PRETORIA – Thriston Lawrence and Jacques Blaauw both fired outstanding 10-under-par 62s to share the lead in a meeting of two of South African golf’s most in-form stars in the first round of the SunBet Challenge Times Square Casino at Wingate Park Country Club on Wednesday.
Lawrence, who is currently sixth on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai, is back in South Africa to complete his rehabilitation from a back injury he suffered after the Open Championship a month ago. His first competitive round since then could barely have gone better as he plundered eight birdies and an eagle on the 6740m course in south-eastern Pretoria.
The winner of eight professional events, including four on the DP World Tour, was part of the morning field, while Blaauw, who is leading the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and is eager to return full-time to the European tour, was off at 11.50am.
The 38-year-old Blaauw made a blazing start to his round as he set out to catch Lawrence, reaching the turn in six-under-par, which included an eagle on the 381m par-four sixth hole. Although he bogeyed the par-four 11th, Blaauw finished strong with five birdies in the last seven holes.
“I’ve had four weeks off since hurting my back a bit at the Open and I’m not a big fan of hitting lots of balls on the range, so I felt playing this tournament would help my rehab more. And I love to compete,” Lawrence said.
“But I was still quite surprised how well it went because I’ve only played two practice rounds in the last few weeks, I didn’t expect 10-under. But the back is good and game is solid.
“I started on 10 and the eagle came on 18 after I hit a nice drive and had a good number for a nine-iron in; I hit it to three feet for a simple eagle. That got my momentum going, I had four birdies in a row to start the front nine, I was on fire,” Lawrence said.
Blaauw, who is enjoying his best season in nearly a decade with five successive top-10 finishes on the Sunshine Tour, including victory in the SunBet Challenge Sun City event, admitted the presence of Lawrence, and the fact he had shot 62, motivated him.
“What Thriston shot told me there was obviously a low score out there. I started quickly so I knew something was up. I’ve been playing good golf of late and it all came together today,” Blaauw said.
“When our DP World Tour stars play here you always want to beat them and Thriston has been playing some unbelievable golf lately. But I’ve showed I can play great golf at home, hopefully I can do the same elsewhere. Getting full status in Europe has been my plan from January and now it’s just about keeping things going.
“It’s about sticking to the processes, just letting it happen and not trying to force things. Just keep giving myself opportunities because the putter is working,” Blaauw said.
The six-time Sunshine Tour winner’s eagle came when he followed a 300m drive on the sixth with a 90m lob-wedge into the hole.
Another multiple winner on the DP World Tour, George Coetzee, is also making his way back from long-term injury, and he will certainly have a say in where the title goes this week as he shot an eight-under-par 64 on Wednesday.
Young Yurav Premlall also made his presence known with a 66, a score matched by Quintin Wilsnach.
The Leinster trophy-drought continued in the most tightly-contested, gripping United Rugby Championship semi-finals at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday as the Bulls pipped them 25-20, a fairly freakish 67th-minute try snatching the spoils.
Leinster went toe-to-toe with the powerful Bulls at their home fortress and were level at 20-20 after 64 minutes. In a match in which the stakes often felt as high as in a Test match, there was plenty of kicking and aerial battles as both teams prioritised territory.
And it was from an up-and-under that the outcome was decided. Bulls flyhalf Johan Goosen launched the ball high towards the touchline with Ciaran Frawley seemingly safely underneath it. But Bulls winger Sergeal Petersen, a much shorter man, got up in the air to challenge and somehow sneaked a hand through on to the ball, tapping it out of the defender’s grasp and then regathering a split-second later, before an extravagant swallow-dive took him over the tryline.
The once-so-dominant Dubliners have now gone three seasons without winning either the URC or in Europe. The shortcomings on Saturday evening were in no way down to a lack of effort.
While the taut contest may not have been the greatest advert for exciting attacking rugby, the action was spellbinding and the quality unmistakeable.
