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Pickering hangs on to Akasia lead

Slade Pickering carded a second-round three-under-par 69 to take his total to 12 under for the week and pull three shots clear of the field at Akasia Golf Club on Wednesday. The Peacanwood Golf Estate player was thrilled to top the leaderboard for a second day in a row and will want to replicate the performances he produced in the first 36 holes of this 54-hole event. He admitted to having struggled with his driver off the tee but was solid enough to sign for 69 which consolidated his position atop the leaderboard. “I struggled a bit with my driver today but I missed in the right spots,” said Pickering. “But, I kept to my game plan and told myself that I needed to keep the ball in play the whole round; hit the fairways, hit the greens and just try always to keep it in play. The pressure will always be there but tomorrow I will do exactly what I did in the first two rounds.” Pickering’s round consisted of four birdies, an eagle and three drops. He will be aware of the chasing pack, led by the resurgent Tyrone Ryan. The latter weaved together a scintillating round of 65 to get it to nine-under, placing him second on the leaderboard and within reach of Pickering. “I played really well again today,” said Ryan after his second round. “The game has been trending in the right direction for a while now. So, I didn’t put myself under pressure and was solid from tee to green. But, I also think a little good fortune at the right times kept the momentum going.” The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s development circuit which enjoys the support of the great Ernie Els and counts stars such as Christiaan Bezuidenhout among its former Order of Merit winners.

Bogey-free 63 takes Pickering to the top at Akasia

Slade Pickering will take a four-shot lead into the second round of the fourth Betway Big Easy Tour tournament on Wednesday, thanks to a blemish-free 63 on day one at Akasia Golf Club. The Peacanwood Golf Estate player started his round in the afternoon and from the 10th tee where he made birdie to kick things off. He followed that up with another before making pars on 12 and 13, his third and fourth holes of the day. Another brace of birdies – this time on the par-five 14th and 15th holes – followed and Pickering made another on 17 to turn in 32 and without blemishes. “It was a really nice round,” said Pickering. “After the work I have been putting in, it is nice to see something paying off.” After the turn, Pickering found more joy as he birdied his 12th – the par-four third hole here. In yet another exhibition of skill, patience and persistence, Pickering made three birdies on the trot to get it to nine-under before sealing his round with back-to-back pars to rubber-stamp what was a dominant round of golf. “I had two chip-ins today, which was nice, especially in difficult spots,” he added. “It was really a solid play from tee to green. It was one of those days where all the cylinders fired and you just take it from there and keep firing. I’m definitely going to braai tonight.” Four shots adrift and with a solid display of his own, Paul Boshoff’s five-under 67 saw him take the second spot on the leaderboard. Four birdies, an eagle and a solitary bogey defined his opening round in the capital. “I think it was just solid,” said Boshoff of his first round. “I started with a chip-in on the fourth hole and I played the par-fives really well. I didn’t make many mistakes and it was a pretty solid round, I would say. Now. I’m going to celebrate my mother’s birthday.” The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s development circuit where the top 12 on the Order of Merit will earn privileges to compete on the main Tour.

Purchase claims dramatic victory for maiden pro title

Warwick Purchase’s first-ever win – both as a professional and as an amateur – came in some dramatic fashion at Glenvista Country Club on Wednesday. On a tournament total of seven-under-par 209, Purchase, Ulrich van den Berg and Leon Vorster tied for the top spot; necessitating a play-off to decide the victor. Leon Vorster, who was looking for his second win in three starts fell off on the first playoff hole after Purchase and Van den Berg while the latter fell on the second. “It was a great day,” said an elated Purchase. “As I said yesterday, I just wanted to go out and enjoy the moment; put as many golf shots as possible. Obviously, I’m very excited. This is my first win both as an amateur and as a professional. I can’t thank Betway and the Big Easy Tour enough for setting up a platform for us to realise our dreams. “I was very nervous going against Ulrich, which is natural, I think. Ulrich is a fierce competitor and he has proven it over the years. But I just needed to do what I needed to do and that is what I did and I am happy to come out on top.” Even as he narrowly lost in the playoff, Van den Berg will be satisfied with his effort this week, and the same could be said for Vorster. Both players showed tremendous tenacity but the golf gods were on Purchase’s side. The Benoni Country Club member, Purchase, turned pro just last year and played himself to 29th on the Order of Merit last season. It was no small achievement for a rookie. With a win already secured in the current season, the East Rand native will now look to add more silverware to his cabinet and hopefully by the end of the season, earn his Sunshine Tour playing card for the following campaign. The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s development circuit where the top 12 on the Order of Merit will earn privileges to compete on the main Tour.

