Local golfer shows his aspirations to enter Sunshine Tour
Another local golfer has staked his claim to try and qualify to play in the popular Sunshine Tour next year.
This week marks one of the most important periods in professional golf in the region as yet another cohort of players seeking to earn their Sunshine Tour playing cards get to battle it out in the First Stage of Qualifying School.
The events are being staged at Eagle Canyon Country Club and Maccauvlei Golf Club, a change from last season’s venues which were State Mines Country Club and Killarney Golf Club.
The First Stage is scheduled to be played over 72 holes and there will be no cut for the first stage, but players are entitled to withdraw at the conclusion of any round provided that notification is given before close of play on the relevant day. The leading 15 players and ties from each venue will qualify for the Final Stage.
The young Divan Marais of Centurion carded the lowest score in the opening round of the Qualifying School First Stage at Eagle Canyon Country Club in Johannesburg when he signed for four-under-par 68 to take a one-stroke on Tuesday.
On a day when only 10 of the 72 players shot below-par scores, Marais showed glimpses of brilliance as he made a total of six birdies which were accompanied by two bogeys.
Starting off the 10th, Marais made four straight pars before picking up a birdie on 14, his fifth. A par later, and another birdie made it onto his card but that was soon followed by a bogey. He made further gains, however, when he made birdie on the par-five 18th, his ninth hole.
“It went good out there today, but I thought the ball-striking was a bit off. But, anything under par, I will take any day. Mostly, though, I am having fun,” said Marais after his round.
Despite his unhappiness with the way he hit the ball in the opening round of this five-day test, Marais was still pleased with some aspects of his game early on.
“My long game wasn’t great but I was still hitting a lot of greens. But I think my putting was really decent today. The putts I had to make, I made and I think it was just a solid round of golf. Now, I just have to hang in there,” the member of Zwartkop Country Club concluded.
A shot behind Marais was Andrew Carlsson from Bryanston, whose 69 was the next best score of the day.
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