The first quarter was scoreless as the Bulls dominated territory but Leinster threatened with their counter-thrusts. The home side thought they had opened the scoring in the 19th minute but the try was put on ice due to flank Marco van Staden bringing flyhalf Ross Byrne to ground off the ball.
It began a five-minute period in which the Bulls were prone to err in their basics, as Goosen had a drop-out charged down by Garry Ringrose, who returned to action with a tremendous steely performance in midfield. From the scrum, Petersen was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on as Leinster worked the blindside, and the Bulls were then caught short again on that side in defence as wing James Lowe went over for the opening try.
The Bulls’ replied with their own try just six minutes later, however, with there off-the-ball work this time being superb as Goosen sprinted on to a pass from scrumhalf Embrose Papier in the shadow of the poles to knife through a Leinster defence which up till then had been stopping everything.
The scrum was perhaps the one area where Leinster were consistently shaded, and Goosen was able to kick a 41st-minute penalty from that set-piece to give the Bulls a 10-7 halftime lead.
It meant a crowd of more than 31 000 were in jovial mood on a mild winter’s evening and their happiness only increased in the second minute of the second half as the Bulls scored a lovely try to stretch their lead to 17-7. A blindside move saw centre Harold Vorster in space down the touchline, his deft kick ahead then bounced perfectly for Petersen to gather and score.
The impressive flank Caelan Doris thundered over the tryline though in the 51st minute, escorted by the muscle of Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy.
Byrne levelled the scores with a 59th-minute penalty, slick work from Lowe having forced an offsides, but Goosen put the Bulls back in front three minutes later with another penalty.
An attempted jackal by Akker van der Merwe went wrong and cost the home side the lead as Byrne again slotted the penalty to make it 20-20.
But then it all went south for Leinster as the Bulls’ pressure-kicking game paid off and handed them a place in the United Rugby Championship final.
Kagiso Rabada & Marco Jansen embrace after their pugnacious partnership took South Africa to victory.
THE CHAOS
It all worked out fine in the end, but for 15 crazy minutes before lunch as South Africa lost four wickets for three runs, it seemed like the Proteas were headed for one of their most infamous narrow defeats just when a place in the World Test Championship final was in their grasp.
Having seemingly been in control of the first Test against Pakistan for most of the previous three days, South Africa had a moderate target of 148 to win. They had crashed to 19 for three on the third evening, but a wonderful partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma in the first hour of Sunday’s play had them well on course for victory.
Even when Markram was dismissed by a shooter from Mohammad Abbas for a determined 37, captain Bavuma was in such control that the situation, with 86 runs to get, seemed fine.
Bavuma and David Bedingham (14) added another 34 for the fifth wicket and South Africa approached lunch on 96 for four. But then the skipper needed treatment on his troublesome elbow, the pain perhaps encouraging him to try finish off the match quickly.
He tried going down the pitch to the nagging seam bowling of the admirable Abbas a couple of times, and then on his third foray, he tried to hit the tireless paceman back over his head but seemingly inside-edged the ball to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Umpire Alex Wharf gave him out almost as briskly as Bavuma walked, but then the television replays, and specifically ultra-edge, showed that there was no bat involved, but in fact the ball had hit Bavuma’s back pocket. It’s the second time in Boxing Day Tests at SuperSport Park that Bavuma has walked when he should have reviewed, having missed out on a potential century against Sri Lanka at Centurion in 2020.
Bavuma’s 40 was a great knock though, however unfortunately it ended. Not only did he lead from the front in testing circumstances for his team, but he showed just how technically strong he is, and his judgement was superb. Abbas took six for 54 in 19.3 overs and inflicted as probing an examination of technique as one can find.
All hell broke loose after Bavuma’s dismissal.
Kyle Verreynne’s own technical frailties saw him chop on off Naseem Shah in the next over, and Abbas then had Bedingham and Corbin Bosch caught behind off successive deliveries in his next over, both batsmen out to mediocre strokes well outside the off-stump.
