Tag: Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Watch: Jamie Donaldson misses course record at Gary Player CC by inches, leads South African Open

Donaldson needed to chip in on the final hole to equal Lee Westwood’s mark and nearly did so.

Another day, another 67, another spot at the top of the South African Open leaderboard for Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

And if not for missing a short putt on the final hole of the day, Bezuidenhout — who won last week on the Sunshine/Euro Tour swing at the Alfred Dunhill Championship — would be alone at the top.

Even with the gaffe, the South African is tied with Welshman Jamie Donaldson at 10 under at the tournament’s midpoint. Bezuidenhout played bogey-free golf on Friday, posting three birdies on the front nine and two more on the back.

Meanwhile, Donaldson had 10 birdies on the day and finished a stroke off the course record at Gary Player Country Club. Lee Westwood set the course record in 2011.

Donaldson needed to chip in on the final hole to equal Westwood’s mark and nearly did so.

Meanwhile, Dylan Frittelli is just one shot off the lead after firing his second 68. While Frittelli needed a torrid back in his opening round after posting three bogeys on the front, he took a simpler approach on Friday — adding just one bogey to five birdies.

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout maintains his roll, tied for lead at South African Open

Bezuidenhout is continuing to prove worthy of his top 50 ranking with his early play at this week’s South African Open.

With a victory in last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, Christian Bezuidenhout propelled himself back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

He’s continuing to prove worthy of that ranking with his early play at this week’s South African Open. Bezuidenhout recorded five birdies through his first nine holes and is one of six players who finished the day at 5 under.

The event, which is facing European Tour competition from the Golf in Dubai Championship this week, is being held at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, about three hours away from Bezuidenhout’s hometown of Delmas.

Others who finished with a 67 on the day were Jacques Kruyswijk, Dean Burmester, Matthias Schwab, Aron Zemmer and Ruan Korb.

Dylan Frittelli is just one off the pace, tied with Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.

Bezuidenhout, who is the highest-ranked player in the field at this event, has plenty to play for. He’s at No. 41 in the OWGR and No. 50 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He’s also No. 9 in the Road to Dubai points standings.

His only slip-up on the day came on No. 3 as he missed an eight-foot par putt.

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout keeps his composure, wins Dunhill Championship to get back in top 50

While others struggled with windy conditions in South Africa, Bezuidenhout used a final-round 69 to take the title.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout didn’t win the Alfred Dunhill Championship as much as he made sure not to lose it.

While others struggled with windy conditions at the picturesque Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa, the 26-year-old Bezuidenhout maintained his composure in his home country and used a final-round 69 to take the title, his second on the European Tour.

Bezuidenhout finished at 14 under for the event, four strokes better than a pack of four that included second- and third-round leader Adrian Meronk.

Richard Bland, Sean Crocker and another South African Jayden Schaper tied with Meronk for second place at 10 under.

“It’s incredible. This tournament has been close to my heart since I played it for the first time,” Bezuidenhout said.  “It’s always been a tournament I wanted to win.”

With the victory, Bezuidenhout gets back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Meronk, who was looking to become the first Polish winner in the European Tour’s history, struggled with the pressure on, finishing with a final-round 76.

“I’m a little bit disappointed today with the back nine, obviously,” Meronk said. “But if I look back on it, it’s a solid week. The best of my career so far.”

A South African swing of the European Tour continues next week at the historic South African Open at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, an event that started in 1903 and is the second-oldest national golf championship — after the British Open.

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See this: Amazing wildlife, South African scenery take center stage at Euro/Sunshine Tour event

The setting is so spectacular because just across the river sits Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves.

Those channel surfing for sports on Thanksgiving morning might have thought the Discover Channel had taken over the Golf Channel for a bit.

Instead, the amazing scenes were from the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Golf Club in Malelane, South Africa.

The course sits in a small enclave along the Crocodile River near Malelane, a small farming town in the northeast part of the country. The setting is so spectacular because just across the river sits Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves. Included in the many animals that roam Kruger — lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffaloes.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is the highest-ranked player in the field this week (No 61 in Official World Golf Ranking, No. 92 in Golfweek/Sagarin rankings) while Robin Roussel and Adrian Meronk each shot a 65 to take the early lead on Thursday.

“There is so much good vibes here,” said Roussel, a Frenchman who has three pro wins to his credit, including one on the Challenge Tour.

The setting is simply amazing.

 

Joel Dahmen, others outside Golfweek/Sagarin top 30 in contention at TPC Southwind

A handful of golfers ranked outside the top 30 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings still in contention at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout began Saturday’s third round at even par, and Joel Dahmen was 1-under.

