Le Roux Ferreira and Peter Karmis set alight a rainy Mount Edgecombe Country Club on day one of the Sun Sibaya Challenge, firing nine-under-par 63s in the R750,000 event.
Still four shots off Karmis’ Sunshine Tour best of 59 at Royal Swazi Spa Golf Course, the pair of 63s on Mount Edgecombe’s Course 2 sees the two men lead by two strokes from Portugal’s Stephen Ferreira.
‘I putted phenomenally today. My caddie, West, gave me excellent lines the whole day and I hit some really good putts and I had a lot of faith in him. He was in the zone with the reading of the putts and I just had to follow his instructions,’ Karmis said of his 63.
Like Karmis, Ferreira showed brilliant touch on the greens, and it’s the knowledge of being able to sink more putts that has lead to a change in game plan.
‘It’s all about confidence. You know, this game is just so weird and it’s all about confidence. I’ve been hitting it well all year and when you don’t make putts you start going for pins that you don’t usually go for. Now that I know I’m going to make a couple of putts, I can be a little bit more conservative,’ said Ferreira.
Currently sitting 83rd on the Order of Merit, Ferreira says he’s looking to finish the year on a strong note.
‘For where I am on the money list, I’ve got a little bit of a wake-up call and hopefully I can keep on going like this.’
Stephen Ferreira came into the week after a solid showing at last week’s Vodacom Origins at Euphoria, and the Borrowdale Brooke Golf Club representative will be looking for a third top 10 this year.
Ockie Strydom and Ryan Tipping share fourth place on six under, while local man Jared Harvey is among four others in a share of sixth on five under par.
From sunshinetour.com