The situation had gone from Game On to Pakistan being rampant and strong favourites to win with the Proteas reeling on 99 for eight, still 49 runs away from victory.
THE HEROES
After stumps on the third day and before play started on the fourth morning, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada had both spoken about how disciplined but positive batting would see South Africa home. They were both confident the Proteas would reach their target.
In the thrilling finale’, it was Rabada and Jansen who had to secure victory. They first of all steadied the ship, taking South Africa to 116 for eight at lunch. They then knocked off the remaining 32 runs required with an ease which made one wonder what all the fuss was about.
Rabada has always had some fine strokes in his arsenal, but normally doesn’t stick around long enough to have a massive influence on the game with the bat. But inspired by coach Shukri Conrad’s lunchtime chat about fully backing whatever decision they made in terms of how to play, Rabada played an innings that will be remembered for many, many years. The left-hander stroked 31 not out off just 26 balls, attacking as if the deteriorating pitch was a flat road, and collecting five fours.
In the penultimate over, he launched Aamer Jamal back over his head for four and then eased him through the covers with all the grace and skill of Brian Lara. That left four runs to win, and Jansen sliced Abbas away through backward point to seal the nailbiting victory.
Jansen finished on 16 not out, his calm, more measured approach dovetailing brilliantly with Rabada. It was also his highest score in his seven Test innings this year, but a return to batting form was always on the cards for an all-rounder whose mental strength is one of his greatest assets.
WHAT THEY SAID
Captain Temba Bavuma said he could not summon all the words to accurately describe his emotions. He was visibly emotional in the post-match interviews for television, and was still moved when he addressed the general media.
“It’s a bit surreal and I’m not sure I’m able to put all my emotions into words. You should see the changeroom now, with all the families in there, it shows why we do what we do. We do it for the coaches and our families.
“To see KG bat like that … he was probably not at his best with the ball, but he saw an opportunity to do something with the bat for the team. I just feel joy for him because we know his talent with the bat. You never know which KG is going to come out and bat: The more correct one or the one that batted today. But we give him freedom and I couldn’t care how he got the runs.
“I just heard now that I didn’t hit the ball I got out to. I was absorbed in the moment and thinking about the shot I played. But it’s not the first time so people shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been battling with my elbow and maybe the painkillers wore off? But I won’t use that as an excuse.
“I was still in the toilet sulking when KG joined Marco and I only came out when there were 15 runs to get. KG sat next to me at the lunch break, but I didn’t know what to say to him. But the confidence and belief was there in the team. I then heard Kyle Verreynne’s positive shouting and decided to show my head … I was taken aback by the emotion I felt at the end.”
Coach Shukri Conrad said he was blown away by the character of his team.
“Myself, Marco and KG share a vice [smoking] and when we were in our little corner in the back during the lunch break, I just told them that whatever decision they take about how they are going to go about their business, if we get close then I don’t want them to start fiddling about. They must keep doing what they set out to do, go balls to the wall.
“There were so many emotions. When we arrived this morning I thought we needed a big partnership between our two senior batsmen [Markram & Bavuma]. At morning drinks I thought we were doing okay, but then Aiden got out and we lost all those wickets on 99.
“So I thought we were pretty much gone, but then Marco and KG were able to build a partnership. At lunch we needed 32 runs and I thought ‘okay, that’s just eight fours’. The mind plays all these tricks on you in those situations.
“But they showed unbelievable composure, Marco brought the intensity and KG gave us visions of Brian Charles [Lara]. You can’t script that finish. Today was massive because I want a side that does not know when they are beaten.
“The biggest thing is they are a unit, they play for each other and leave their egos at the door. They will try find a way whatever the obstacle, rather than delve too deep into what they did wrong. And there’s a little bit of luck involved too.”
