Chronicle Editor
Takudzwa Chitsiga, Harare Bureau
MARK Williams will go into today’s South Africa Open at the Randpark Golf Course in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the best-placed Zimbabwean after he finished the opening round at four-under-par yesterday.
Williams managed to remain in contention and was in second position at some point.
The South Africa-based professional golfer was part of the morning field that recorded favourable scores as compatriot Ryan Cairns also played well, finishing on two-under-par in the morning field.
A total of four Zimbabwean professional golfers are taking part in the world’s second oldest golf tournament. Benjamin Follet-Smith and Marc Cayuex are also taking part in this event.
The European Tour co-sanctioned prestigious tournament that has R17.9 million will run until Sunday.
Cayeux, who is trying to make a comeback after injuries he sustained in a road accident back home near Mvuma in 2010, was exempted for the tournament through medical grounds and finished at one-under-par to make today’s round easier for him.
Follet-Smith, like most of the players who teed off in the afternoon, struggled with his game and finished on seven-over-par to give him little hope to recover today.
The former Mississippi State University student is expected to recover in today’s decisive round in which he tees off in the morning.
American Johannes Veerman was the overnight leader after he carded nine-under-par as Italian Nino Bertasio follows closely on eight under-par.
The South African Open was inaugurated in 1903 after a series of exhibition matches had been played in the decade prior to it.
It is the second-oldest national open golf championship in the world, with the Open Championship being the oldest.
It is also the second-oldest sporting competition in South Africa after rugby’s Currie Cup, which was first played for in 1893.
The tournament was a 36-hole event until 1908 when it became 72 holes. However, for the next 60 years, it was a three-day event as 36 holes were played on the final day. It was only at the 1969 event at Durban Country Club that it became a four-day event – the format it still maintains today.
In 1997, the European Tour co-sanctioned the event for the first time.
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