Martin Rohwer is eager to start the new season well and get up the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy as soon as he can and the four-time Sunshine Tour winner surged to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun City on Wednesday.
Rohwer, who began his round with an eagle on the par-five 10th, fired a five-under-par 67 at the Gary Player Country Club to claim a one-stroke lead after the first day of the third event so far this season.
The Kloof Country Club member hit a 270m drive on the 505m 10th and then hit a hybrid just short of the green, from where he sank his chip for the eagle-three. He birdied the next par-five, the 14th and then gathered three successive birdies on the 18th, first and second holes. His final birdie came on the par-four sixth, while he only dropped two shots, making fives on the par-four 13th and eighth holes.
“Obviously it was a great start, chipping straight up the hill into the hole for an eagle on my first and I played some solid golf after that too,” Rohwer said.
“It was a very cold morning but then it warmed up and there was really not much wind, it was a lovely benign day.
“I drove the ball really well today, which is obviously a big advantage at Gary Player Country Club because then your second shots are not too difficult. This course does suit my game, I won the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final here in 2022 and last year I had a chance to win this event before finishing third. It’s a fader’s course and I fade the ball off the tee.
“I’m just trying to get up Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy early this season and then I will work on my swing during the break later this month,” Rohwer said.
Rohwer was one stroke ahead of Lyle Rowe and Werner Deyzel, who shot four-under-par 68s.
In stark contrast to Rohwer, Deyzel started his round with a bogey on the par-four first hole and then a double-bogey at the par-five second. But instead of responding with bile, the 24-year-old Deyzel summoned brilliance and played his next 16 holes in a remarkable seven-under-par. He also eagled the 10th and made five birdies.
Zimbabwe’s Stuart Krog, who first came to prominence in 2014 with his tenacious performances in the World Junior Golf Series, shining alongside the most promising Brazilian, South African, Irish, Scandinavian and American talent, was on three-under-par 69 alongside Estiaan Conradie and Sweden’s Fredrik From.
Scores
67 - Martin Rohwer
68 - Lyle Rowe, Werner Deyzel
69 - Stuart Krog, Estiaan Conradie, Fredrik From
70 - Rourke van der Spuy, Daniel van Tonder
71 - Luke Brown, Nick Cunningham, Jonathan Broomhead, Wynand Dingle, Jaco Van Zyl, Kyle Barker, CJ du Plessis, Jacques Blaauw
72 - JC Ritchie, Matthew Spacey, Jean-Paul Strydom, Callum Mowat, Malcolm Mitchell, Neil Schietekat
73 - Sentanio Minnie, Jovan Rebula, Trevor Mahoney, Quintin Wilsnach, Yurav Premlall, Michael Hollick, Jaco Ahlers, Makhetha Mazibuko, Gregory Mckay
74 - Tristin Galant, Ruan Conradie, Ryan Van Velzen, Rupert Kaminski, Jastice Mashego, Allister de Kock, Ethan Smith, Keenan Davidse, Rhys West, Franklin Manchest
75 - Joe Long, Ruan Korb, Hennie O'Kennedy, Nikhil Rama, Thriston Lawrence, Heinrich Bruiners, Jbe' Kruger
76 - Jacob Oakley, Hennie Otto, Jason Roets, Danie Van Niekerk, Toto Thimba Jnr, Keagan Thomas, Ricky Hendler, Kyle De Beer, Alex Haindl, Jacques P de Villiers, JJ Senekal, Trevor Fisher Jnr, LB Boshoff
77 - Leon Vorster, Travis Ladner, Madalitso Muthiya, Jack Hawksby, Adam Breen, Luca Filippi, Stephen Ferreira, Robson Chinhoi, Pierre Pellegrin, Herman Loubser
78 - Combrinck Smit, Jared Harvey, Keelan van Wyk, Otto Van Buynder, Jake Redman, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Christiaan Basson, Doug McGuigan, Gerard du Plooy, Thanda Mavundla, Ruan de Smidt
79 - MJ Viljoen, Samuel Simpson, Teboho Sefatsa, Hayden Griffiths, Jabulane Mabilane
80 - Slenda Sithebe, James Mack, Haydn Porteous
81 - Sean Bradley, Jordan Duminy, Austin Bautista, Stals Swart, Musiwalo Nethunzwi, Irvin Mazibuko, DK Kim, Jean Hugo
82 - Lyle Pedro
83 - Gerhard Pepler, Conner Mackenzie, Thabang Simon, Steven Le Roux
84 - James Kamte, Merrick Bremner
85 - Keegan Mclachlan
86 - Thabiso Ngcobo
90 - Umar Davids
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