Werner Deyzel holds a one-stroke lead after the second round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun City on Thursday and the Sunshine Tour rookie said he really likes the Gary Player Country Club course – but only when he hits the ball well off the tee.
Deyzel shot a one-under-par 71 on Thursday to go to five-under-par overall, which was enough to claim the lead going into Friday’s final round as the wind picked up around the Pilanesberg.
The 24-year-old graduated from the Blue Label Development Tour this year and on both of the first two days he has had to feel his way into his round.
On the first day, he was three-over after his first two holes, making bogey on the first and then a double on the par-five second.
Deyzel then played some remarkable golf to post a 68, which left him one stroke behind leader Martin Rohwer.
On Thursday, he began his round on the 10th and dropped shots on the par-four 11th and on the par-three 12th hole.
He then birdied the 13th but bogeyed the 15th, before consecutive birdies at 16 and 17 were followed by another drop on the 18th.
Deyzel seemingly had had his fill of this rollercoaster golf as he started the front nine, birdieing the first, second and sixth holes, with just one bogey coming home, on the par-four third.
“If I hit a good tee-shot then I like the course,” Deyzel joked. “But if you don’t hit a good drive, then this course will really punish you. But the Gary Player Country Club is stunning and I definitely enjoy playing here. I don’t know why I’ve started badly both days, but then it’s just been about keeping my head down and coming out the other end.
“I hit the ball very well and my putter was very hot. Most of my bogeys came from poor tee-shots that weren’t in play, and some of those holes I actually scrambled well to make bogey. But if I can be more consistent off the tee, then the way my irons are, and with my putting, I just need to hit the greens and I can make a really low score in the final round,” Deyzel said.
Playing in just his third Sunshine Tour event, Deyzel has the lead going into the final round, albeit a small one. But he doesn’t believe he needs to approach things any differently than he did when excelling on the Blue Label Development Tour.
“I’m extremely happy with how things went last week at Irene [he finished tied-25th in the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am] and this tournament has been good too. Hopefully tomorrow I can produce another good round, but I will approach it the same as every round. I just have to stick to my game-plan and not get ahead of myself. And I will try to enjoy it,” Deyzel said.
Jonathan Broomhead produced inspired golf on the front nine, with an eagle on the par-five second and two birdies leading him to a 69, which left him tied for second on four-under-par with Lyle Rowe (72).
Rohwer was among six golfers tied for fourth on three-under-par, as he came home in 40 to post a 74.
Tristin Galant also eagled the second and produced some special golf in his 67 to go to three-under, while Yurav Premlall and Jaco Ahlers both fired 68s. Neil Schietekat (69) and Luke Brown (70) are the other golfers tied for fourth.
📸 Some snaps from the second round of the @SunbetSA Challenge hosted by Sun City.🦌🦝🦜#SunbetChallengeSunCity #SunbetChallenge #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/zPXzopxw2o
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) June 6, 2024
SCORES:
139 - Werner Deyzel 68 71
140 - Lyle Rowe 68 72, Jonathan Broomhead 71 69
141 - Yurav Premlall 73 68, Jaco Ahlers 73 68, Neil Schietekat 72 69, Tristin Galant 74 67, Luke Brown 71 70, Martin Rohwer 67 74
142 - Jacques Blaauw 71 71
143 - CJ du Plessis 71 72, Fredrik From 69 74, Stuart Krog 69 74, Daniel van Tonder 70 73, JC Ritchie 72 71
144 - Pierre Pellegrin 77 67, Malcolm Mitchell 72 72, Gregory Mckay 73 71, Callum Mowat 72 72
145 - Michael Hollick 73 72, Jacques P de Villiers 76 69, Rourke van der Spuy 70 75
146 - Jake Redman 78 68, Trevor Fisher Jnr 76 70, Ruan Conradie 74 72, Kyle Barker 71 75, Jaco Van Zyl 71 75, Matthew Spacey 72 74, Jean-Paul Strydom 72 74
147 - JJ Senekal 76 71, Thriston Lawrence 75 72, Rhys West 74 73, Franklin Manchest 74 73, Nick Cunningham 71 76, Jovan Rebula 73 74, Estiaan Conradie 69 78
148 - Jbe Kruger 75 73, Makhetha Mazibuko 73 75, Ryan Van Velzen 74 74, Robson Chinhoi 77 71
149 - Quintin Wilsnach 73 76, Hennie O'Kennedy 75 74, Herman Loubser 77 72, Danie Van Niekerk 76 73
150 - Jean Hugo 81 69, Heinrich Bruiners 75 75, Keenan Davidse 74 76, Hennie Otto 76 74, Sentanio Minnie 73 77, Stephen Ferreira 77 73, MJ Viljoen 79 71, Wynand Dingle 71 79
Missed the cut:
151 - Ruan de Smidt 78 73, Jacob Oakley 76 75, Leon Vorster 77 74, Rupert Kaminski 74 77, James Mack 80 71, Ricky Hendler 76 75
152 - Allister de Kock 74 78, Haydn Porteous 80 72, Jack Hawksby 77 75, Keelan van Wyk 78 74, Samuel Simpson 79 73, Jastice Mashego 74 78
153 - Thabang Simon 83 70, Kyle De Beer 76 77, Ruan Korb 75 78, Christiaan Basson 78 75, LB Boshoff 76 77, Hayden Griffiths 79 74, Doug McGuigan 78 75, Thanda Mavundla 78 75
154 - Ethan Smith 74 80, Nikhil Rama 75 79, Keegan Mclachlan 85 69, Adam Breen 77 77, Jason Roets 76 78, Gerhard Pepler 83 71
155 - Teboho Sefatsa 79 76, Alex Haindl 76 79, Combrinck Smit 78 77, Trevor Mahoney 73 82
156 - Musiwalo Nethunzwi 81 75, Joe Long 75 81
157 - Otto Van Buynder 78 79, Irvin Mazibuko 81 76, Toto Thimba Jnr 76 81, Sean Bradley 81 76, Conner Mackenzie 83 74
158 - DK Kim 81 77
159 - Stefan Wears-Taylor 78 81, Gerard du Plooy 78 81, Slenda Sithebe 80 79, Travis Ladner 77 82, Luca Filippi 77 82
160 - Keagan Thomas 76 84
161 - Lyle Pedro 82 79, Steven Le Roux 83 78, Austin Bautista 81 80
162 - Stals Swart 81 81
163 - Thabiso Ngcobo 86 77, Jordan Duminy 81 82
164 - Jabulane Mabilane 79 85, Jared Harvey 78 86
167 - James Kamte 84 83
177 - Umar Davids 90 87
RTD - Merrick Bremner 84 RTD, Madalitso Muthiya 77 RTD