Seasoned Hugo leads at SunBet Challenge

Tackling the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in the SunBet Challenge Wild Coast over the last two days has been a bit like Squid Game, and we’re not talking about the molluscs that are much-beloved of fishermen and women as they scour the seas off Port Edward, but the South Korean TV survival drama that took the world by storm in 2021.

But veteran Sunshine Tour campaigner Jean Hugo has seen it all before on this challenging, enigmatic course, and the tremendous four-under-par 66 he posted in the first round was enough to give him the lead on Thursday, and it was a mark none of the golfers who began their second rounds were able to pass.

Danie van Tonder, who had reached the turn in his second round in one-under, to go to two-under-par overall, and Jaco van Zyl, who shot a 68 in the first round but also did not get back on the course on Thursday, are the closest to Hugo. They are experienced golfers both, also able to handle the very windy conditions.

But Hugo is right at home on the Wild Coast, having won the Nashua Masters here in 2007, and the last of his 21 professional victories came here in the 2019 Sun Wild Coast Challenge.

“It was tough, play being called off on the first day because it was too windy and balls were moving. It always feels like the wind is up here. But I know what to expect and I had a good result last time here,” Hugo said.

The 47-year-old was on one-under-par through 11 holes when play was suspended on the first day. When he returned on Thursday morning, he could not have wished for a better start, with an eagle on the par-five 12th.

“You normally try to capitalise on the downwind holes here, but 12 was a daunting hole because that side of the course is into the south-wester, which makes it tough. Normally you hit iron and iron over the hill, but today I hit Driver just to get it into play and then three-wood around the corner, a very good shot that went 10 feet behind the hole and I made the putt. So that was an absolutely dream start and then I had a good finish with birdies on the manageable 16th and 18th holes,” Hugo said.

If one is going to get skinned alive by a course, experience does at least allow one to know what to expect. But Hugo said he cannot just rely on his course knowledge as the 54-hole event comes to an end, his game has to be absolutely on-point in the last two rounds.

“The wind is also going to be up on Friday, but in the other direction, so it will probably be tougher. A lot can still change with the scores so I’ll need a good solid start, that makes it easier to maintain things. I’m preparing for a mixed bag tomorrow.

“It’s good to have experience around here, but you still have to play well. You can know where to hit it, but it does not help if you can’t hit the ball there. You still have to bring your best game.

“You need to focus on where to go because looking around, there are a lot of hazards out there. I’ll just be trying to keep it tight,” Hugo said.

SCORES:
-4 – Jean Hugo 66
-2 – Daniel van Tonder 69 (-1) [9], Jaco Van Zyl 68
-1 – Hennie du Plessis 72 (-3) [9], CJ du Plessis 68 (+1) [6], Neil Schietekat 69
Par – Callum Mowat 70 (Par) [12], Jonathan Broomhead 70, DK Kim 70, Rourke van der Spuy 70, Toto Thimba Jnr 70, Clancy Waugh 70
+1 – Sean Cronje 70 (+1) [9], Makhetha Mazibuko 71, Keagan Thomas 71, Malcolm Mitchell 71, Sean Bradley 71
+2 – Ruan Conradie 74 (-2) [9], Jean-Paul Strydom 70 (+2) [9], Peter Karmis 72 (Par) [9], Gerhard Pepler 75 (-3) [9], Combrinck Smit 72, Merrick Bremner 72, LB Boshoff 72, James Mack 72
+3 – Tristin Galant 72 (+1) [9], Trevor Fisher Jnr 72 (+1) [9], Keegan Mclachlan 73 (Par) [9], Louis Albertse 73, Jared Harvey 73, Jason Roets 73
+4 – Musiwalo Nethunzwi 72 (+2) [12], Keelan van Wyk 75 (-1) [12], Quintin Wilsnach 75 (-1) [12], Ruan Korb 74 (Par) [9], Ryan Tipping 74, Luke Trocado 74, Vaughn van Deventer 74, Drikus Joubert 74, Jovan Rebula 74, Matthew Spacey 74, James Hart du Preez 74, Allister de Kock 74
+5 – Jake Redman 71 (+4) [9], Jacques P de Villiers 73 (+2) [9], Madalitso Muthiya 72 (+3) [6], Gregory Mckay 75 (Par) [6], Anthony Michael 75, Erhard Lambrechts 75, Hennie O’Kennedy 75, Siyanda Mwandla 75
Missed the cut:-
+6 – Christiaan Basson 76 (Par) [9], Ryan Van Velzen 77 (-1) [9], Kyle McClatchie 75 (+1) [9], Colin Nel 74 (+2) [9], Jordan Duminy 74 (+2) [6], Jacquin Hess 76, Nicholaus Frade 76
+7 – Ruan de Smidt 75 (+2) [12], Leon Visser 73 (+4) [12], Estiaan Conradie 78 (-1) [9], Rhys West 78 (-1) [9], Tyron Davidowitz 76 (+1) [6], Thanda Mavundla 75 (+2) [6], Alphius Kelapile 77, Ricky Hendler 77, Jacques Blaauw 77, Dan Erickson 77, Adam Breen 77, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 77
+8 – Dayne Moore 76 (+2) [12], Stefan Wears-Taylor 74 (+4) [9], Travis Ladner 75 (+3) [6], Sentanio Minnie 76 (+2) [6], Pierre Pellegrin 78, Jonathan Waschefort 78, Rupert Kaminski 78, Luke Brown 78, Albert Venter 78, Michael Hollick 78
+9 – Lindani Ndwandwe 76 (+3) [12], Jaco Ahlers 75 (+4) [9], James Pennington 78 (+1) [6], Heinrich Bruiners 79, Luca Filippi 79, Adriel Poonan 79
+10 – Robin Williams 75 (+5) [9], Danie Van Niekerk 77 (+3) [9], Jastice Mashego 80, Stuart Krog 80
+11 – Franklin Manchest 78 (+3) [12], Ian Snyman 78 (+3) [9], Keelan Africa 77 (+4) [6], SP Mthethwa 81
+12 – Ethan Smith 80 (+2) [12], Gerhard Trytsman 82 (Par) [9]
+13 – Aneurin Gounden 81 (+2) [12], Christiaan Burke 80 (+3) [12], Willie Olivier 80 (+3) [6], Mandla Dlamini Jnr 79 (+4) [6], Wade Jacobs 83, Zu Mavundla 83
+14 – Reinhardt Blaauw 85 (-1) [9], Alex Haindl 84 (Par) [9], Conner Mackenzie 79 (+5) [6]
+15 – Brandon-Jude Rennie 85
+16 – Ronald Rugumayo 80 (+6) [6], Michael Kok 86
+26 – Fezekile Kana 87 (+9) [6]
RTD – MJ Viljoen RTD