Lombard storms into the lead

Zander Lombard. Sunshine Tour/Tyrone Winfield

The walk from the 18th green to the first tee box at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate proved to be exactly the reset Zander Lombard needed as he found his rhythm to shoot a 64 and lead the Limpopo Championship by one shot going into the weekend.

The DP World Tour campaigner heads the field on 13-under par with Jacques Blaauw (65) and Deon Germishuys (66) his nearest challengers on 12-under par.

Lombard teed off Friday’s second round on the 10th and said he struggled to feel comfortable as he turned in two-under for the round.

“It was a tale of two nines. I fought my swing a bit on the back nine but still managed that nine well. Luckily there’s a long walk from the 18th to the first and when I got to the first I flushed a three wood down the middle and found my swing again. Then the rest just happened on its own,” Lombard said of a second nine of 30 featuring six birdies that positioned him perfectly for the weekend.

His love of both this Annika Sorenstam-designed golf course and the bushveld has Lombard relishing the challenge of the next 36 holes.

“I think it’s a great design from Annika Sorenstam. You hit every single club in your bag and you can’t just overpower it off the tee. You’re forced to hit to the right areas which I enjoy. I really like that kind of golf. But when you do take risks you get rewarded. I think it’s a great test. And then to combine that with some droëwors and a braai in the bushveld, it makes the week feel like home.”

The phenomenal consistency Lombard has shown on the DP World Tour and his experience will be a key factor on the weekend but he’s certainly not taking anything for granted at a time when he believes world golf is extremely competitive.

“I think the level golf on all the tours has improved. The depth is incredible. When I turned professional 11 years ago a lot of cuts on the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour were made on two-over par, level par or one-under par. Now the depth has changed dramatically. If you make the cut you’re still in with a chance on the weekend. It just shows the improvement and I think the game is in a really good space.”

SCORES

-13 - Zander Lombard 67 64

-12 - Jacques Blaauw 67 65, Deon Germishuys 66 66

-10 - Jean Hugo 67 67, Keenan Davidse 69 65

-9 - Jovan Rebula 67 68, Jacques Kruyswijk 67 68, Rupert Kaminski 68 67

-8 - Ethan Smith 66 70

-7 - MJ Viljoen 69 68, Ryan Van Velzen 74 63, Wilco Nienaber 66 71, Lyle Rowe 71 66

-6 - Fredrik From 69 69, Ruan Korb 71 67, Dylan Naidoo 70 68, Jonathan Broomhead 69 69, Dylan Mostert 70 68, Karabo Mokoena 68 70, Louis Albertse 68 70, Keegan Mclachlan 69 69

-5 - Jacques P de Villiers 67 72, Ricky Hendler 70 69, Gerhard Pepler 70 69, Wynand Dingle 67 72, James Mack 68 71, Luke Brown 70 69, Michael Hollick 66 73, Sean Bradley 70 69

-4 - Willie Olivier 71 69, Leon Visser 71 69, Hennie O'Kennedy 70 70, Peter Karmis 74 66, Martin Vorster 70 70, Robin Williams 70 70, Madalitso Muthiya 71 (-3) [15]

-3 - Conner Mackenzie 70 71, Benjamin Follett-Smith 74 67, Nikhil Rama 69 72, Stuart Krog 71 70, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 71 70, LB Boshoff 70 71, Neil Schietekat 71 70, Danie Van Niekerk 71 70, Luke Jerling 72 69, David Meyers 73 (-4) [15], Travis Ladner 73 (-4) [15]

-2 - James Hart du Preez 70 72, Dylan Kayne 72 70, Toto Thimba Jnr 74 68, Christiaan Basson 72 70, Steven Le Roux 69 73, Kyle De Beer 70 72, Allister de Kock 72 70, Warwick Purchase 74 68, Jake Redman 73 69, Luca Filippi 68 74, Kyle Barker 71 71, Makhetha Mazibuko 71 71, Gerhard Trytsman 73 69