Roets leads chase to glory in FNB Eswatini Challenge

Golf can be a cruel mistress and is even tougher when a course comprises two nines that are totally different in style, but Jason Roets has handled the challenges of the Nkonyeni Lodge and Golf Estate with aplomb as he goes into the final round of the FNB Eswatini Challenge with a one-stroke lead.

Roets fired a marvellous bogey-free six-under-par 66 in Friday’s second round to go to 11-under-par for the tournament.

The Dainfern golfer dropped just one shot in the first round, sharing the lead with Combrinck Smit and Stephen Ferreira, so it is fair to say he has mastered the 18-hole combination of nine holes on the Bushveld Golf Course and nine on the Golden Eagle Links.

Roets started his round on Friday on the 10th, the Bushveld nine, and went out in four-under, and then finished his round wonderfully with birdies on the seventh and ninth holes, both par-fours, as he took his score to six-under over the first two days on the front nine links.

Roets relishing final round challenge. #FNBEswatiniChallenge #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/Xv6hnpNLmP

— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) August 2, 2024

“It was a very nice day, any time you go bogey-free you know you’ve played well,” Roets said.

“I like both nines, it’s a really unique challenge to have a whole new set-up after halfway.

“On seven I hit a good drive, hit my second to 25 feet and made a really nice putt. On the short ninth, I took driver and was slightly left of the green, but I hit a great shot to about two feet,” Roets said.

The 31-year-old Roets is one stroke clear of former SA Open winner Danie van Tonder, who showed a return to something approaching his best form with a 66 on Friday, his best round this season.

He had one bogey on each nine but eagled the par-five eighth and collected six birdies.

Daniel van Tonder is one shot off the lead with one more round to play at Eswatini.🇸🇿 #FNBEswatiniChallenge #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/EqB2ufB2e4

— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) August 2, 2024

Other contenders for the title on Saturday are Keenan Davidse (68) and Neil Schietekat (69) on seven-under, while Lyle Rowe fired a 67 to be five strokes back on six-under-par.

Smit could only shoot level-par 72 on Friday and is in the tie for sixth on five-under, while Ferreira had three bogeys on the front nine and a seven on the par-five 15th in a 74 that leaves him eight shots behind.

Roets has been on the Sunshine Tour since 2020/21 and is without a victory after 68 tournaments.

Other than contending strongly on the Blue Label Development Tour, the former University of North Texas golfer also has three top 10 finishes on the Sunshine Tour proper. But this season has been his best, as he currently sits 32nd on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

“I’ve played really nicely this year, just a couple of rounds have let me down. So, it’s nice to capitalise on good golf. Obviously, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about my first win, but I’m just going to try hard to stay in the moment in the final round, take it shot-for-shot with 100% commitment,” Roets said.

SCORES:

133 - Jason Roets 67 66

134 - Daniel van Tonder 68 66

137 - Keenan Davidse 69 68, Neil Schietekat 68 69

138 - Lyle Rowe 71 67

139 - Combrinck Smit 67 72, Kyle De Beer 69 70, Franklin Manchest 69 70

140 - Graham van der Merwe 70 70, Callum Mowat 74 66, Luke Brown 72 68, Jonathan Broomhead 75 65, Altin van der Merwe 69 71

141 - Stephen Ferreira 67 74, Yurav Premlall 71 70, Dan Erickson 71 70, MJ Viljoen 70 71, Sean Bradley 72 69

142 - Nick Cunningham 71 71, Dylan O'Leary 75 67, Samuel Simpson 71 71, Ethan Smith 68 74

143 - Otto Van Buynder 75 68, Danie Van Niekerk 71 72, Jacques P de Villiers 72 71, Jacques Blaauw 73 70, Martin Rohwer 71 72, Allister de Kock 70 73, Ruan Korb 73 70, Therion Nel 70 73, Steven Le Roux 74 69, Ryan Van Velzen 74 69, Robson Chinhoi 71 72, Rourke van der Spuy 69 74

144 - Travis Ladner 72 72, Luke Jerling 73 71, Thanda Mavundla 69 75, Christiaan Burke 72 72, Hayden Griffiths 72 72, Leon Visser 71 73, Keagan Thomas 72 72, Brandon Meads 72 72, James Hart du Preez 71 73

145 - Albert Venter 73 72, Jovan Rebula 75 70, Ruan Conradie 72 73, Stals Swart 74 71, Ruan Groenewald 74 71, Hennie O'Kennedy 73 72, Dayne Moore 74 71, Gerhard Pepler 78 67, Kyle Barker 75 70, Jean Hugo 71 74, Stuart Krog 72 73

Missed the cut

146 - Haydn Porteous 71 75, Simon du Plooy 74 72, Shaun Norris 70 76, Pieter Moolman 76 70, Wynand Dingle 71 75, James Mack 73 73, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 75 71

147 - Lyle Pedro 76 71, Nikhil Rama 76 71, Toto Thimba Jnr 76 71, Christiaan Basson 71 76, Stefan Wears-Taylor 72 75, Ricky Hendler 70 77, Quintin Wilsnach 72 75

148 - Keelan van Wyk 72 76, Rhys West 76 72, Rupert Kaminski 71 77, Trevor Fisher Jnr 75 73, Conner Mackenzie 74 74, Herman Loubser 77 71, Trevor Mahoney 71 77

149 - Matthew Spacey 72 77, Jean-Paul Strydom 78 71, Ruan de Smidt 75 74

150 - Umar Davids 72 78, Thabiso Ngcobo 80 70, Werner Deyzel 72 78, Heinrich Bruiners 73 77, Makhetha Mazibuko 74 76

151 - Raymond Mathonsi 74 77, Gerard du Plooy 76 75, Jake Redman 77 74

152 - Kyle McClatchie 75 77, Adam Breen 79 73, Merrick Bremner 76 76

153 - Brandon Pieters 73 80

154 - Irvin Mazibuko 77 77, LB Boshoff 77 77, Brandon-Jude Rennie 75 79

155 - Tristin Galant 76 79, Keegan Mclachlan 81 74, Joe Long 77 78, DK Kim 78 77, Dylan Mostert 77 78, Pride Sembo 81 74

156 - James Pennington 79 77, Gary Kemp 78 78

157 - Christian Kriek 80 77, Ricco Motsa 79 78

158 - Brandon Gildenhuys 77 81, Thabang Simon 83 75

159 - Sentanio Minnie 80 79

160 - Thulane Mkhaliphi 84 76

164 - Teddy Vilakati 81 83, Sanele Myeni 83 81

165 - Nhlanhla Mtsetfwa 83 82, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 82 83, Hanco Rudolph 89 76, Evance Vukeya 84 81

166 - Nicholus Vilakati 83 83, Mandla Dlamini Jnr 87 79

168 - Oscar Dube 86 82

172 - Jacobus Pienaar 88 84

177 - Robert Shiba 89 88

WDN - CJ du Plessis 74 WDN, Estiaan Conradie 77 RTD