Rookies lead Dimension Data Pro-Am
Rookies lead Round One of Dimension Data Pro-Am
Michael McGrady and Anthony Michael carded a pair of 65s on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the opening round of the R3-million Dimension Data Pro-Am being played at Fancourt.
The tournament is being played for the first time on the Outeniqua, Montagu and The Links courses at Fancourt after spending fourteen years at Sun City.
The field of 156 professionals, each paired with an amateur, will play a round on each of the courses, after which there will be a cut to the top 65 professionals and ties for the final round which will be played on the Montagu course.
Players drawn together in one team stay together for the duration of the tournament, with the format betterball medal. The best nett score on each hole will count.
On conclusion of the third round there will be a cut to the leading 25 team scores. All teams making the 54-hole cut will contest the final round, including those professionals who don’t also make the pro cut.
Both rookies earned their playing privileges at the Sunshine Tour Q-School in November last year, and, for McGrady, it was his first full round of tournament golf on tour after he missed qualifying for the Africa Open and the Joburg Open.
Michael, on the other hand, had a good start to the Africa Open and finished in a share of 35th and missed the cut in Johannesburg.
McGrady spent four years at Troy College in Alabama before earning his card, and he was just grateful to get the opportunity on a good day for golf on an overcast day after some overnight rain.
“Montagu conditions were perfect – a little breeze, no heat,” he said. “I think I mishit one shot, and that was my drive on 18.
“I made putts all day, too. None of them long. I think the longest was about 10 feet on 15. I just kept sticking it close,” he said. “Everything went right,” he added.
Michael took the experience he gained at the Africa Open and built on it: “I learnt so much about playing under pressure at Africa, and it helped me a lot today,” he said. “I learnt to control those nerves and used that to play good shots.”
His was the best round of the day on Outeniqua and made him feel a little better about facing The Links on the second day: “It’s good to have a little cushion now, after I had a practice round there on Saturday and I found it tough,” he said. “If there’s wind out there tomorrow, it’s going to be brutal.”
The pair led by one from Darren Fichardt and Jbe’ Kruger, who shot their 66s on Montagu and Outeniqua respectively.
“My putting started badly today when I three-putted the fifth, and bogeyed the sixth, but then I rolled in a nice three-metre putt for birdie on eight, and that turned things around,” said Fichardt.
“I just said to myself that I was going to keep my head still and listen for the ball falling in, and it worked,” he added.
Kruger finished with a flourish with three consecutive birdies. “When the putts start sinking, that’s when you get the scores,” he said.
The best rounds on The Links came from Derek Petersen and Merrick Bremner, who shot three-under-par 69.
Professional scores (RSA unless specified):
-7 - Michael McGrady 65, Anthony Michael 65
-6 - Darren Fichardt 66, Jbe' Kruger 66
-4 - Chris Swanepoel 68, Hendrik Buhrmann 68, Louis Oosthuizen 68, Tyrone Mordt 68, Louis Moolman 68, Gerhard Trytsman 68, Branden Grace 68
-3 - Derick Petersen 70, Dewald Smit 69, Merrick Bremner 70, Jake Roos 69, Andre Bossert (SUI) 69, Johan du Buisson 69, PH McIntyre 69
-2 - Hennie Otto 71, Tyrone van Aswegen 70, James Kingston 70, Charl Coetzee 70, Anton Haig 70, Louis de Jager 70, Michael Scholz 70, Kevin Stone 70, Jaco Ahlers 70, Daniel Greene 70, Michael du Toit 70, PG van Zyl 70, Brandon Pieters 70, Marc Cayeux (ZIM) 70
-1 - Christian Ries 72, Scott Dunlap (USA) 72, Grant Muller 71, Divan van den Heever 71, Adilson da Silva (BRA) 71, Bradford Vaughan 71, Tjaart van der Walt 71, Prinavin Nelson 71, Alan Michell 71, Langley Perrins 71, TC Charamba (ZIM) 71, Titch Moore 71, Nicholas MacDonald (ZIM) 72, Theunis Spangenberg 71, Andrew Georgiou 72, Michael Dreyer 71, Francois van Vuuren 71, Morne Buys 72, Darren Holder 71, Johan Etsebeth 71
Par - Heinrich Bruiners 72, Andrew Curlewis 72, Brett Liddle 72, Jacques Blaauw 72, Thomas Aiken 72, Alan McLean (SCO) 72, Teboho Sefatsa 73, Albert Pistorius 72, Edrich Jansen 73, Keenan Davidse 72, Josh Cunliffe 72, Ben Mannix (ENG) 72, Ryan Thompson 72, Justin Walters 72, Dawie Van der Walt 72, Ben Hatchwell (CAN) 72, Dean Burmester 72
+1 - Nicol van Wyk 73, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 74, Ulrich van den Berg 73, Shaun Norris 74, Jaco Van Zyl 74, Dion Fourie 74, Jean Hugo 73, Justin Harding 74, Callie Swart 74, Darryn Lloyd 74, Peter Karmis 73, Neil Schietekat 73, Lindani Ndwandwe 74, Mark Williams 73, Clinton Whitelaw 74, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 74, Alain Norris 73, Andre Ferreira 73, Mervyn Galant 73
+2 - Wallie Coetsee 75, Mike Curtis (ZIM) 74, Vaughn Groenewald 74, Steve van Vuuren 74, Desvonde Botes 74, Jake Redman 74, Sean McDonagh (ENG) 74, Attie Schwartzel 74, Stuart Clark (WAL) 74, Juan Langeveld 74, Mohamed Tayob 74, Matthew Carvell 75, Louis Calitz 74
+3 - JP van der Walt 76, Michiel Bothma 76, Charlie Ford (ENG) 75, Trevor Fisher Jnr 75, Chris Williams 76, Deane Pappas 76, Doug McGuigan 75, Grant Veenstra 76, Oliver Bekker 75, Christiaan Basson 75, Jeff Inglis (ENG) 75, Willie van der Merwe 75, Roberto Lupini 76, Steven Ferreira 76, Henk Alberts 76, Don Black 75, Divan du Piesanie 75, Trevor Mahoney 75, Le Roux Ferreira 75, Cameron Esau 75, Omar Sandys 75
+4 - Alex Haindl 77, David Hewan 77, Mark Murless 77, Warren Abery 76, Dean Lambert 77, Ryan Tipping 76, Steve Basson 77, Bobby Lincoln 76, Derik Ferreira 77, Thabang Simon 76, Ignatius Mketekete (ZIM) 76, Roy Mugglestone (ENG) 77
+5 - Darren Blair 78, Nic Henning 77, Tsietsi Chabangu 78, Reggie Adams 77, Mark Fensham 77
+6 - Andre Cruse 79, Des Terblanche 79, Yngve Nilsson 78, Alpheus Kelapile 78
+7 - Taymen Erasmus 80, Chris Corry (ENG) 79
+8 - Keenan Paulsen 81, Tyrone Ferreira 81, Chris Erasmus 81
+9 - Ross Wellington 82
+10 - Garry Hill 83, Rocky Tlhabanyane 83
+12 - Cameron Johnston 84, Dylan Docherty 85, Jack Kutumane 85
+14 - Irvin Mazibuko 87
+19 - Phillip Ndlovu 92
RELEASE ENDS
Note to journalist
For more information, please contact:
Mike Green
Communication Manager
Sunshine Tour
Tel: +27 (0)21 850 6500
mgreen@sunshinetour.com
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