Vaughn finds joy as he takes second-round lead at Glenvista

East Rand’s Vaughn van Deventer shrugged off pain from a spider bite and soldiered to a four-under-par 68 in round two of the Betway Big Easy Tour’s third tournament, taking a one-shot lead on six-under in the process. Bitten by a spider in Ballito a few days before this event, the State Mines Country Club player was reluctant to tee it up at Glenvista Country Club this week but decided – at the last minute – to enter his name for the event. A measured two-under 70 on day one gave him confidence and on Tuesday, his decision to play this week was vindicated. “So, I got bitten by a spider sometime last week,” started Van Deventer, “and I was thinking of withdrawing from this week. What’s crazy is that I didn’t practice much last week. So, I just tried to take it as it came; played every shot the best I could and it worked today.” Van Deventer started with a birdie on one but those gains were soon taken, as he dropped on the second. He recovered swiftly, however, and birdied the third, fifth and seventh holes for a front nine 33. Coming home and after a par on 10, Van Deventer took full advantage of the par-five 11th, birdieing that hole to give himself a chance in the final seven holes of his round. His joy was short-lived, though, as he gave away shots on both par-threes on that stretch – the 13th and 15th. Once again, Van Deventer showed some big-match temperament as he birdied the 16th and 17th holes to seal a round of 68. “I didn’t know my score while I was playing and to shoot 68 was pretty cool,” Van Deventer said. “It was a bit more challenging yesterday but the wind kind of died down today. It was actually a very good weather to play good golf and I capitalised on the good weather.” He knows he will have to replicate his strong second-round showing in the final round where he will be in the last group out. He will be joined by rising star Leon Vorster and veteran Ulrich van den Berg in the group. Both players are one shot off the pace and both will know that a single shot lead can always be overturned. A shot further lies Warwick Purchase, Englishman Joe Knox, Zimbabwe’s David Amm and member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Nikhil Rama. Amm was particularly impressive on day two and his seven-under 65 catapulted him into contention for this week’s title.

Davidse tops the leaderboard at Glenvista

Stellenbosch Golf Club’s Keenan Davidse says he is slowly regaining his confidence and if his opening round of 67 in the third tournament of the Betway Big Easy Tour event at Glenvista Country Club is anything to go by, he might be edging closer to his best. He is making his second consecutive start on this Sunshine Tour feeder circuit as he prepares himself for the challenges of the main Tour. In his first Betway Big Easy Tour start this season at Modderfontein Golf Club and following a lengthy break from professional golf, Davidse opened with back-to-back rounds of 67 before a 73 in the final round robbed him. He still finished third in that event. “I played decently today,” said Davidse who is also a member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class. “I figure it’s just a putting thing for me because the mental side is still very good. I just need to get over that little hurdle, you know, and stay focused and humbled. I’m playing really well, you know, but  just need to find the hole, somehow. “I feel like the game is slowly getting back to where I know it can be. But, this is not an easy track. I played a practice round here and the wind was pumping. Even today, it was tough because it’s so firm. I think you need a little bit of luck here. Overall, I am happy and let’s see what happens in the next round.” He is a stroke clear at the top, with the quartet of Christian Kriek, England’s Joe Knox, Slade Pickering and Zambia’s Dayne Moore chasing hard. Henning Du Plooy, Jaden Deltel, Leon Vorster, Keanu Pestana, Reece McKain and Stals Swart shared sixth after rounds of 69 each. “It’s great to have a good round under the belt,” Kriek said. “I’ve been struggling a bit, lately, and it’s good to finally get some confidence back. The greens are so fast here so all I did was to try and keep the ball in play. I figured if I do that, I will give myself opportunities and it turned out to be a great round for me.” Jacquin Hess and Adriel Poonan ended the day as the highest-placing members of the Papwa Sewgolum Class. They find themselves in a share of 17th following respective rounds of one-under-par 71. The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s developmental circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els among others.

