Jaco van Zyl heads into the weekend of the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open with a one-stroke lead and a feeling he’s looking forward to building on over the next two rounds at Royal Cape Golf Club.
“It’s the first time in years where I’m really happy with all 14 clubs in my bag,” said Van Zyl, who lost in a four-man playoff for the inaugural Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open title in 2012.
Van Zyl put together a composed and bogey-free 65 to take the lead on nine under par in this Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournament on Friday.
He is one stroke clear of 2019 Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open champion Benjamin Follett-Smith who signed for a second round of 68, the in-form Dylan Mostert who also put together a bogey-free 65 in Friday’s windy conditions, and England’s Ashley Chesters who carded a 67.
It’s been a tough climb for Van Zyl, a 16-time winner on the Sunshine Tour who has won three South African PGA Championship titles and also represented South Africa at the Olympic Games but who through a range of injuries has struggled to regain that form.
His win in last September’s Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge ended a six-year win drought on the Sunshine Tour.
“I’ve been struggling for so long and I just had to try and build my self-confidence and self-belief. I’ve been playing really nicely for a while now and a round like this definitely helps that process,” he said.
What also helps is a Royal Cape course that plays to his strengths.
“This golf course really suits me. You don’t need to hit it miles off the tee and you need to think your way around here. It’s the oldest golf course in the country and it’s right up my alley. It’s just one of those great golf courses. You don’t have much into the greens but it still makes you think. Even if you hit your approach to 15 feet, if it’s in the wrong spot on the greens there are no guarantees.”
With plenty of experience to draw on, Van Zyl is well aware his job is only halfway done.
“It’s always nice to be in this position. We’re only halfway now but it’s nice to have the lead.” – Michael Vlismas
Scores:
135 – Jaco Van Zyl 70 65
136 – Benjamin Follett-Smith 68 68, Dylan Mostert 71 65, Ashley Chesters 69 67
138 – Borja Virto 73 65, Bradley Bawden 67 71, Manuel Elvira 66 72
139 – Martin Vorster 70 69, Velten Meyer 68 71, Daniel O’Loughlin 70 69, Ivan Cantero Gutierrez 71 68, Tom Murray 69 70, Derek Ackerman 70 69, JJ Senekal 70 69
140 – Albert Venter 70 70, Hennie O’Kennedy 71 69, Jamie Rutherford 70 70, Hennie Otto 70 70, Sam Bairstow 71 69, Alfie Plant 68 72, Brandon Stone 68 72, Pieter Moolman 70 70
141 – Louis Albertse 73 68, Conor Purcell 68 73, Luca Filippi 74 67, James Hart du Preez 71 70, Lyle Rowe 72 69, Steve Surry 71 70, Madalitso Muthiya 70 71, David Drysdale 71 70, Darren Fichardt 70 71
142 – Jaco Prinsloo 70 72, Jacques Blaauw 74 68, Niklas Regner 71 71, Lars van Meijel 70 72, Jared Harvey 67 75, Alvaro Quiros 72 70, OJ Farrell 70 72, Mathieu Decottignies-Lafon 69 73, Felix Mory 70 72, Javier Sainz 69 73
143 – Benjamin Rusch 76 67, Jacques P de Villiers 73 70, Stefan Wears-Taylor 70 73, Casey Jarvis 73 70, Euan Walker 72 71, Matteo Manassero 73 70, Gregg Upton 71 72, Victor Rufian 68 75, Ugo Coussaud 69 74, Dylan Naidoo 72 71, Andrea Pavan 72 71, Francesco Laporta 71 72, Jayden Schaper 72 71, Mateusz Gradecki 71 72, David Boote 69 74
144 – Erhard Lambrechts 76 68, Mikael Lundberg 72 72, Joel Girrbach 74 70, Herman Loubser 75 69, Renato Paratore 73 71, Marco Penge 74 70, Chris Paisley 72 72, CJ du Plessis 74 70, Clement Berardo 74 70, Craig Howie 76 68, Clancy Waugh 68 76, Ruaidhri McGee 72 72, Wilco Nienaber 70 74, Victor Riu 68 76, Lorenzo Gagli 72 72, Joel Sjoholm 71 73, Anton Karlsson 74 70, Jonathan Thomson 70 74, Yurav Premlall 69 75, Nikhil Rama 70 74
Missed the cut:-
145 – Siyanda Mwandla 72 73, Oliver Lindell 79 66, Jean Hugo 74 71, Toby Tree 73 72, Max Schmitt 74 71, Emilio Cuartero Blanco 75 70, Stephen Ferreira 71 74, Wynand Dingle 79 66, James Kamte 74 71, Oliver Farr 71 74, Benjamin Poke 71 74, Sean Bradley 72 73, Victor Garcia Broto 73 72, Kristoffer Reitan 76 69, Dwayne Basson 72 73, Jovan Rebula 73 72
146 – Luke Brown 76 70, Kyle Barker 73 73, Jake Redman 76 70, Pierre Pineau 70 76, Ruan Korb 73 73, Christopher Mivis 75 71, Toto Thimba Jnr 74 72, Doug McGuigan 72 74, Rourke van der Spuy 73 73, Keagan Thomas 72 74, Ryan Van Velzen 73 73, Alejandro Canizares 73 73, Eduard Rousaud 71 75, Yan Wei Liu 71 75, Pavan Sagoo 70 76, Rhys West 72 74, Matthew Spacey 74 72
147 – Andre Van Dyk 77 70, Malcolm Mitchell 73 74, Jacques Kruyswijk 71 76, Oscar Lengden 77 70, Anthony Michael 74 73, Trevor Fisher Jnr 75 72, Henric Sturehed 73 74, MJ Viljoen 74 73, Dan Erickson 74 73, Rhys Enoch 71 76, Jaco Ahlers 73 74, Martin Rohwer 69 78, Philip Eriksson 72 75, Michael Palmer 73 74, Rupert Kaminski 70 77, Elias Bertheussen 71 76, Jake Roos 74 73, Joe Long 74 73
148 – Robin Petersson 76 72, Luke Jerling 76 72, Keith Horne 74 74, Christopher Feldborg Nielsen 76 72, Ricardo Gouveia 74 74, Neil Schietekat 74 74, Tristen Strydom 73 75
149 – Alex Haindl 76 73, Marc Hammer 77 72, Keelan van Wyk 77 72, Danie Van Niekerk 81 68
150 – Lorenzo Scalise 76 74, Ruan Conradie 78 72, Adam Blomme 77 73, Heinrich Bruiners 75 75
151 – Estiaan Conradie 75 76, Steven Tiley 81 70, Gary Boyd 78 73, Gerard du Plooy 77 74, Chris Cannon 74 77
152 – Stuart Manley 75 77
153 – Keenan Davidse 76 77
154 – Combrinck Smit 80 74
155 – Robin Roussel 77 78, Merrick Bremner 76 79
156 – Lucas Vacarisas 78 78
157 – Chris Wood 78 79, Callan Barrow 76 81
WDN – Nicolai Kristensen 72 WDN
