Memorable 62 earns Vorster lead at Royal Harare

Martin Vorster was on a rock-solid two-under-par for his round after his first seven holes on Friday, but a raucous run around the turn in which he picked up four birdies and then an eagle helped catapult him to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the FBC Zim Open at Royal Harare Golf Club.

The Mossel Bay representative began his round on the 10th hole and made another eagle on the par-five sixth hole before parring his way in for a phenomenal 62, his best ever round in his 52nd Sunshine Tour event. That lifted Vorster to 12-under-par at the halfway mark of the R2.5 million event, one stroke ahead of Darren Fichardt (66) and Michael Hollick (67).

Vorster responded in style to a grungy first round that included four bogeys to offset six birdies. On Friday he made birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th holes, before his only dropped shot, a four at the par-three 15th. But the 22-year-old then made sweet music with four straight birdies at 17, 18, one and two, before his eagle at the 475m par-three third.

Veteran Fichardt sounded a warning in the morning about his challenge, firing a six-under 66 that included eight birdies, being joined on 11-under-par by Hollick, who posted a 67 that included a good little run of his own when he birdied four successive holes from the fifth to the eighth.

Anthony Michael also shot a 67 to lie fourth on 10-under-par, while first-round leader Jaco Ahlers slipped back a bit with a 71 that left him on eight-under.

Kieran Vincent was the leading Zimbabwean as his 67 lifted him to six-under-par, alongside South Africans JC Ritchie (69) and Combrinck Smit (70) in the tie for sixth.

SCORES:

132 – Martin Vorster 70 62
133 – Darren Fichardt 67 66, Michael Hollick 66 67
134 – Anthony Michael 67 67
136 – Jaco Ahlers 65 71
138 – JC Ritchie 69 69, Combrinck Smit 68 70, Kieran Vincent 71 67
139 – Rupert Kaminski 72 67, Gregory Mckay 75 64
140 – Fredrik From 71 69, Craig Ross 72 68, Scott Vincent 67 73, Louis Albertse 70 70, Robson Chinhoi 72 68, MJ Viljoen 68 72, Gerhard Pepler 71 69, Irvin Mazibuko 71 69
141 – Benjamin Follett-Smith 70 71, Ian Snyman 74 67, Doug McGuigan 68 73, Madalitso Muthiya 69 72, Ethan Smith 71 70
142 – Mohammad Rauf Mandhu 73 69, Toto Thimba Jnr 72 70, Brandon Gildenhuys 73 69, Nikhil Rama 73 69, Jovan Rebula 70 72, Conner Mackenzie 70 72, Hennie Otto 72 70, Hennie O’Kennedy 73 69, Jacques Blaauw 67 75, Kyle De Beer 70 72
143 – Lyle Rowe 72 71, Jason Roets 67 76, Rhys West 73 70, Dylan O’Leary 71 72, Herman Loubser 69 74, Daniel van Tonder 71 72, Jaco Van Zyl 70 73, Warwick Purchase 69 74
144 – Yurav Premlall 70 74, Luke Brown 72 72, Biggie Chibvuri 71 73, Christiaan Basson 71 73, Neil Schietekat 74 70, Danie Van Niekerk 71 73, Keagan Thomas 71 73, Keegan Mclachlan 72 72, Kyle McClatchie 73 71, Pride Sembo 74 70, Nick Cunningham 71 73, Brandon Meads 72 72
145 – Jaco Prinsloo 74 71, Stuart Krog 73 72, Ruan Korb 74 71, Ricky Hendler 71 74, Kyle Barker 70 75, Dylan Mostert 71 74, Jacques P de Villiers 73 72, Mathew Bramford 71 74
Missed the cut:-
146 – Luca Filippi 75 71, Dayne Moore 72 74, Steven Le Roux 74 72, Ronald Rugumayo 75 71, James Mack 69 77, Keegan Shutt 73 73, Ignatius Mketekete 73 73, Promise Sombreiro 72 74
147 – Jake Redman 74 73, Luke Jerling 72 75, Trainos Muradzikwa 77 70, Christian Kriek 78 69, Therion Nel 72 75, Martin Rohwer 75 72, Quintin Wilsnach 70 77
148 – Basil Wright Jr 72 76, Clive Nguru 75 73, Thanda Mavundla 70 78, Jean Hugo 74 74, Wynand Dingle 74 74, Otto Van Buynder 73 75, Trevor Mahoney 71 77, Tristin Galant 77 71, Keelan van Wyk 72 76, Franklin Manchest 74 74, Shaydon Johnson 74 74
149 – Haydn Porteous 78 71, Tatenda Makunde 74 75, Samuel Simpson 71 78
150 – Werner Deyzel 77 73, Vaughn van Deventer 74 76, Ethan Fichardt 78 72, Adam Breen 70 80, Stephen Ferreira 73 77, Slenda Sithebe 74 76, Ruan de Smidt 79 71, Albert Venter 76 74, Brian Gondo 72 78, Jacquin Hess 76 74
151 – Hayden Griffiths 76 75, Pieter Zwart 75 76, Jacob Oakley 73 78, David Amm 77 74, Ulrich van den Berg 74 77, Callum Mowat 77 74, Alex Haindl 71 80, Paul Adam Chidale 76 75
152 – Regan Steyn 77 75, Rourke van der Spuy 75 77, Mutahi Kibugu 76 76, Njoroge Kibugu 71 81, Nyasha Muyambo 73 79, Jared Harvey 77 75, Devon Valentine 80 72, Christopher Long 77 75
153 – Jastice Mashego 75 78, Nevy Milazi 76 77, Jabulane Mabilane 80 73, Simon Murungweni 78 75, Matthew Spacey 76 77, Braydon Amm 78 75, Davison Elijah 75 78
154 – Stals Swart 82 72, Austin Bautista 81 73, Stefan Wears-Taylor 74 80
155 – Travis Ladner 79 76, Christiaan Burke 78 77, Merrick Bremner 75 80
156 – Akil Yousuf 79 77, Anyway Katembenuka 76 80, Shaahid Mahmed 77 79, Tanaka Chatora 78 78, Sean Bradley 81 75
157 – Tongoona Charamba 76 81, Liberty Gumisa 74 83
158 – Tafara Mpofu 77 81, LB Boshoff 79 79, Tonderai Masunga 72 86
160 – William Geach 82 78
164 – Innocent Mukumba 78 86
165 – Kelly Tembo 86 79, Jordan Duminy 82 83
170 – Lloyd Dube 89 81