Darren Fichardt signed off with a birdie and an eagle for a round of 10-under-par 62 to lead first round of the Stella Artois Players Championship by a single stroke at Dainfern Country Club on Thursday.
On a day of low scores Fichardt had to produce his bit of the magic in the windier afternoon conditions.
He started his round with two straight birdies, made four consecutive birdies to the turn, added another at the par-five 12th and then took the lead with his birdie-eagle finish. Tristen Strydom led for most of the day with his opening 63 before Fichardt’s 62.
Darren Fichardt made this putt for eagle to card a round of 62 ????#StellaArtoisPlayersChamps | #GreatnessBeginsHere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/DYAB6YMrl2
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) April 13, 2023
“It was quite windy in the afternoon, but the greens are so good that if you hit a good putt it goes in. The greens are really primed for low scoring,” said Fichardt.
The experienced Sunshine Tour professional admits his game hasn’t been at the standard he wants this year. But rounds such as this one, and a previous 62 in the third round of the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in February, certainly give him the confidence that what he’s working on is close to paying off.
“I haven’t been playing that well this year, but I’ve been working really hard. I’ve been trying to find the secret to a few things in my game, and today was a good indication that I’m almost there. I’ve almost got it sorted out, and I can look forward to some good rounds ahead.”
It was one of those rounds where Fichardt knew from the start that something special was on the cards.
“I’ve played Dainfern a few times in my life. It’s a traditional golf course, which is nice. You don’t have to try and overpower the golf course. It’s more positional play off the tee. I started the round with a good tee shot and almost hit it in the hole with my second shot. I made a birdie there and then a solid birdie on the next hole and that was already a good start. The wind was blowing so my idea was just to hang in there. Then I managed to sneak in a few more birdies and before I knew it I was six under after nine, so that was nice.”
Behind him, Strydom also felt comfortable in a tournament where he finished third last year, and at a time of the year when he always seems to play well. After his third-place finish in this event last year he went on to win his first Sunshine Tour title in the season-ending Tour Championship a week later.
?? "It was one of those rounds that everything just felt easy"
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) April 13, 2023
Tristen Strydom speaks after his round of 63 #StellaArtoisPlayersChamps | #GreatnessBeginsHere | #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/Y6AP3rhr1j
SCORES:
62 - Darren Fichardt
63 - Tristen Strydom
64 - Jared Harvey, Luke Jerling, Keagan Thomas, Jovan Rebula, Luca Filippi, Dylan Mostert, Albert Venter
65 - Lyle Rowe, Estiaan Conradie
66 - Franklin Manchest, Michael Palmer, Dan Erickson, Jaco Van Zyl, Leon Vorster, Callum Mowat, Daniel van Tonder, Rupert Kaminski
67 - Quintin Wilsnach, Rhys Enoch, Ryan Van Velzen, JJ Senekal, Keenan Davidse, Malcolm Mitchell, Christiaan Burke, Rourke van der Spuy, Robin Williams, Pierre Pellegrin
68 - Jason Smith, Lindani Ndwandwe, Erhard Lambrechts, Ruan Korb, Jean Hugo, Therion Nel, Sean Bradley, Luke Brown, Peter Karmis, Jacques P de Villiers, Jacques Blaauw, Kyle Barker, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Jastice Mashego, Dean O'Riley
69 - Makhetha Mazibuko, Matias Calderon, Brandon Stone, Martin Rohwer, Richard Joubert, Kyle McClatchie, Thabang Simon, Thanda Mavundla, Fredrik From, Louis Albertse, Mutahi Kibugu, Nikhil Rama, Doug McGuigan, Harry Konig, Adam Breen, Karabo Mokoena, James Mack
70 - James Pennington, Henning du Plooy, Bradley Bawden, Herman Loubser, Dylan Naidoo, Combrinck Smit, Stephen Ferreira, Ulrich van den Berg, Siyanda Mwandla, Clayton Mansfield, James Hart du Preez, Heinrich Bruiners, Chris Cannon, Thriston Lawrence, Alex Haindl, Christiaan Basson, Wynand Dingle, Keelan van Wyk
71 - Michael Hollick, Jean-Paul Strydom, Hennie Otto, Sean Cronje, Clancy Waugh, Madalitso Muthiya, Matthew Spacey, Wallie Coetsee, Ruan de Smidt, Hennie O'Kennedy, Casey Jarvis, Martin Vorster, Dwayne Basson, Adriel Poonan
72 - Andre De Decker, Allister de Kock, Pieter Moolman, Jake Redman, Vaughn van Deventer, Andre Van Dyk, Musiwalo Nethunzwi, Paul Boshoff, Steve Surry, Yurav Premlall, Steven Le Roux, CJ du Plessis, James Kamte, Riekus Nortje, Rhys West, Wade Jacobs, Alphius Kelapile
73 - Irvin Mazibuko, Hayden Griffiths, Michael Kok, Toto Thimba Jnr
74 - Mandla Dlamini Jnr, Ruan Conradie, Lincon Denzy Cele, Samuel Simpson, Merrick Bremner, Jordan Duminy, Danie Van Niekerk
75 - Clinton Grobler, Lwazi Gqira, Brandon-Jude Rennie, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu, Slenda Sithebe
76 - Chris Swanepoel, Keelan Africa, Gerard du Plooy, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Evance Vukeya
77 - Sandy Makume, Maverick Faber, Shaahid Mahmed, Dayne Moore, Andre De Jager
78 - SP Mthethwa
80 - Tumelo Molloyi