On a day of low scores at Mossel Bay Golf Club, nobody went lower than Jordan Wessels whose eight-under 64 earned him sole possession of the SA Strokeplay lead at the end of round one on Tuesday.
Wessels kept a colourful card on Mossel Bay’s front-nine with birdies at the 1st, 2nd and 8th to go along with an eagle-3 at the 5th. Bogeys at the 3rd and 9th pegged him back but he scored spectacularly on the second-nine.
After carding birdies either side of a drop at the 12th, he played his final four holes in just 12 strokes and 4-under par, allowing him to open up a two-shot lead over Nelis de Bruin and Gregor Tait.
De Bruin enjoyed a steady supply of birdies throughout a six-under 66. He picked up birdies at holes 1-3 while he bogeyed the 6th. An eagle at 10 and further red numbers at 11 and 13 maintained his positive momentum. Though he dropped shots at both 15 and 17, birdie-3’s at 16 and 18 canceled those blemishes out and ensured the Wingate member is a factor in the coming rounds.
As will Gregor Tait who birdied holes 16-18 and played the second-nine in 32. Like De Bruin, Tait birdied 11 and 13 but made a bogey at the par-4 14th.
A bogey at the 7th was the only other drop on a card which featured a birdie at the 2nd and a handy eagle-3 at the 5th, the cumulative effect of which leaves him ideally placed heading into round 2.
With three players a further shot adrift on five-under par, a bunfight for the title appears set to unfold.
Photo credit: Ernest Blignault/Supershots
