Jacques Blaauw decided to take a more aggressive approach to his putting and the result is a chance to claim his first Sunshine Tour title since 2016 when the final round of the Limpopo Championship tees off at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate on Sunday.
Blaauw produced a composed third round of 67 underpinned by some impressive putting to lead the field on 17-under par. He is one stroke clear of Deon Germishuys, who signed for a third round of 68.
Dylan Naidoo produced the low round of the day – a 64 that carried him into third place on 14-under par.
Blaauw’s round was highlighted by a string of good putts from the ninth to the 12th holes where he made three birdies and an eagle.
“I putted unbelievably well,” said Blaauw. “I played with Ulrich van den Berg in the practice round and he said to me, no disrespect but you’re putting too tentatively. All my putts now are going in with speed. So it’s just a bit of speed now and obviously moving down to the short putter makes it a little bit more free flowing for me.”
It also helped that the greens at Euphoria have rewarded good putting this week. “The greens have been really good. They’ve been very pure,” said Naidoo at just three shots off the lead and who got the most out of them on Saturday with his low round.
Blaauw has won four times on the Sunshine Tour, with his most prolific year coming when he claimed three titles in 2013. His last victory was in the Vodacom Origins of Golf in Sishen in 2016. But he has since finished second numerous times and he came into this week’s tournament having finished sixth in the recent Stella Artois Players Championship.
“It’s just keeping on the constant grind and I know I’ll keep on battling in the final round,” he said.
And he’ll at least be able to keep an eye on the preparations of his final-round playing partner, Germishuys, with the two of them staying together this week.
“Deon and I are staying in the same house. So it will be a relaxed evening around the braai before the final round.”
SCORES
199 - Jacques Blaauw 67 65 67
200 - Deon Germishuys 66 66 68
202 - Dylan Naidoo 70 68 64
205 - James Mack 68 71 66, Dylan Mostert 70 68 67, Lyle Rowe 71 66 68, Wilco Nienaber 66 71 68, Jacques Kruyswijk 67 68 70, Keenan Davidse 69 65 71
206 - Ryan Van Velzen 74 63 69, Rupert Kaminski 68 67 71, Jean Hugo 67 67 72
207 - Louis Albertse 68 70 69, Jonathan Broomhead 69 69 69, Ethan Smith 66 70 71, Zander Lombard 67 64 76
208 - Sean Bradley 70 69 69, Gerhard Pepler 70 69 69, Keegan Mclachlan 69 69 70, Karabo Mokoena 68 70 70, Kyle Barker 71 71 66, Fredrik From 69 69 70, Jovan Rebula 67 68 73
209 - Stuart Krog 71 70 68, Michael Hollick 66 73 70, MJ Viljoen 69 68 72
210 - Jacques P de Villiers 67 72 71, Kyle De Beer 70 72 68, Ruan Korb 71 67 72, Yurav Premlall 71 72 67
211 - Benjamin Follett-Smith 74 67 70, Luke Jerling 72 69 70, Madalitso Muthiya 71 70 70, Ricky Hendler 70 69 72, Allister de Kock 72 70 69
212 - Robin Williams 70 70 72, Peter Karmis 74 66 72, Hennie O'Kennedy 70 70 72, LB Boshoff 70 71 71, Luca Filippi 68 74 70, Rhys West 70 73 69, Tristen Strydom 68 75 69
213 - Martin Vorster 70 70 73, Nikhil Rama 69 72 72, Neil Schietekat 71 70 72, Luke Brown 70 69 74, James Hart du Preez 70 72 71, Christiaan Basson 72 70 71, Jake Redman 73 69 71, Heinrich Bruiners 76 67 70, Siyanda Mwandla 73 70 70
214 - Conner Mackenzie 70 71 73, Wynand Dingle 67 72 75, Warwick Purchase 74 68 72
215 - Leon Visser 71 69 75, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 71 70 74, Anthony Michael 67 76 72, Keelan van Wyk 71 72 72
216 - Toto Thimba Jnr 74 68 74, Makhetha Mazibuko 71 71 74, Kyle McClatchie 73 70 73
217 - Willie Olivier 71 69 77, Dylan Kayne 72 70 75
218 - Steven Le Roux 69 73 76, Gerhard Trytsman 73 69 76, David Meyers 73 69 76, Tristin Galant 71 72 75, Tyron Davidowitz 73 70 75
219 - Danie Van Niekerk 71 70 78, Travis Ladner 73 69 77, Simon du Plooy 72 71 76
220 - Ryan Tipping 72 71 77
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