Konig claims top spot ahead of final round in Soweto

England’s Harry Konig will take a slim one-stroke lead into the final round of the seventh tournament of the Betway Big Easy Tour held at Soweto Country Club.

This is after Konig carded a second-round 70 on Wednesday to back up his opening 67, for a one-shot lead over Jaden Deltel. Konig started his second round with six straight pars but dropped a shot on the seventh. He bounced back from that setback with a birdie to keep things level before the turn. He found joy on the 10^th, birdieing that hole before making an important par-save on the 11^th.

Konig maintained momentum with a brace of birdies on 12 and 13 but went on to give a shot back on the 15^th as he made his second drop of the round. He finished with three straight pars for a score of two-under 70, taking his total to seven-under for the tournament.

“Solid day today,” he said after a testing outing in South Africa’s most iconic township. “I played really well yesterday, and I played pretty well again today. I missed a few chances, but overall, I’m very happy with my first two days so far.

“I’ve struggled here the last couple of years. So, I just pumped driver pretty much everywhere today; I tried to get as close to the greens as possible. Obviously, the course is playing very firm; it’s windy. So, yeah, just tried to get to as close to the greens as possible, and if I’m in a bad spot, you can get it on and around the greens anyway. Keeping it on the right side of the flags was key.”

Konig is on the chase for his second title of the season, having claimed the Glenvista leg earlier in the season. An experienced campaigner on this circuit already, Konig is fully aware of the challenge that lies before him as he seeks to make it two wins this season.

“It will be awesome to get a second win in the last couple of months,” he noted. “But there’s a lot of golf still to go, but I’m looking forward to the battle and hopefully, I’ll be up to the task.”

His closest challenger, Deltel, will feel he has a real chance at claiming his maiden victory on this Sunshine Tour development tour. Deltel narrowly missed out on a win in the season-opening tournament at Dainfern Golf Estate and, trailing by just a single shot going into Thursday’s final round in Soweto, the young Deltel has a shot at redemption this week.

“It feels great to be in contention,” said Deltel, who plays out of Bryanston Country Club. “It’s a privilege to be in this position, and I definitely love these moments. I’m just grateful for the opportunities, and I’m looking forward to enjoying every moment out there.”

Wandre Snyman and veteran Brandon Pieters share third on five-under while Joe Sullivan, Dillon Germishuys and American Austin Cherichella are a further shot back.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.

Deltel shoots 66 to take early Big Easy lead in Soweto

Jaden Deltel carded a near-perfect six-under-par 66 on Tuesday to take a slim one-stroke lead in the seventh event of the Betway Big Easy Tour held at Soweto Country Club.

Deltel had a dream start in Soweto, going three-under in his first four holes, thanks to birdies on the first, the third and fourth holes. The Bryanston golfer added another birdie on the ninth to make the turn in 31 and bogey-free.

He made further gains after the turn as he birdied the 10^th but went on to drop on the par-five 13^th – his only bogey of the round. A par on the next hole settled Deltel after he’d made that drop on 13, then a brace of birdies followed, to seal a round of 66.

“Soweto is in good condition,” admitted Deltel. “But you’ve got to hit it straight over here. Around the greens, you have to be a little bit sharper, but I think I did that very well today. I think me and my caddie, Jono, strategised well for this course. The wind picked up on the back nine, but I managed it well.”

Hot on Deltel’s heels is England’s Harry Konig and Australia’s Austin Bautista, both of whom have already tasted victory on this Sunshine Tour feeder circuit. Their respective rounds of 67 were characterised by six birdies each and a drop on the par-three seventh.

With 36 holes to play in this 54-hole event, both Bautista and Konig will be eager to maintain the pressure in order to unseat Deltel from the summit. Dillon Germishuys is solo fourth, thanks to a round of four-under 68.

Five players, including Joe Sullivan, Matthew Rushton, Travis Procter, Daniel Cronje and Soweto’s own Irvin Mazibuko, share the fifth spot on the leaderboard after they all signed for 69s.

