Zambia’s Dayne Moore says a solid short game helped him to his second successive 67 of the Altron Big Easy Tour tournament which is being played at Kyalami Country Club where he currently leads by one shot ahead of the final round.
Moore is 10-under-par for the tournament and a shot ahead of State Mines Country Club amateur, Casey Jarvis.
“I hit some really good iron shots this week,” said Moore. “I was solid off the tee too. My strength is my chipping and putting and I think it all came together this week. I feel I need to hit more fairways and more greens but it’s a work in progress and I’m just happy to have played well these two days.”
Moore played solidly on the front nine and he made three birdies on that stretch – on the first, the fourth and seventh holes.
A bogey on the 10th made it onto his card but Moore bounced back expertly; making three birdies on the trot.
He held things tight after that, taking three pars in the next three holes before he dropped a shot on 17, his second bogey of the day.
Once again, the Ndola Golf Club player was able to make up for that dropped shot; birdieing the last to seal a round of five-under 67.
The Zambian has played four Altron Big Easy Tour events this season, finishing 16th, 25th, ninth and 13th respectively in those events, something he attributes to a trip he made to the United State.
“My coach is over there (USA) and we’ve been planning to get together for a while because there were elements of my game I felt needed to be worked on,” Moore revealed after his round.
“So, after the last season of the Sunshine Tour – during the break – I decided to skip the first two tournaments and go see him because even though I have been playing decently, I still want to be competitive.
“That trip was much needed because it’s improved a lot of what I wanted to work on. I needed to work on my technique; the swing, my take-away wasn’t what I wanted it to be and my lower body, transitioning better on the downswing. I’m still getting used to it but I am happy that there is progress. There are some flashes here and there and I am happy with it.”
Now, heading into the final round perched at the summit of the leaderboard, albeit by a slender lead, Moore is clear about what he needs to do to compete for honours in the final round here at Kyalami.
“It’s exciting to go into the final round leading,” added Moore. “Obviously, you want to get into those positions a lot more, even on the Sunshine Tour, because the only way is up, from there. It’s the sort of experience you cannot pay for. So, tomorrow is the same game plan. I have been aggressive where I needed to be and a bit safe where I needed to be safe. Fairways and greens.”
Moore will know all about Jarvis after the amateur’s exploits in the last two years and will want to bring his best game on Wednesday.
Jarvis is but a shot adrift and second on the leaderboard, a position he is familiar with. Luke Trocado is third on eight-under while the duo of Musiwalo Nethunzwi and overnight co-leader, Chris Swanepoel share fourth on seven-under-par.
The Big Easy Tour was founded in 2011 with support from Ernie Els and counts current international star Christiaan Bezuidenhout among its former Order of Merit winners.
SCORES
134 - Dayne Moore 67 67
135 - Casey Jarvis 69 66
136 - Luke Trocado 68 68
137 - Chris Swanepoel 66 71, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 69 68
138 - Coert Groenewald 71 67, Keegan Mclachlan 70 68, Sentanio Minnie 70 68
139 - Nicholaus Frade 70 69, Heinrich Bruiners 70 69, LB Boshoff 70 69, Jason Froneman 66 73, Matthew Spacey 69 70
140 - Regan Steyn 73 67, Stuart Krog 69 71, Reinhardt Blaauw 72 68
141 - Keelan van Wyk 73 68, Philip Geerts 70 71, Matthew Rushton 74 67
142 - Slade Pickering 68 74, Jordan Duminy 75 67, Carlo Heunis 73 69
143 - Leon Visser 73 70, Cameron Moralee 71 72, Keanu Pestana 71 72, Jonathan Waschefort 72 71, Thabang Simon 71 72
144 - Dwayne Basson 74 70, Robson Saurombe 71 73, Allister de Kock 75 69, Gerhard Pepler 70 74, Vaughn van Deventer 69 75, Ryan Van Velzen 73 71
Missed the cut
145 - Ricky Hendler 71 74, Jacquin Hess 72 73, DK Kim 69 76, Zabastian de Jager 73 72, Carlos Laranja 71 74
146 - Francois van Staden 69 77, Adam Breen 69 77, Keelan Africa 72 74
147 - Marcel Steyn Scholtz 73 74, Mike Maile 73 74, Keaton Slatter 76 71, Ruan de Smidt 70 77, Murad Hoosen 73 74, Slenda Sithebe 74 73, Jason Roets 77 70, Willie Olivier 73 74, Makhetha Mazibuko 77 70
148 - Noel Anderson 75 73, Rigardt Albertse 78 70, Irvin Mazibuko 74 74, James Kamte 75 73, Lwazi Gqira 76 72
149 - Marthin Scheepers 72 77, Cole Stevens 80 69, Alphius Kelapile 69 80, Jack Duthie 71 78
150 - Yubin Jung 76 74, Omar Sandys 78 72, Franklin Manchest 73 77, Richard Kruger 73 77, Tumelo Molloyi 76 74
151 - Ryan Tipping 74 77, Brandon-Jude Rennie 75 76, Karabo Mokoena 78 73, Aneurin Gounden 75 76, Matt Saulez 78 73
152 - Lindani Ndwandwe 79 73, Ethan Smith 78 74
153 - Lindani Mthiyane 78 75, Warwick Purchase 78 75, Wade Jacobs 73 80, Steven Le Roux 82 71, SP Mthethwa 82 71, Henning du Plooy 77 76
154 - Mark Williams 74 80, Joe Knox 77 77, James Pennington 76 78, Fezekile Kana 80 74
156 - Thanda Mavundla 80 76, Gerard du Plooy 79 77
157 - Brandon Moodley 81 76, Jastice Mashego 81 76, Mandla Dlamini Jnr 80 77
159 - Thabo Moraba 80 79
161 - Ricco Motsa 82 79, Gerard Moodley 79 82
163 - Thabiso Ngcobo 84 79, Shalan Govender 79 84
165 - Sandy Makume 82 83, Lincon Denzy Cele 89 76
169 - Byron van der Merwe 83 86
173 - Boeta Nasie 85 88
WDN - Kieron van Wyk 79 WDN
RTD - Bradley Diggeden RTD RTD