Break does the trick for Wessels

He has played four Big Easy Tour events this season, finished second at Killarney and occupies second spot on the current Order of Merit, and Maritz Wessels’ game seems to be trending in the right direction in the early stages of the season.

Where, for many golfers, that would be down to some specialised training routine or a change in the mindset, Wessels credits his newly-found form to a different enabler. “Well, I had that little break where I caddied for Louis de Jager,” Wessels explains, “and, that just got me thinking a little bit differently; thinking better around the golf course, managing my way around the golf course better.”

“I am now getting over the bad shots and making better decisions,” he said, “so, that’s been pretty much the difference.”

Two top-10 finishes and that runner-up position at Killarney along with the 24^th he got at Modderfontein, shows a player who is slowly regaining the form that saw him win twice on the BET back in August and September in 2014. That year, he won the Irene event and followed that up a month later with the BET Tour Championship played at his own club, The Els Club Copperleaf.

He wants to rekindle that form and the second round 67 he shot at the Joburg City Masters at Country Club Johannesburg on Wednesday points to a man on a mission. Six birdies and a solitary bogey made up his second round to take him to five-under, and add that up to his two-under-par 70 opening round and his total hits seven-under par, and puts him in contention ahead of the final round.

“I’ve hit it nicely the last couple of days,” he said of his recent form, “I missed a couple of putts here and there but I also made some nice ones during the two days. But this golf course is in great nick and the greens are as close to perfect as you can get, and no wind this morning. Perfect scoring conditions.”

Judging by his recent performances and finishes, Wessels is well on his way to rediscovering his form and a win at the BET-MENA co-sanctioned events will do wonders for the confidence of any professional player on that circuit.