Heinrich Bruiners utilised the services of a new putter and the presence of one of his biggest fans to overcome illness and an average ball-striking day, and shot a 68 to soar to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Fortress Invitational at Glendower Golf Club on Friday.
Bruiners shares the lead at the halfway stage of the R2 million Sunshine Tour event with Robin Williams (67) on 11-under-par.
But it was touch-and-go whether he would even be playing the tournament after he fell ill the day before the start at the classic parkland course in eastern Johannesburg. And that’s when the inspiration of a young man named Cameron, who often follows Bruiners around the courses whenever he plays in Johannesburg, came into the equation.
“On Wednesday I had food poisoning and I really considered withdrawing,” Bruiners said. “But I decided to try and then on the first morning I saw this schoolboy who has generally walked with me whenever I play in Joburg, since he was like 14 years old. He came running up to me and said ‘I just love watching you play golf!’ He’s in matric now and when I saw him I just thought I must push through and put my feelings of illness aside.
“And then on the first hole of the tournament, I stuck it in the hole for eagle from 155 metres, which was just unbelievable and I just decided it was a sign and I must just let loose now. After the second round, I went to him, we had a photo, I gave him a cap and told him ‘you have no idea how much it means to me to see you’,” Bruiners said.
His start was Friday was almost as spectacular as he birdied four of the first five holes and he was six-under-par through 11.
“Even though I’m a good putter, I’ve changed my putter and I really enjoy the new one. I made some really nice putts on the first five holes, so those were good holes even though my ball-striking was average – I hit only one fairway in the first eight holes.
“It was about keeping a score on the board, taking your opportunities and, as the round progressed, I felt more comfortable and started to hit the ball better. I’ve just fought hard as the week has progressed.
“When you’re not feeling 100%, golf is not the biggest thing on your mind, you just want to feel better. So I was more lenient with myself and you kind of get out of your own way,” Bruiners said.
Bruiners went off early at 7am in the fourth group of the day from the 10th tee, alongside Trevor Fisher Jnr, who shared the first-round lead after his opening 63. But the experienced Fisher Jnr perhaps did not have as good a cup of morning coffee as he struggled to a 74 on Friday to slip to seven-under, four off the pace.
Michael Hollick also began the tournament with a 63, and he could only manage a par-72 in the second round, sitting on nine-under-par with Estiaan Conradie and Nikhil Rama, who shot a 67 and was within one shot of the lead before bogeying the ninth, his last hole.
Danie van Niekerk produced the outstanding round of the day, a 64 that lifted him to eight-under-par.
SCORES:
133 – Heinrich Bruiners 65 68, Robin Williams 66 67
135 – Estiaan Conradie 67 68, Michael Hollick 63 72, Nikhil Rama 68 67
136 – Danie Van Niekerk 72 64
137 – Trevor Fisher Jnr 63 74
138 – Daniel van Tonder 70 68, Callum Mowat 67 71, Jacques P de Villiers 70 68, Joe Long 73 65
139 – Anthony Michael 70 69, Kyle McClatchie 68 71
140 – Gregory Mckay 71 69, Malcolm Mitchell 72 68, Dan Erickson 70 70, Ricky Hendler 72 68
141 – Fredrik From 70 71, Toto Thimba Jnr 71 70, Ulrich van den Berg 69 72, Jason Roets 70 71
142 – Robson Chinhoi 72 70, Kyle Barker 73 69, Keenan Davidse 69 73, Karabo Mokoena 73 69
143 – Gerhard Trytsman 74 69, Luke Jerling 72 71, Pierre Pellegrin 72 71, Combrinck Smit 72 71, Merrick Bremner 72 71, Chris Cannon 73 70, Sentanio Minnie 73 70, Kyle De Beer 69 74
144 – Jordan Burnand 71 73, Altin van der Merwe 75 69, Franklin Manchest 71 73, Jake Redman 72 72, Sean Bradley 67 77, Jack Hawksby 72 72, Nyasha Muyambo 73 71, Gerard du Plooy 73 71
145 – Haydn Porteous 73 72, Wade Jacobs 72 73, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 73 72, Adam Breen 69 76, Jean Hugo 71 74, Stefan Wears-Taylor 72 73, Luke Brown 69 76
146 – James Pennington 71 75, Erhard Lambrechts 76 70, Luke Trocado 76 70, James Mack 69 77, Matthew Spacey 74 72, Gerhard Pepler 73 73, David Wicks 71 75, DK Kim 75 71, Martin Rohwer 70 76, Ruan Conradie 72 74, Keagan Thomas 74 72, Siyanda Mwandla 74 72, Jovan Rebula 75 71, Ruan Korb 70 76, Rhys West 71 75, Jacques Blaauw 75 71, Dayne Moore 76 70
Missed the cut:-
147 – Riekus Nortje 71 76, Ruan de Smidt 75 72, Albert Venter 76 71, Aneurin Gounden 76 71, Jared Harvey 72 75, Willie Olivier 71 76, Richie O’Donovan 74 73, Ryan Tipping 77 70, Keelan van Wyk 71 76, Wynand Dingle 73 74, Jonathan Broomhead 73 74, Tristen Strydom 76 71, Makhetha Mazibuko 70 77
148 – Hayden Griffiths 74 74, Nicholaus Frade 74 74, LB Boshoff 80 68, Madalitso Muthiya 75 73, Jacquin Hess 71 77
149 – Adriel Poonan 79 70, Leon Visser 72 77, Vaughn van Deventer 74 75, Doug McGuigan 72 77, Sean Cronje 76 73, Christiaan Basson 75 74, Allister de Kock 73 76, Ryan Cairns 72 77, Hunter Epson 74 75, Stuart Krog 73 76, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 78 71
150 – Siphiwe Siphayi 74 76, Sydney Joseph Wemba 75 75, Tyron Davidowitz 78 72, Steven Le Roux 76 74, Thabang Simon 71 79
151 – Mandla Dlamini Jnr 77 74, Travis Ladner 75 76, Conner Mackenzie 74 77, Drikus Joubert 75 76, Jaco Van Zyl 80 71, Richard Joubert 80 71, Sipho Bujela 78 73
152 – Ben Firth 76 76, Reinhardt Blaauw 76 76, Jonathan Waschefort 78 74
153 – Mutahi Kibugu 75 78, Keelan Africa 76 77, Alphius Kelapile 74 79, Alex Haindl 75 78, Quintin Wilsnach 75 78, Rourke van der Spuy 75 78, Brian Gondo 72 81
154 – Teboho Sefatsa 79 75, Evance Vukeya 78 76
155 – Clancy Waugh 79 76
156 – Omar Sandys 78 78
157 – Michael Kok 77 80, Shalan Govender 80 77, Jastice Mashego 79 78
158 – Brandon-Jude Rennie 80 78, Ronald Rugumayo 82 76
161 – Irvin Mazibuko 83 78, Slenda Sithebe 74 87
162 – Fezekile Kana 83 79
Photo by Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour
