Viljoen and Coetzee share lead in Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by

George Coetzee and MJ Viljoen shared the first-round lead in the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC with their opening rounds of five-under-par 67 at Royal Johannesburg’s famed East Course on Thursday.

This year’s tournament once again brought together the most diverse field of champions in South African golf, including amateurs and professionals in the men’s and women’s games, as well as the leading golfers within the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA).

Viljoen continued with his good form early in the new Sunshine Tour season.

After finishing third in the season-opening FBC Zim Open two weeks ago, Viljoen took the clubhouse lead with a round of seven birdies and two bogeys.

Play the final hole with co-leader MJ Viljoen. #WCTOC #WaterfallCity #Attacqltd #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/FWym1sleNY
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 22, 2025

Coetzee has been in equally good form since returning from injury and claimed his 15th Sunshine Tour title in March when he won the Serengeti Playoffs.

He dropped only one shot on Thursday on his way to claiming a share of the lead with Viljoen.

🇿🇦 George Coetzee takes the share of the lead after 18 holes played at Royal Johannesburg. 🔥 #WCTOC #WaterfallCity #AttacqLtd #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/BASLqiaE4k
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 22, 2025

The duo are two strokes clear of their nearest challenger, Jacques Blaauw, who signed for a 69.

And in a group of players on two under is Mexico’s Luis Carrera, who has dominated the tour this season with victories in the first two tournaments and who currently leads The Courier Guy Order of Merit.

Daniel van Tonder, the winner of last season’s Courier Guy Order of Merit, also opened with a round of two-under-par 70.

Louis Albertse began the defence of his title with a one-under-par 71.

eSwatini’s Nobuhle Dlamini is the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional in joint 17th place after her opening round of 73.

LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES

67 - MJ Viljoen, George Coetzee

69 - Jacques Blaauw

70 - Jbe Kruger, Jean Hugo, Luis Carrera, Daniel van Tonder, Ruan Korb, Pieter Moolman, Kieran Vincent

71 - Michael Hollick, Louis Albertse, Doug McGuigan, Jake Roos

72 - Luke Brown, Jonathan Broomhead

73 - Warwick Purchase, Keenan Davidse, Jaco Ahlers, Nobuhle Dlamini

74 - Nikhil Rama, Nadia van der Westhuizen, Danielle du Toit, Tandi McCallum

75 - Jovan Rebula, Gabrielle Venter