12th June 2025 | Big Easy Tour
Blemish-free 63 hands Manchest slim lead ahead of Big Easy final round
A bogey-free eight-under-par 63 on Wednesday took Franklin Manchest’s tournament total to nine-under par, handing him a one-stroke lead ahead of the final round of the Betway Big Easy Tour #3 at The Wanderers Golf Club.
Manchest, a member of the Papwa Sewglum Class, came into the second round five shots behind Jacquin Hess, who was leading at six-under. A birdie on the 10th, his first hole of the round, gave Manchest a good start to the day. That was followed by three straight pars before the George-native found some joy with a birdie on the 14th, which was his fifth.
Manchest made further gains on the 16th, walking off with a birdie there to turn in 32. After the turn, Manchest let loose, making five birdies on the trot as he ascended to the summit of the leaderboard.
“My mental skills really kicked in today, said Manchest after his round. “I’m feeling a little under the weather, but I kept my composure in the last two days, especially today, to keep myself bogey-free.
“But beyond that, I think what was really good about my round today was the putting. It has been off for a while, but today I found something in my putting that I really enjoyed.”
He goes into the final round leading the pack, even if by a slim margin, but Manchest is not fazed by the moment. After all, he has been in contention in big moments before, and Thursday’s final round will provide him with another shot at victory.
“For me, the feeling of being up there is familiar,” he said. “There’s always pressure in professional golf, so it’s not too much of a big deal. I am really looking forward to seeing what I can do out there tomorrow.”
Manchest will be very much aware of the chasing pack led by the experienced Tyrone Ryan, whose second-round 66 catapulted him to second on the leaderboard on a tournament total of eight-under par. Moreover, young guns like Oliver Goldhill and eSwatini’s James Pennington, both at seven-under, aren’t too far off the lead and will relish their chances of unseating Manchest from the summit.
The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els among other patrons.
