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Home cooking sees Coetzee ‘sizzle’ at SAA Pro-Am Invitational

Posted by Big G under Buyers Guide, General, Latest Golf News, Mens Pro Golf

Nothing like a little home cooking to add spice to a home game. And that’s the recipe for success Charl Coetzee (pictured below) rustled up in the first round of the SAA Pro-Am Invitational at Paarl Golf Club Club.

Given a choice, Coetzee might rather be playing on the Nationwide Tour where the Northwest Pennsylvania Classic is in progress. This is, after all, where he has been plying his trade over the last four months.

But, truth be told, the Capetonian is more than happy to be back in the next best place to be – country of braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and seafood.

The fact that Coetzee posted a good number in the first round – a four-under-par 68 – in a tough field that includes world number 64 Richard Sterne and this season’s winners Mark Murless, Mark Cayeux and Jean Hugo, represented an added bonus in what essentially is a working vacation for the 27-year old.

Coetzee shares the top-spot on the first round leaderboard with a decidedly international flavour with unheralded Sunshine Tour rookie Richard Kemp of England and Zimbabwe’s Tongoona Charamba.

The leading duo hold a one-stroke lead over former Nashua Masters and Telkom PGA Championship winner Warren Abery, Grant Muller, Johan Etsebeth, Thabang Simon and Derick Petersen and have a two-shot bulge over Omar Sandys, Steve Basson, Rossouw Loubser, Dale Burraston, Murless and Boland rookie, Oliver Bekker.

Another five players are jammed at one-under-par 71, including International Athlete Management stable mate Jake Roos and Sterne, who dropped three shots against four birdies.

“I love playing on the Sunshine Tour,” said Coetzee, who is home for a two-month stint before he travels back to the USA to face the dreaded PGA Tour Qualifying School.”

“It’s great to be back, to get in touch with friends, family, my coach and to catch up with all the guys on the Tour.’”

Unlike Kemp and Charamba, Coetzee returned a flawless card boasting two pairs of birdies on each nine (holes five and six and holes 11 and 12).

Sunshine Tour Qualifying School winner has settled in San Diego where he trains with Roos, Albert Kruger, Matthew Kent and Tyrone van Aswegen, who broke his duck at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour Gauteng in May.

“Looking at the big picture, joining the IAM program has opened a lot of doors for me,’’ he said. “I have learned a lot in the program and gained a lot of experience from playing in the Nationwide Tour Monday Qualifiers and the Golden State Tour.

“I came here with no expectations. I just wanted to work on my swing with my coach, Paul McKenzie and apply what I’ve learned here at Boschenmeer. Leading has caught me by surprise. Worst-case scenario was that I at least make the cut, but I should talk to soon; we still have a round to go tomorrow.

“This week gives me a good chance to measure my games against some very good players,’’ said Coetzee.

Coetzee is definitely is sub-par in the victuals department this week, but the home cooking might be going into blue numbers.

“I’ve been here about two weeks and probably gained a couple of kilos,’’ he said, laughing.

Kemp, who made four birdies and a lone bogey while playing in Thursday’s early chill, earned his Sunshine Tour card at the December 2008 Q-School. He has yet to qualify for an event, but took full advantage when this week’s qualifier was cancelled.

Although he called his round “nothing special’’, it has put him in a strong position to challenge.

“I’m not thinking about winning, but rather to come out of this with a top-10 finish at worst, to qualify for next week’s Vodacom Origins at Arabella” said the Englishman, who splits his time between Randburg in South Africa and Milton Keyes in England.

“I started well and just played steady; I tried to keep it simple, tee to green and didn’t push. I guess that was the way to play today.

“I picked the right club and right direction,” Kemp explained the only drop on his card at the par-3 17^th. “I didn’t hit it hard enough and left it short in the greenside bunker on the left. Those shots happen, but at least I kept it to a bare minimum.”

Abery and Sterne are well within striking distance though, tied for fourth and 15th respectively. But defending champion Hugo will have to pull one out of the hat after opening with a six-over-par 78 that sees him tied on the same number.

GOLF-SUNSHINE TOUR-SAA Pro-Am Invitational -First Round Scores

Herewith the first round scores from the R500,000 SAA Pro-Am Invitational played at the Paarl Golf Club, Boschenmeer Estate, Western Cape. All competitors RSA unless otherwise indicated:

68 - Richard Kemp (ENG), Tongo Charamba (ZIM), Charl Coetzee

69 - Derick Petersen, Johan Etsebeth, Thabang Simon, Warren Abery, Grant Muller

70 - Omar Sandys, Steve Basson, Rossouw Loubser, Oliver Bekker, Mark Murless, Dale Burraston

71 - Willie van der Merwe, Merrick Bremner, Richard Sterne, Doug McGuigan, Gerhard Trytsman, Neil Cheetham (ENG), Jake Roos, Alex Haindl

72 - Heinrich Bruiners, Jaco Van Zyl, George Coetzee, Neil Schietekat, Irvin Mazibuko, Chuck Johnson (USA), Darren Holder, Dean Lambert, Alan Michell, Christiaan Basson, Johary Raveloarison (MAD)

73 - Patrick O’Brien, Wynand Dingle, Louis de Jager, Jbe’ Kruger, Greg Upneck, Henk Alberts, Marc Cayeux (ZIM), Trevor Fisher Jnr, Bradford Vaughan, Mohamed Tayob, Dandre Neumeyer

74 - James Loughnane (IRL), Grant Veenstra, Ulrich van den Berg, Divan van den Heever, Bafana Hlophe, Kieran Court, Louis Moolman

75 - Chris Williams, Theunis Spangenberg, Michael Dreyer, Pelop Panagopoulos, Prinavin Nelson, Adilson da Silva (BRA), Titch Moore, John Bele, PH McIntyre, Teboho Sefatsa, Don Black

76 - Reggie Adams, Andre Cruse, Vaughn Groenewald, Desvonde Botes, Nico van Rensburg, Brett Liddle, Mike Curtis (ZIM), Tyrone Ferreira, Steve van Vuuren

77 - Jaco Ahlers, Sean Farrell (ZIM), Mike Michell, Josh Cunliffe, Lindani Ndwandwe, Sammy Daniels

78 - Christo Eagleton, Darren Ryan, Ben Fouchee, Nic Henning, Albert Pistorius, Paul Bradshaw, Billy Valentyn, Jean Hugo, Bradley Davison

79 - Clifford Howes, Robbie Lupini, Attie Schwartzel, Gerlou Roux

80 - Shaun Ellis, Juan Langeveld

81 - Ernest Moloi (LES)

82 - Jeff Inglis (ENG), Hilton Appel

83 - Almar Creighton, Ryan Tipping

84 - Gary van Vreden

85 - Clifford Ndou