Perfect front 9 hands Scholtz maiden Big Easy title at Modderfontein

Marcel Steyn Scholtz was seven shots off the lead heading into the final round of the Betway Big Easy Tour’s second tournament held at Modderfontein Golf Club, but overturned that deficit in style to claim a three-shot victory for his maiden title. In a drama-filled final round on the challenging Modderfontein track, it was Scholtz who stole the show. Following opening rounds of 73 and 68, the Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate player was some way off Keenan Davidse who was 10-under after 36 holes. The 30-year-old Scholtz produced one of the finest front nine performances the Big Easy Tour has ever had; a blemish-free nine-under-par 27. Eagles on the par-five first and the par-four second holes were followed by four birdies on the trot as Scholtz overtook Davidse after his first six holes. He made two important pars on seven and eight to keep the scorecard clean and then birdied the ninth to turn in 27 and with the lead. “I was hitting the ball really well on the front nine,” Scholtz said. “I lost a bit of momentum on the back nine but I feel like I kept it nicely together. I kept the ball in play and I gave myself good opportunities and just kept the ball rolling on the greens.” He followed that birdie up with further gains as he birdied the 10th to get his total to 13-under-par. With the chasing pack coming in strong and led by young gun, Yurav Premlal, Scholtz knew any mistake could and would be costly. He kept things tight from there on, making eight pars one after the other to see the job done. “This is my second professional win; the first was a one-day Blue Label event last year, which was nice,” Scholtz said. “But this one is even sweeter. As you know the Big Easy is a way to the Sunshine Tour, so this win is very important. One of my goals this year is to win three Big Easy Tour events and ultimately win the Order of Merit. So, I’m very stoked and thankful for this win.” While Scholtz’s goal may seem a little lofty to some, the man himself will feel relieved that his first of three targeted wins is already in the bag. And now that he is third on the Order of Merit thanks to his dominant triumph on Thursday, Scholtz will be further motivated to strive for the summit of those rankings. It is still quite early in the season but a good start has never hurt anybody. The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s developmental circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els among others.

Davidse leads by three ahead of the final round

Sunshine Tour campaigner, Keenan Davidse, produced another round of 67 during the second round of the Betway Big Easy Tour event at Modderfontein Golf Club and will take a three-shot lead into the final round. On a tournament total of 10-under-par, Davidse assumed the top spot on the leaderboard as overnight leader, Yurav Premlal, faltered to a one-under 71 for a total of seven-under. Barring the bogeys he made on the third, sixth and 18th holes, the Stellenbosch Golf Club member had a solid round on day two. In what proved to be an eventful round on a tricky Modderfontein layout, Davidse was able to make eight birdies on the day, signifying his ability to weave together a really low score on his day. Despite playing some scintillating golf this week, Davidse refuses to get carried away, especially at the back of the break he took before teeing up in this event. “The game still feels rusty,” he said, “but I’m not complaining. I was hitting it decently but not the way I know I can hit it. I’m enjoying myself out here though and I don’t want to put pressure on myself. Let’s take it one shot at a time and see where we are tomorrow.” He is well justified in refusing to get carried away. The chase, led by Premlal, will be on in the final round and any slip in concentration can prove very costly very quickly. So, even though he lamented his error-prone second round, Premlal has all the qualities to give Davidse a run for his money. Besides, other very capable players such as Tyron Davidowitz (5-under-par and third on the leaderboard) are lurking dangerously as the final round approaches. “I made a lot of mistakes today,” admitted Premlal who plays out of Glendower Golf Club, the former home of the Investec South African Open Championship. “I started off with a six on a par-five, which is never good. Two mistakes on the front nine and I missed a couple of decent putts. “But, there are a few things I have already figured out after that round, which I need to get better at going into tomorrow and the rest of the season. I know where the shots were lost, at least, and I’ll try to put together a good one tomorrow.” Andrew Williamson, Eric Wowor, Vaughn van Deventer, Francois Van der Walt and Jacquin Hess tied fourth on four-under while Paul Boshoff, Warwick Purchase and Marcel Steyn Scholtz make up the top ten leading players on three-under-par.

Premlal charges to early lead at Modderfontein

Yurav Premlal carded an opening round of 66 to take a slim one-stroke lead in the Betway Big Easy Tour tournament held at Modderfontein Golf Club on Tuesday. Premlal, a member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, was as meticulous as he was relentless on day one, with his near-perfect six-under-par 66 catapulting him to the summit early on in this 54-hole event. “It was very consistent the whole day,” said Premlal, reflecting on his effort in the first round. “I hit a lot of greens and I gave myself a lot of chances. I started with birdies on one and two; hit two good iron shots and made up-and-down on one and made a good five-footer on two. I hit a good wedge shot on seven and made birdie there. Premlal made four birdies and a solitary bogey on the front nine but, with the calmness of a seasoned veteran, avoided any more big numbers when coming homeward as he went around that bogey-free. “I didn’t hit the best of iron shots on nine,” said the GolfRSA graduate of his bogey on nine. “I think I missed it on the left bunker and I didn’t up-and-down. On the back nine, I played really solidly and I think I hit almost every green. I gave myself a lot of chances. It was a solid day.” Keenan Davidse who is also a member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class weaved together a solid 67 to share second with Francois Van der Walt and Eric Wowor. Following a short break from golf due to some very personal and tough circumstances which included the loss of his uncle and cousin, the Sunshine Tour player, Davidse, showed his quality and experience against a very tough field on Tuesday. “I’ve gone through the most in the last couple of months and I just decided to take a short break,” said Davidse. “I’m just glad to be back playing again. This is an interesting golf course; it’s a bit tough but you still need to golf the ball off the tee. I feel my game is still rusty; I hit a couple of bad ones out there and got lucky but I’m chuffed with the way I played. “But, I’m rolling it nicely; I got a new putter yesterday and that’s pretty good. I also got a new Titleist driver, the new GT2, and that thing flies. And, it’s not going left, so that’s a good thing. So, let’s see what happens over the next two days.” Van der Walt was also pleased with his performance on day one and will hope to replicate it over the next 36 holes of golf here. The trio of Thanda Mavundla, Makhetha Mazibuko and Jacquin Hess – all members of the Sunshine Tour’s transformation-driven Papwa Sewgolum Class initiative – carded opening rounds of 69 to share fifth on three-under. Andre De Decker, amateur Christiaan Heyman, Kyke Wykes and State Mines Country Club’s Vaugh van Deventer share the eighth spot on two-under-par with two rounds to go.