Andre de Decker, Trevor Mahoney, Carl Mwale and veteran campaigner Brandon Pieters make up the top 10 leading players after round one, thanks to rounds of two-under-par 70.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.

Van Der Merwe claims back-to-back Big Easy wins

Jacques Van Der Merwe claimed his second Betway Big Easy Tour title in as many starts when he claimed a come-from-behind win in the sixth event of the season held at Reading Country Club. 

Van  Der Merwe, who plays out of Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, entered the final round five shots off the pace set by member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Mark Maart. 

But as Maart laboured to a final round of 71, Van der Merwe was making strides, and his near-perfect six-under-par 65 would prove enough to earn Van der Merwe a one-shot victory and a place among the few who have been able to claim back-to-back wins on this circuit in recent times. 

Van Der Merwe’s round featured an eagle, five birdies and a solitary drop. 

“It was tough, but it was fun,” he remarked. “I knew I had to go low today. My dad told me this morning that seven should be good, and I said the putter is not that hot this week. But I managed to make a few putts, and here I am standing with the trophy. 

“Going back-to-back on the Big Easy is unbelievable. I’m still in shock. I didn’t think that it was possible for me. But I learned that I should never limit myself. After this week, I know that my capabilities are way more than what I used to believe.” 

With two wins already this season and a favourable position on the Order of Merit standings (ranked second after this week), Van Der Merwe practically has one hand on his 2026 Sunshine Tour card. 

“I didn’t even know that,” he said of his position on the rankings. “But my job is not done. There are a lot of tournaments to come, but hopefully, just as many wins to come. I must keep working hard; see my coach, spend some time with my sports psychologist and try to work through everything that’s happened. I think it’s important for me to get back to my routines and processes. But the job is not done.”  

While Maart fought hard to claim his breakthrough win, he eventually settled for a share of second alongside Daniel Cronje and Kian Rose, who was making his Betway Big Easy Tour debut at Reading. 

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons. 

Sizzling back nine helps Maart to early Big Easy lead at Reading

A sparkling back nine of six-under-par 29 helped Mark Maart sign for a low seven-under 64, two shots clear of Kian Rose at Reading Country Club, where the sixth tournament of the Betway Big Easy Tour is being played.

Maart started off brightly in Alberton, going four-under in his first four holes, thanks to back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes. A bogey on the par-three seventh visited Maart’s card, threatening to derail his early progress. He held his nerve to walk away with important pars on eight and nine.

After the turn, Maart looked to have found something. He parred the 10^th, then made a hat-trick of birdies from the 11^th through 13^th. He was not done yet, as he holed out for eagle on the par-four 17^th before sealing his round with a birdie on 18.

“I just wanted to get the game going,” said Maart, who is a member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class. “I had a solid game plan today, and I stuck to the game plan. I made a few good putts today; I hit a few good shots also. Ultimately, it all just came together today.

“A round like this is a good boost. We don’t always get a round like this, so it’s a big confidence-booster going into tomorrow. And, my caddie was great today. He gave me a little pep-talk there on the final three holes, like ‘hey, you need to stop talking now and focus. So, it was a good round of golf today.”

With only a slim two-stroke margin separating him from Rose, who was just as solid on Tuesday, Maark knows not to get ahead of himself.

“I’m going to have an early night tonight,” he said of his plan going into the penultimate round of this 54-hole event. “Then, I just want to come out again with the same game plan tomorrow and whatever happens, happens.”

Rose’s five-under 66 not only earned him the second spot on the leaderboard, but it was also the second-lowest score on day one, after Maart’s 64. Other than the unwanted triple-bogey he made on the par-three 15^th, Rose was just as solid on Tuesday.

Joe Sullivan, who leads the current Order of Merit standings, Jason Froneman and Leon Visser share the third spot on three-under.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.

Van Der Merwe claims emphatic victory for maiden title

Jacques Van Der Merwe entered the Betway Big Easy Tour winner’s circle in emphatic fashion as he raced to a two-stroke victory over England’s Joe Sullivan at CMR Golf Club on Thursday.