But Bezuidenhout and Dahmen vaulted themselves toward the top of the leaderboard at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational with strong performances.

Bezuidenhout shot a 6-under 64 and Dahmen had a 5-under 65 as they moved into a tie for 10th at 6 under, six shots behind leader Brendon Todd.

They headline a handful of golfers ranked outside the top 30 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings still in contention for the tournament title.

Todd, No. 45 in the rankings (51 in OWGR), is 12-under, one stroke ahead of Byeong Hun An, who is 87th (62nd in OWGR).

Tom Lewis, who ranks 173rd according to Golfweek/Sagarin, tied a TPC Southwind record with a 9-under 61 and is tied for 10th at 6-under.

FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Leaderboard | Photos

Neither Dahmen, who is No. 31 in Golfweek/Sagarin, nor Bezuidenhout, who is No. 75th, has won on the PGA Tour.

Dahmen said he fully expected to play well at TPC Southwind.

“I expect myself to be in the top 10,” he said. “This is a great golf course for me, you don’t have to be a bomber. Iron play is important out here, driving in the fairway and that’s what I do well. I expected to play well this week. This course fits everything I’m supposed to be good at.”

For Dahmen, this week has special meaning because it’s his first appearance in a World Golf Championships field.

“Well, first is nice, so that means a lot there,” said Dahmen, who earned his PGA Tour card in 2017. “World rankings points are huge. I’m only a couple good weeks away from the Tour Championship as well, so that means a lot. That’s all stuff you add up Sunday evening. Hopefully, I don’t think about it too much (Sunday), but yeah if I get off to a hot start, then all those things come with it, for sure.”

In May, during a friendly round of golf at Mesa Country Club in Arizona, Dahmen set the course record with a 58. He said Saturday’s 65 felt very similar.

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“I hit it the same way, I just made a ton of 4- to 10-footers all day,” Dahmen said. “I made a couple longer putts today, but kind of similar. When you get hot you just try to stay out of your own way at that point.”

Bezuidenhout, who plays on the European Tour, made seven birdies Saturday and one bogey. His final birdie came on the last hole of his round and came from 19 feet away from the cup.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

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Graeme McDowell, Collin Morikawa among four joining 2020 Masters field

Graeme McDowell, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Christiaan Bezuidenhout were the final four to qualify for the Masters in November.

Buried beneath the news that Augusta National Golf Club “intends” to play the Masters during the week of November 9-15, the club announced that invites would be sent to professionals and amateurs who “would have qualified for our original April date.”

Subsequently, the club updated its invitee list on Masters.com and the field for the tournament is set with 96 invitees. That includes Graeme McDowell, who finished a career-best T-12 at Augusta in 2012 yet hasn’t played in the Masters since 2016, as well as first-timers Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Those four players became eligible through category 19 of the 19 qualifications standards, squeezing inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings as of March 30.

McDowell was on the outside looking in as the deadline loomed, but even though the Players Championship was canceled, he vaulted from No. 51 after the Arnold Palmer Invitational to No. 49 during the final week of rankings. The move came just before the OWGR froze the rankings as professional golf tournaments were canceled and postponed around the globe due to coronavirus.

Morikawa, World No. 44, was No. 1039 after his pro debut at the RBC Canadian Open in June and climbed into the top 100 for the first time after winning the opposite-field Barracuda Championship. He jumped seven spots after finishing T-9 at API.

Scheffler, World No. 45, had been flirting with the top 50 ever since he finished third at The American Express to jump to No. 51, and he finally broke through with a T-15 at API.

The South African Bezuidenhout, World No. 47, rode a runner-up finish at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and victory at the Dimension Data Pro-Am into the top 50 and held his turf with solid finishes at the WGC Mexico Championship (T-29) and API (T-18).

“We want to emphasize that our future plans are incumbent upon favorable counsel and direction from health officials,” Augusta National club chairman Fred Ridley wrote on Monday. “Provided that occurs and we can conduct the 2020 Masters, we intend to invite those professionals and amateurs who would have qualified for our original April date.”

The total of 96 invitees is larger than the field at the last two Masters, which consisted of 87.

A spokesperson for the Masters confirmed that any winners of PGA Tour events leading up to the November date for the 84th Masters will only be eligible for the 2021 Masters in April. That presents a scenario where a player could win multiple times in the lead up to November — potentially both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open — and not be in the field at the Masters.