Pickering hopes good form will help to Modderfontein victory

Slade Pickering says he is hoping his good form will carry him to his first win of the season when the second tournament of the Betway Big Easy Tour tees off at Modderfontein Golf Club on Tuesday. Pickering tied second with Brandon Gildenhuys in the first event of the season in Benoni, and ninth in a Bushveld Tour event held at this week’s venue a few weeks after. He feels his game is headed in the right direction but refuses to get carried away ahead of this week’s tournament. “I had a great start to the previous season as well but things went a little quiet towards the end of the season,” he recalled. “So, I know that I must keep grounded and work hard and that work continues this week. “I did play a Bushveld event here and did well. It was great to see what clubs I will use off the tee and know where to place my shots. I realised that you have to place your shots in good positions to get anything here but you also don’t want to be looking for too much when you’re around the greens. If I can do that, I will give myself decent opportunities and that’s all you need.” Confident as Pickering is, he is fully aware of the immense pressure that comes with competing against the best players on Tour – many of whom are also Sunshine Tour members. “It’s great that we always have guys from the Sunshine Tour competing here,” he said. “It shows you where you are and how you can improve yourself. Mainly, however, is that competing against guys like these prepares you for the kind of calibre you will need to compete against on the Sunshine Tour and prepares you for that.” It’s still early in the new campaign but the Pecanwood Golf Estate player, Pickering, isn’t relaxed. He has set himself goals he feels that, if achieved, will catapult him to the pinnacle of South African golf; the Sunshine Tour. “In the short-term, I just want to play myself into positions that will give me a chance at a win. I want to win something this season and I know it will not be easy. But the main goal is to secure my Sunshine Tour card for next season.” Pickering, lying second on the Order of Merit after the first event of the season, will know that a good result this week will solidify his position among the top players. Long as the season will be, Pickering knows that solid results in the first couple of events will set him up for a strong finish and possibly see him earn his Sunshine Tour playing privileges.

Vorster claims first win of the season

Parys Golf and Country Club member, Leon Vorster, claimed the first tournament of the season when he raced to a five-stroke victory in the Betway Big Easy Tour’s season-opener at Benoni Country Club on Thursday. Vorster was in a three-way share of the lead heading into the final round in the East Rand. He produced an eye-catching round of seven-under-par 65 to win on a total of 13-under-par 203. “It’s super tough to win here,” said Vorster in the aftermath of his victory. “You have to play three very good rounds of golf to be able to win on the Big Easy. The scoring here is insanely low. I played well from day one; from hole one. I played some exceptional golf. I did make mistakes but that’s golf and you can’t always play perfect golf. But, mentally and physically, the game was high up there this week.” Vorster’s triumph in Benoni was technically his second Betway Big Easy Tour title back-to-back. He won the final tournament of the previous season and has now claimed the very first of the current campaign. “It feels good to be able to win again; it’s been a while for my golf to get better again,” Vorster added. “I’m very privileged to have won the last tournament of last season and start the new season with another win. This is a great opportunity to play and play against great players. “I enjoy playing here because it motivates me to play better golf; the quality of the players here is on another level. It was tough this week and especially this morning. The conditions were really tough. We got delayed for over an hour because of the fog this morning and it was just a tough day. I’m very happy to shoot a 65 in such difficult conditions. It was great.” Slade Pickering played himself into a share of second by producing a fine 67 to get to eight-under and tie second with Brandon Gildenhuys. Member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Yurav Premlal, shared fourth with Tyron Davidowitz of Hermanus Golf Club. They finished the tournament seven-under-par. Rookie Jaden Deltel finished solo sixth with an impressive tournament total of four-under-par The next event will be held at Modderfontein Golf Club from 15 to 17 July.

