Philip Geerts will take a slender one-shot lead into the final round of the Altron Big Easy Tour event at Waterkloof Golf Club, thanks to a four-under 68 second round which took his total to 12-under on Wednesday.
Having played many times here as a kid, Geerts used his knowledge of this track to good effect on moving day, making six birdies and two bogeys to pull a shot clear of the chasing Werner Deyzel.
“I’ve been playing here since I was a child and I know this course better than most courses I have played,” revealed Geerts. “But, beyond that, I think I have stuck to my game plan pretty well. I have played well this week and my caddie and I have been feeling good on the course. As I said yesterday, the key here is staying calm and in the moment and I think I did that very well today.
“It seemed to me that they tried to set the course up to be as difficult as possible and the rough is quite thick around the greens and they put some really tough pin positions. That makes things difficult but you always want to be on the right side of the hole because I have seen players hit great shots in but still make bogeys. So, a solid game plan is the key around here; to know where to miss it and those kinds of things. Otherwise, the course is very generous off the tee.”
Happy as Geerts is with his performance here after 36 holes, he is fully aware that with the quality of the field in this week’s tournament, a win will not be handed to him on a silver platter. Deyzel has already tasted victory this season and will want to make it two wins this season. And, trailing by just one shot ahead of the final round, he will fancy his chances.
“I’m very excited to get going tomorrow because I have not been in this position for a while,” said Geerts of the final round. “But I have been playing good golf. I just feel like I have not been capitalising on the chances I’ve created for myself in tournaments. It feels like this week things are coming together.
“I know I can’t get too excited. I want to try and stay calm and keep it shot-by-shot and see what happens in the end.”
Deyzel’s 65 on day two catapulted him to second on 11-under and, he too, is familiar with this golf course.
“I was a member here when I was younger and my dad still is,” Deyzel stated, “and I know the greens here well. The greens are receptive but it was tough for me today with the tricky flags because you’d hit a perfect shot and the ball spins back. So, I’m happy I managed to get a low one.
“Today I was hitting it just as well as I did yesterday,” Deyzel said, “but, I still missed some short putts. So, tomorrow I will have to keep my game simple; hit greens and make putts. The experience I have around the greens here helps and I hope I can get another low one tomorrow.”
Deyzel is a shot clear of Conner McKenzie following the latter’s near-perfect 66 while Reece McKain and Samuel Simpson are a short further on nine-under for the week. They share the fourth spot.
Veteran campaigner Andrew McLardy rolled back the years with a blemish-free 65 to get to eight-under and in a share of sixth. McLardy will relish the opportunity to challenge for honours once more, having claimed victories on the Sunshine Tour before.
This 54-hole event is the ninth tournament of the regular season of the Sunshine Tour feeder circuit.
SCORES:
132 - Philip Geerts 64 68
133 - Werner Deyzel 68 65
134 - Conner Mackenzie 68 66
135 - Reece Mc Kain 68 67, Samuel Simpson 64 71
136 - Andrew McLardy 71 65, Henning du Plooy 69 67, Ruan Groenewald 69 67
137 - Dayne Moore 70 67, Travis Ladner 66 71, Francois Van der Walt 69 68
138 - Warwick Purchase 68 70, Dylan O'Leary 68 70, Keegan Mclachlan 73 65, Pierre Pellegrin 70 68, Toto Thimba Jnr 69 69, Ruan Conradie 67 71, Drikus Joubert 72 66
139 - Nicholaus Frade 70 69, Steven Le Roux 71 68, Coert Groenewald 69 70, Slade Pickering 72 67, DK Kim 69 70, Matthew Rushton 70 69
140 - Therion Nel 72 68, Xander Basson 68 72, Harry Konig 71 69, Ruan de Smidt 69 71, Joe Knox 68 72, Callum Mowat 67 73, Paul Boshoff 70 70, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 69 71
Missed the cut:-
141 - Ricky Hendler 72 69, Noel Anderson 69 72, Leon Visser 71 70, Rigardt Albertse 74 67, Gerard du Plooy 72 69, LB Boshoff 67 74, Christian Kriek 70 71, Stals Swart 72 69
142 - Reinhardt Blaauw 70 72, Andre De Decker 72 70, Ryan Tipping 70 72, Thomas Strandemo 67 75
143 - Cameron Moralee 71 72, Zabastian de Jager 73 70, Andre Van Dyk 73 70, Carlos Laranja 73 70, Jason Roets 72 71, Christopher Long 72 71, Kyle Lucas 70 73, Allister de Kock 73 70, Vaughn van Deventer 70 73, Jastice Mashego 73 70, Evance Vukeya 74 69
144 - Makhetha Mazibuko 74 70, Brandon Gildenhuys 70 74, Kyle De Beer 72 72
145 - Jason Froneman 71 74, Tumelo Molloyi 77 68, Andrew Williamson 72 73, Keelan van Wyk 72 73, Aneurin Gounden 71 74
146 - Elliot Bradley 74 72, Franklin Manchest 71 75, Adriel Poonan 73 73, Thabiso Ngcobo 68 78, Kayle Wykes 71 75, Heinrich Bruiners 73 73
147 - Carlo Heunis 72 75, Shalan Govender 75 72, Thabang Simon 74 73, Jonathan Waschefort 73 74, Keelan Africa 70 77, Sentanio Minnie 76 71
148 - Jacquin Hess 73 75, Leon Vorster 72 76, Shaheed Patel 75 73, Jabulane Mabilane 74 74
149 - Irvin Mazibuko 75 74, TJ Sandys 73 76
150 - Sabelo Xolani Majola 73 77, Bradford Vaughan 76 74, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 76 74
151 - Mandla Dlamini Jnr 72 79, Wade Jacobs 73 78, Alphius Kelapile 78 73, Lyle Pedro 76 75
152 - Mark Maart 75 77, Lwazi Gqira 72 80
153 - Caylum Boon 74 79
155 - Johan Theron 82 73, Luan Steenkamp 78 77, Brandon Moodley 82 73
156 - Jordan Duminy 80 76, Darren Gerrard 77 79
159 - Brandon-Jude Rennie 82 77
161 - Ricco Motsa 84 77
164 - Gerard Moodley 80 84