, Thabiso Ngcobo 75 76
152 - Francois Van der Walt 80 72, Matthew Rushton 81 71, Richard Joubert 76 76, Carlo Heunis 78 74, Henning du Plooy 74 78
153 - Mike Maile 72 81, Reece Mc Kain 75 78, CJ Levey 78 75, James Pennington 73 80, Khanya Mkhize 78 75, Janko van der Merwe 77 76
154 - Letsoso Letsai 79 75, Michael Kok 75 79, Shalan Govender 75 79, Umar Davids 77 77, Nicholaus Frade 76 78
155 - Jabulane Mabilane 77 78, Dehan Joubert 79 76, Jonathan Williams 76 79
156 - Chase Paton 80 76, Thanda Mavundla 78 78, Mutahi Kibugu 83 73, Richard Kruger 70 86
157 - Leon Visser 74 83, Kael Strydom 80 77
158 - Shaydon Johnson 75 83, Aneurin Gounden 79 79
159 - Carlos Losper 80 79, Keelan Africa 79 80
160 - Tumelo Molloyi 81 79, Hayden Garcia 80 80
161 - Ricco Motsa 81 80
164 - Jarryd Govender 84 80
165 - Mark Maart 79 86
166 - Lincon Denzy Cele 85 81
169 - Ace Andile Adam 79 90
WDN - Christiaan Heyman 82 WDN, Brandon Moodley 87 WDN, Llewellyn Leibrandt RTD RTD, Ulrich van den Berg RTD RTD, Sipho Bujela DSQ DSQ