Davidowitz surges to share of lead in Benoni

Hermanus’ Tyron Davidowitz played himself into contention of this week’s Betway Big Easy Tour event, producing a disciplined two-under-par 70 to total six-under for the week and place himself in a three-way tie for the lead ahead of the final round at Benoni Country Club. He made 13 pars, four birdies, and a double on his way to the top of the leaderboard on Wednesday. “It was a good one,” Davidowitz remarked. “I started on the 10th; birdied that one in the cold. I had the ball on the string but couldn’t make any putts. I hit it to maybe four feet on 18 for eagle but I missed the putt, which was a bit embarrassing. Then, I lost a bit of momentum there and made par on the first hole, the par five. “I hit one bad shot on three; it put me in a tough place and I walked away with a double-bogey there and then I birdied the last to make lunch taste a little bit better. But, overall, it was a good day. The greens were still fast and firm, so it was not a bad day at all.” Sharing the lead with Davidowitz is the duo of Brandon Gildenhuys and overnight leader, Martin Vorster. The latter laboured to a one-under 71 to consolidate his spot at the summit of the leaderboard while the former produced a second successive 69 to claim his place at the top. “I’m very excited for tomorrow,” admitted Gildenhuys who plays out of Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate in Ekurhuleni. “It’s the first time I have to play in the final group in a Betway Big Easy Tour tournament, so it will be a new challenge for me. It will be good to see how my nerves hold up but other than that, I am excited for tomorrow. We’ll take it as it comes.” Gildenhuys’ round of 69 was characterised by six birdies and three dropped shots “I know it sounds cliché but for one who has never been in this position on this Tour before, one has to take things one shot at a time,” added Gildenhuys. “At the end of the day, we’re just playing golf; the sport we love, so it’s all good. The pressure is always there but you try to focus on what’s important at that moment. “Towards the end of today’s round, it was starting to get cold and it became a little tough making birdies towards the end. But, I started really nicely today again; I was driving it superbly again and holed a couple of good putts.” Making the most of moving day on Wednesday was Bryanston Country Club’s Jaden Deltel whose five-under-par 67 on day two catapulted him to solo fourth on five-under. In a share of fifth on four-under is the duo of Tyrone Ryan and member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Yurav Premlal. Slade Pickering, Sentanio Minnie and Kyle McClatchie are a shot further and share the seventh spot on the leaderboard.

Vorster leads by one in Betway Big Easy Tour season-opener

The new Betway Big Easy Tour season got off to an exciting start at Benoni Country Club where Parys Golf and Country Club member, Leon Vorster, shot an impressive five-under 67 to lead by one shot after Tuesday’s round. With Betway as the new sponsor of this Sunshine Tour feeder circuit, there was excitement all round the clubhouse at Benoni Country Club as the 2024/25 season got underway. Vorster was as outstanding as ever and produced a fine round of golf to take the early lead. “I played really well today,” he said. “I putted well too. This course is quite tight, you know, but I think if you hit your driver well you will give yourself opportunities. The course is not very long and if you hit your driver well and get dialled in with your wedges, you can get some good scores around here.” Vorster opened his round with an eagle and two birdies in the first five holes to set himself up for a good round. He dropped on 15 – his sixth hole of the day – but made up for that with a birdie on the first which was his 10th hole. Those gains were soon lost, however, as he dropped on two. He made further gains on the 14th and closed with another birdie for a slim one-stroke lead. “I hit a very good driver on 10; just on the left of the fairway. Then, I hit a 5-iron to about six-feet; straight uphill putt and it was in the hole. It was a great start and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.” Coming in with an impressive score of his own – a 68 – veteran campaigner and member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Irvin Mazibuko put his experience out for all to see. En route to his four-under 68 opening round, the Soweto Country Club player didn’t drop a single shot on Tuesday. He is in a three-way share of second spot alongside Tyron Davidowitz and Gerhard Trytsman. “You needed to be patient today,” Mazibuko said. “It was a day of patience even though I was hitting the ball well. This course is not as long but it is tough like the others we play on the Betway Big Easy Tour. The main thing is to hit the greens here and be patient if you’re not making putts; keep going. So, I would say the key for me was patience; being able to wait for your opportunities and when they came, you take advantage.” Davidowitz said of his first round: “I got off to a good start; birdied two of the first four holes. And then, I hit a couple of bad drives and made a couple of bogeys and shot four-under with a bogey-free back nine. That was nice.” Eugene du Plessis, Brandon Gildenhuys and another member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Musiwalo Nethunzwi, share fifth on the leaderboard after they all shot 69s. Tyrone Ryan, Richard Kruger, Thabang Simon, Toto Thimba Jnr and Yurav Premlal share eighth on two-under-par.

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