Saturday March 2, 2013
Fichardt fires eight birdies to go in front at Tshwane Open golf championship
PRETORIA (South Africa): South African Darren Fichardt birdied eight holes en route to a seven-under 65 and a one-shot first round lead in the maiden Tshwane Open golf championship on Thursday.
The 37-year-old from Pretoria was continuing good recent form which saw him survive late final-round jitters to win the Africa Open by two strokes in East London two weeks ago.
A bogey five on the seventh — the third last hole for Fichardt as he started at the 10th — was the sole blemish over the par-72 7,124m Copperleaf Golf and Country Estate course.
He had five birdies on his front nine of a course designed by South African golf legend Ernie Els and a further three on his second nine before he came to grief at the 357m seventh hole.
“What a funny game,” said four-time European Tour winner Fichardt. “I birdied all of the tough holes on this great course and then I bogey the easiest one. That is how this game is.
“I got a bad bounce off the tee and it went into a bunker. Despite a horrendous lie, I managed to get my second to the front edge of the green, chipped it close and missed the short putt.”
Fichardt is one stroke ahead of Bjorn Akesson of Sweden in the US$2mil tournament with US$310,690 going to the champion of the sixth and final European Tour event in South Africa.
Among those two shots off the pace on 67 are English pair David Howell and Gary Lockerbie, South Africans Charl Coetzee and Jean Hugo, Chilean Mark Tullo and Indian Jeev Milkha Singh.
Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland did best of the three Major winners in the 156-strong field by shooting a 69, Michael Campbell of New Zealand had an even-par 72 and there was a 76 from Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain.
Clarke won the British Open two years ago, Campbell topped the 2005 US Open leaderboard, and 2012 Ryder Cup-winning captain Olazabal was the 1994 and 1999 US Masters champion.
Olazabal now faces a fight in the second round to make the halfway cut and so does pre-Tshwane Open favourite Jaco van Zyl of South Africa, who could manage only a three-over 75, the same score carded by fancied compatriot Thomas Aiken. — AFP
- Gritty Indonesia give mighty China a huge scare
- BAM must stop rewarding mediocrity or be doomed
- Chong Wei urges team-mates to put Cup exit behind
- BAM secretary: It all depends on Kien Keat and Boon Heong now
- Yong-dae believes luckless run in world meet will end in Guangzhou
- Kingston leads, McIlroy in Wentworth woe
- Nicol David sails into quarter-finals of British Open in 35 minutes
- Clock ticking for next golden generation
- British Open: Ramy Ashour racks up 38th successive win
- Malaysia to host 2016 World Table Tennis meet
- English tries hand Rebels first win over Waratahs
- Nadal, Djokovic on semi-final collision course in Paris
- England turn to youth to take on Barbarians
- British Open: Nicol David deals with disruptions for semi spot
- Cruden, Clarke help Chiefs claim crucial Crusaders win
- European football final adds new chapter to Adidas-Puma rivalry
- Former Giro winner Di Luca tests positive for EPO
- Jockey Ahern lodges appeal against 10-year ban
- Giro stage called off after heavy snow overnight
- Ryan Palmer sizzles with 62 to seize lead at Colonial
RSS