Kagiso Rabada has always been a top-class striker of the ball, but he readily admitted this was his finest hour with the bat in Test cricket.
“It’s without a doubt my best Test innings and one I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s all just a blur. All I was looking at was how many runs were needed, who was bowling and what were they trying to do?
“I said to Marco that I was going to look to be positive and he just said ‘wicked’ straight away. He had his own game-plan, playing one ball at a time on its merits. I was bit more unorthodox. But I wanted to keep to my processes and stay positive. There are always two voices in your head, one saying you can’t do it and the other one overpowering that.
“What happened today is something we want to keep in our DNA, we scrapped our way through, we just found a way to win. A lot of times I feel, when looking at the Proteas’ history in these vital matches, that we have tried to be perfect. But you don’t have to be, it’s all about finding a way to win.”
While the capricious Cape winds toyed with most of the field, only nine golfers shooting under the par mark of 74, Kylie Henry flourished, posting a five-under-par 69 to lead after the first round of the Standard Bank Ladies Open at Royal Cape Golf Club on Wednesday.
Coming from Scotland, Henry ought to be comfortable in the wind, and it showed in a top-class round that featured an eagle on her second hole, the par-five 11th, followed by four birdies and just a single bogey.
The winner of the opening event in this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour, the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am at Fancourt, also in the Western Cape, went out from the 10th and reached the clubhouse in four-under, before coming home in one-under as the wind became stronger on her back nine.
“It was pretty windy today, but it does that here and I’ve had quite a lot of experience in the wind, most of the time I manage to judge it well. I do enjoy these good, strong courses. Royal Cape is a great layout and in really good condition, and Fancourt was amazing, a brilliant test.
“Some holes were really quite tough today, with crosswinds or the wind into you, but I played really good golf. I gave myself lots of birdie chances because my iron play was really solid, and then my putting was the best part of my game. It’s quite a tight course, so I drove the ball well too.
“Both nines are similar, but the wind just got stronger when I was on the front nine, so the back nine was slightly easier for me and I hit a lot of good shots,” Henry said.
South Africans Shawnelle de Lange (71) and Lora Assad (72) are Henry’s closest challengers, while compatriot Kiera Floyd is one of the six golfers who posted one-under-par 73.
Like a flower opening up its corolla to show the beauty within, this Sunshine Ladies Tour season has really seen Floyd unveil her huge talent. The 19-year-old finished tied-fourth in last week’s Fidelity ADT Ladies Challenge at Blue Valley, she was in contention after the first round of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge at Sun City, and she was tied-second going into the final round at Fancourt.
De Lange dropped only one shot, on the par-four 10th, but finished superbly with three birdies in the last four holes.
Assad began her round on the 10th and immediately dropped a shot, but she fought back brilliantly with birdies on the 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th holes. The 31-year-old suffered a couple of bogeys on the front nine, but finished well with a birdie to post two-under.
Floyd began a rollercoaster round on the 10th with a bogey, but reached the turn in two-under, before making one birdies and two bogeys coming home.
Frenchwomen Emie Peronnin and Ariane Klotz, Norway’s Maiken Bing Paulsen, Florentyna Parker of England and India’s Tvesa Malik, winner of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, are the other golfers on one-under-par.
Galatians 5:25 – “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep walking in step with the Spirit.”
There is only one Christ and all things that are preached in his name must conform to his character. We can only know Christ’s character through an intimate and personal relationship with him.
How would Christ respond in situations in which you find yourself? Would he be underhanded? Would he be unforgiving and cause broken relationships?
“The value of your faith and the depth of your spiritual experience can only be measured by their practical application in your daily life. You can spend hours at mass crusades; have the ability to pray in public; quote endlessly from the Word; but if you have not had a personal encounter with the living Christ your outward acts count for nothing.” – Solly Ozrovech, A Shelter From The Storm
Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, Marco van Staden, Embrose Papier, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Aphelele Fassi.