Van Der Merwe brought a three-stroke lead into the final round after shooting an impressive 63 in round two to take his tournament total to 12-under. Coming into the final round, the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club player knew the challenges that stood before him. The course was especially tough on Thursday, and it showed during the final round.

Van der Merwe’s round of three-under 67 – which consisted of seven birdies and two double-bogeys – took his total to 15-under and two clear of Sullivan, who was just as impressive in very cold conditions in Roodepoort. Unfortunately for Sullivan, his effort was not enough to earn him his second win this season.

“I’d been in this situation (in contention) a few times before,” noted Van Der Merwe after his win. “And I’ve always struggled. But last night and this morning, I just prayed, and when I got here this morning, I just told myself to stick to the processes that have led me here, telling myself that ‘you’re good enough and you can do this’. I believed that I was the best golfer on this golf course today, and it showed in the end.

“I just went back to basics, and I think that’s the most important thing to do. I focused so well on the small stuff that it worked out so well for me.”

Van Der Merwe admitted, however, that despite it looking like it was an easy win, he was as nervous as they came as he stood over his birdie putt on the last hole.

“I was shaking,” he said. “I didn’t really make it easy for myself. But when that ball went in, it was just a massive sigh of relief. My first professional win, and on the Big Easy Tour, it’s just insane. I couldn’t imagine something better than that.”

With his win, Van der Merwe moves to fifth on the Order of Merit. The top 12 players on those rankings will earn their Sunshine Tour cards at the end of the campaign.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.

Van Der Merwe shoots 63 to pull three shots clear at CMR

Jacques Van Der Merwe will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the fifth Betway Big Easy Tour tournament, thanks to a second-round seven-under 63, which took his total to 12-under at CMR Golf Club.

On Wednesday, Van Der Merwe solidified his spot among the top players this week, waltzing to a sizzling 63, which consisted of nine birdies and two drops. Now, three shots clear and with a real shot at claiming his breakthrough win on this Sunshine Tour feeder circuit, Van Der Merwe remains grounded, instead choosing to focus on his processes.

“I don’t really care about the position that much,” declared Van der Merwe, who displayed a calm persona. “I enjoy this course, and I just want to go out and give it another shot. I want to go out and focus on my processes. I want to achieve the goals I have control over, and the rest will happen.”

The weather conditions were tough on Wednesday, with the wind picking up quite early on in the round, a factor that would affect even the best of professionals. Van Der Merwe embraced the challenge and played himself to the summit of the leaderboard.

“It’s basically the same as yesterday,” said Van Der Merwe of the windy and testing conditions in Roodepoort. “I just controlled what I could control and let the rest happen. I can’t get angry if I do all the process work well, which I did today. I just went back to that on every single shot and every hole, and it worked out well.

“The conditions were tough, but I enjoyed it; I handled it well. I just stuck to my plan and made a few nice putts, and walked off with a really nice score, so I’m happy with my round.”

Van der Merwe will seek to replicate the performances of the first 36 holes here because lurking dangerously is Kimberley Golf Club’s Bradley De Beer, whose 64 catapulted him to second on the leaderboard on a tournament total of nine-under-par.

A rejuvenated Haydn Porteous will go into the final round of this 54-hole event trailing by four after his second successive 66 took his total to eight-under.

Regan Steyn, Leon Visser, Liam Ross, Richard Joubert and Joe Sullivan share the fourth spot at six-under while Daniel Cronje, Khanya Mkhize, Drikus Joubert and Johnathan Ackerman share ninth at five-under for the week.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.

Blemish-free 64 hands Boshoff early Big Easy lead at CMR

LB Boshoff carded an untainted opening round of six-under-par 64 on Tuesday to take a one-shot lead in the fifth tournament of the Betway Big Easy Tour held at CMR Golf Club.

Boshoff made par on the first hole to settle into his round. Then, he went on the offensive, sinking four birdies on the trot. Those were followed by nine straight pars as Boshoff sought to keep the big numbers off his card. His patience paid off as Boshoff made further gains towards the end of his round, birdieing the 15^th and the 18^th to seal a blemish-free 64.

