GOLF NEWS - Merrick Bremner claimed successive titles on the IGT Challenge Tour in the first Kyalami Challenge in April when he staved off final round challenges from Gary Player School of 2017 member Musiwalo Nethunzwi and 2017 Eye of Africa PGA Championship winner Eric van Rooyen.
On Monday, Bremner made another spectacular start with a brilliant eight-under-par 64 at Kyalami Country Club to launch his bid for a hat-trick of wins in the second Kyalami Challenge.
Recent form suggests 29-year-old Makhetha ‘Playstation’ Mazibuko could definitely give Bremner a run for his money.
A graduate of the South African Golf Development Board and Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, Mazibuko shot to fame early this season in the Eye of Africa PGA Championship.
He tied for second on 16 under par following a tense three-way play-off with eventual winner Van Rooyen and European Tour champion Dylan Frittelli. Having come agonisingly close to victory, he pocketed just over R138 150 – his biggest earning so far.
Having narrowly lost the Randpark Firethorn Challenge to rookie Estiaan Conradie in his second start this season on the country’s premier golf development circuit, Mazibuko has brought some good momentum to Kyalami after a tie for seventh in the Killarney Challenge last week.
The Free State golfer racked up seven birdies against a lone bogey at the par-four fifth – ironically the same hole where Bremner also surrendered his only shot for the round – and a six-under-par 66 will see him start the second round within striking distance of the lead.
“My short-game is always solid, but I struggle with hitting fairways and greens in regulation, so I’ve put in a lot of time over the last eight weeks on the long game,” said Mazibuko.
“I just focussed on hitting the targets today. I hit more greens than fairways, but those I missed, were very close and that’s comforting. The work I’m doing is definitely starting to pay off. The only hole I really let myself down was the fifth.
“It’s a tough par four with trouble everywhere. There are trees on the right, hazard on the left and bunkers at 280 metres that you have to carry. You can’t miss it right or left. I wanted to hit a five-wood left to right, but the ball didn’t turn. I hit it five feet long and left and I had no shot.
“The putter behaved well, at least, I was pleased to birdie three of the par fives. I was between clubs at 18, because there is water in front of the green and on the right and the wind was blowing. I hit four-iron off the tee and four-iron in, finished 20 feet short and couldn’t up-and-down for birdie.
“But overall I’m pleased. I am working hard for top 10 finishes on the IGT Challenge Tour and good results on the Sunshine Tour so I can ask for invitations to play the Mena Tour in September. I want to play the First Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School and I’d love to get some experience against international players to help me prepare for Q-School.”
Bremner and Mazibuko will have to keep an eye on the chasing pack, led by Kenyan-born amateur Mohit Mediratta, who moved into third after carding a 67.
Sunshine Tour campaigners Jake Redman and Jason Froneman lurk at three under alongside Oklahoma City University rising star Rupert Kaminski, Pieter Moolman, Garth Wolter and Dylan Mostert, who won the season-opening Wanderers Better Ball Challenge.
Big Easy Tour winner Rhys West is a further stroke adrift in joint 10th with amateur Matthew Hands and Roberto Lupini, who scored a five shot victory in the Pecanwood Challenge in May.
First Round Scores
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as AMA
64 - Merrick Bremner
66 - Makhetha Mazibuko
67 - Mohit Mediratta AMA (KEN)
69 - Jake Redman, Pieter Moolman, Rupert Kaminski AMA, Garth Wolter, Jason Froneman, Dylan Mostert AMA
70 - Roberto Lupini, Matthew Hands AMA, Rhys West
71 - Michael Schutz
72 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWA), Ruan Groenewald AMA, Christopher de Beer AMA, Matthew Vogel, Steven Ferreira, Jason Roets, Ruan Korb
73 - Christian Basson AMA, Shaun van Tonder, Callum Mowat, Arno Pretorius AMA, Stephan de Beer
74 - Tyrone Ferreira, Herman Loubser, Matt Carvell
75 - Ricardo Towell, Vian Van Blerk AMA, Andrew Carlsson AMA
76 - Michael Faasen AMA, Albert Visser, Morne van der Waltsleben AMA, Mitchell Lightfoot AMA, Mpho Mafishe, Heinrich Bruiners
77 - Liam Clinton AMA, Jonathan George AMA, Dean du Plessis AMA, Gary Jutzen AMA, Louis Botha, Matthew Rossouw AMA, Matthew Rushton, Eric Wower AMA
78 - Nqobani Ndabambi, Lydon Charnley AMA, Matthew Kiewitz AMA, Tristan Webel AMA, Breyten Meyer, Tertius van den Berg
79 - Nikola Uskokovic AMA, Conner Mackenzie AMA
80 - Rudolph van de Venter AMA, Zarko Fabricius AMA, Malachi Schulz AMA, Michael Jooste
82 - Joshua Leo AMA, Divan de Villiers AMA, Handre Truter AMA, Divan van der Merwe AMA
83 - Mohammed Ismail AMA
84 - Justin Hart AMA
86 - Christopher McGuire AMA
87 - Andrej Skrbinsek AMA
88 - Jesse Jacobs AMA
89 - Eric Park (KOR)
92 - Alwyn Smith AMA
93 - Vincent Mothabela AMA
97 - Emmanuel Roodt
ARTICLE: LALI STANDER
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