“This morning, I felt good with my wedges,” Boshoff said after his round. “I had a lot of wedges in and I stuck them close; inside six feet, and I made them all. Then the wind picked up, and things got slow, things got a bit difficult. The holes got longer, funny enough. But, I made birdie on 15 and 18, so I’m very happy with my round.”

While acknowledging his wedges for the success of the first round, Boshoff noted that the birdies he made earlier in his round were key to him staying composed even when they were hard to come by in the latter stages of the round.

“Look, you always have nerves on the first tee,” he said, “but after making four birdies in a row, you settle down and you get into your groove and you settle down. But this course is playing difficult. The front nine is not so much tree-lined as the back nine, and you can hit a few drivers out there.

“But if you miss the fairways you can get some tough lies, and because the flags are quite tricky and the greens are firm. It’s quite difficult, the course.”

Second on the leaderboard and just a single stroke off the pace lies Jacques Van der Merwe. Despite making a heartbreaking seven on the par-four second hole, Van Der Merwe stayed focused throughout the round and produced a fine five-under 65 to keep within reach of Boshoff’s lead.

“I hit a 6-iron down the middle, but when we got there, my ball was gone,” said Van der Merwe of that unfortunate seven he made on the second. “Then I had to go back to the tee box and hit a 6-iron again, in the middle, but at least we found the ball this time. The marshal found my lost ball afterwards, but I didn’t know if I wanted it back.

“The good thing is I didn’t allow that second hole to define me. I hit my shots exactly how I wanted to. I just tried to forget about that hole and stuck to my game plan. Sometimes you get lucky in golf and sometimes you get unlucky, so I just had the ability to reset my emotions and take it from the start. It was good and I’m super-proud of myself.”

Regan Steyn, Richard Joubert, Haydn Porteous, Drikus Joubert, England’s Joe Sullivan and Liam Ross all signed for 66s to share the third spot on the leaderboard. Ten players share ninth, including Khanya Mkhize, Jason Froneman and veteran Teboho Sefatsa among them.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons.

Second successive 67 sends Procter top of the leaderboard at Waterkloof

Travis Procter backed up his opening round of 67 with another on day two of the Betway Big Easy Blue Label Invitational, taking a one-stroke lead into the final round at Waterkloof Golf Club, in the process.

Seven birdies and two drops characterised Procter’s round, and his second-round five-under 67 was enough to see the Capetonian climb to the top of the leaderboard ahead of what promises to be an exciting final round in the country’s Capital.

“Funny enough, I had never seen this course until yesterday’s first round,” revealed Procter. “I didn’t play the practice round, but luckily, Andries, my caddie, has been really helpful; he knows this course well.

“But it’s kind of my type of golf course; it reminds me of my course back home, Durbanville. You can hit it a bit skew, but there are a lot of opportunities if your wedges and putting is good. I feel quite comfortable around here.

Slim as his lead may be going into the final 18 holes here, Procter has got a real shot at claiming his maiden title on this Sunshine Tour feeder circuit.

“I feel like I’ve been playing really well the whole year,” he noted. “I just haven’t managed to put a tournament together. But for once, everything is working and everything is feeling good. I’m hitting it well; I’m chipping it really well. I’ve actually made a few putts too and birdied all the par-threes today. I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my life, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Hot on Procter’s heels is Oliver Goldhill who shot 68 on day two to take his total to nine-under for the week and just a stroke off the pace. The rookie has shown glimpses of brilliance this season and will feel that a breakthrough win is on the horizon.

“It was really solid today,” said Goldhill. “I kept it in play most of the time and played some really good wedges. And the putter worked again. It’s been a bit frustrating to feel like you’ve been knocking on the door and it won’t open. But I feel like it is coming in closer and closer. Hopefully, this week is the one.”

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons. The Betway Big Easy Blue Label Invitational is a series which the Big Easy co-hosts with the Bushveld Tour to provide more playing opportunities to members of both tours.

Pieters rolls back the years to snatch early lead at Waterkloof

Veteran Brandon Pieters rolled back the years with a fine performance in round one of the Betway Big Easy Blue Label Invitational, shooting a solid 66 to take a one-stroke lead at Waterkloof Golf Club on Monday.

The 49-year-old made a total of nine birdies, a bogey and a double to sign for six-under-par 66, finishing the round one clear of the closest challengers.

“It was a good day,” said Pieters after his round. “I’ve been working on my physical strength and body work. I was just trying to make it simple out there, with no expectations. I have a dear brother of mine who likes to say to me, ‘Just smile and wave, and no matter what happens, just keep it going.

“Today was one of those days. I had a really solid front nine. Made a couple of mistakes, and I was a bit unlucky on the back nine. But the old dog still has some tricks, and even though I limped home, it’s the first round, and it’s nice to play well and let’s see it through to Wednesday.

Pieters, who has four Sunshine Tour victories to his name, is also pleased his game has been trending in the right direction lately, stating that it all comes down to solid pre-season preparation.

“I think all the work we did prior to the start of the season is starting to come through. Our preparation; we’re changing a couple of things because us old dogs can’t work as hard as the youngsters, but we have to work smarter. New putter, different length putter; we are looking for any kind of edge we can get on the kids, and I got one up on them today, and it makes me feel good.”

Rookie Oliver Goldhill, Brandon Gildenhuys, Eswatini’s James Pennington, Travis Proctor and Benoni Country Club’s Warwick Purchase lie one stroke off Pieters’ lead and will feel they all have a real chance of unseating the veteran campaigner from the summit of the leaderboard.

Members of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Lyle Pedro and Keelan Van Wyk are in a six-way share of the seventh spot along with Eric Wowor, Ruan Groenewald, Tiago Jorge Swart and England’s Joe Knox, thanks to scores of four-under 68 on day one.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons. The Betway Big Easy Blue Label Invitational is a series which the Big Easy co-hosts with the Bushveld Tour to provide more playing opportunities to members of both tours.

Bautista earns hard-fought breakthrough victory in Benoni

Just a few days after South Africa defeated Australia in the World Test Championship, another epic battle between the two sporting rivals ensued on the fairways of Benoni Country Club.

It was not a team sport, this time.

On Thursday morning, Robertson Golf Club’s Jacquin Hess and the young Kayle Wykes arrived in Benoni leading after 36 holes. The two members of the Papwa Sewgolum Class held a single-shot lead over Australia’s Austin Bautista, who had backed up his opening 66 with a 71 on day two.

The two South Africans and an Australian in the final group. Things looked all even after nine holes. And then the showdown began. After a level-par front nine, Wykes lost momentum on the back nine and shot 39 on that stretch to sign for 75. Then it became a back-and-forth match-up between Hess and Bautista as both players showed grit and resilience.

Bautista was one under on the front nine, and Hess was level-par. After the turn, where one player made a birdie, the other made a par, and vice versa from holes 10 to 13. Hess dropped on 14, and Bautista made par. They both birdied 16, and Bautista birdied the last to seal a round of 68 and claim a two-shot victory on a total 11-under-par 205.

“I got one up on you guys today,” Bautista joked, referring to the sporting rivalry between his country and South Africa.

“It was why I play professional golf,” said Bautista after his hard-fought win. “If you gave it to me more easily, I would probably not as enjoy it as much. It was a really good battle, and Hessy played really well. I was trying to pull away, but it’s hard to win golf tournaments sometimes.

Bautista also remarked on his aggressive strategy coming down the stretch.

“You don’t win golf tournaments playing safe,” he said with assurance. “Maybe some places, but even in the US Open, JJ didn’t win because he hit middle of the green and two-putted; he won because he went for it.

“You have to go for it. You have to back yourself and believe in yourself. I did. I pulled off all the shots that I had to pull off.”

Bautista becomes the first Australian professional to win on the Betway Big Easy Tour, and with his triumph in the East Rand, he now moves to fifth on the Order of Merit. The top 12 players on the standings by the end of the campaign will earn their Sunshine Tour playing privileges for the next season.

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els among other patrons.