Smit leads Vodacom Origins of Golf by one going into final round

GOLF NEWS - KwaZulu-Natal professional Combrinck Smit will take a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s last round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at Pinnacle Point Estate and he remains determined to keep playing as aggressively as this golf course will allow.

“I need to just go out there and still play quite aggressively on the final day. There is never a big enough lead when it comes to the Sunshine Tour. I’ll have to go out there and shoot another low round,” he said.

Smit was as delighted as the rest of the field to be presented with a far calmer day on Saturday at Pinnacle Point after a Friday where the infamous wind ripped through the field and into some of the finest golf swings on the Sunshine Tour.

“Today was unbelievable out there. You could actually stand still and make a swing and a putt,” he joked after his third round of 67 to take the lead on eight under par.

His nearest challengers are Malcolm Mitchell and Albert Venter following their third rounds of 67 and 69 respectively.

Smit led the first round, but a 76 in Friday’s brutal weather cost him that position. However, it’s a measure of how tough the golf course played that day that his 76 still put him in a tie for third place. And Smit remained philosophical about his golf in those conditions.

“If the wind blows like it blew on Friday, then this is probably one of the hardest golf courses I’ve ever played. It was tough for everyone that day. But you can’t start doubting yourself based on a day like that. You can’t take it personally. You just keep trusting in your swing.

“I hit it pretty well again and was in play most of the time. I set myself up with some nice birdie opportunities and wasn’t in trouble off the tee, and I’ll just keep trying to do the same. All I can do is control what I can control and the rest will take care of itself.”

Scores:

208 - Combrinck Smit 65, 76, 67
209 - Malcolm Mitchell 71, 71, 67, Albert Venter 68, 72, 69
211 - Ockie Strydom 72, 69, 70, Martin Rohwer 68, 71, 72
212 - Jake Redman 72 73 67, Jared Harvey 72, 70, 70
213 - Jake Roos 68, 76, 69, Jacques P de Villiers 69, 72, 72
214 - Martin Vorster 74, 72, 68, Oliver Bekker 69, 74, 71
215 - Jayden Schaper 70 76 69, Stephen Ferreira 66, 77, 72
216 - James Pennington 69, 77 70, Ruan Korb 75, 71, 70
217 - Doug McGuigan 75, 75 67, Michael Palmer 73, 74, 70, Hennie Otto 68, 75, 74
218 - Bradley Bawden 73, 76 69, Rupert Kaminski 68, 77, 73, Jean Hugo 73, 71, 74, Hennie O'Kennedy 69 73, 76
219 - Keith Horne 74 74 71, Riekus Nortje 72 77 70, Christiaan Burke 73, 75, 71, Danie Van Niekerk 77 71 71, Jovan Rebula 72 78 69, Stefan Wears-Taylor 71 81 67
220 - Keelan van Wyk 77 73 70, Keenan Davidse 72 74 74, Callum Mowat 72 72 76, Matias Calderon 70 82 68, Chris Cannon 75 77 68
221 - Andre De Decker 70 78 73, Jacques Blaauw 74 74 73, Neil Schietekat 72 78 71, Divan van den Heever 76 76 69
222 - Lyle Rowe 68 80 74, Toto Thimba Jnr 74 76 72, Kyle McClatchie 75 76 71, Fredrik From 74 78 70
223 - Therion Nel 72 78 73, Christiaan Basson 73 79 71
224 - Steve Surry 71 79 74, Heinrich Bruiners 79 73 72
225 - Harry Konig 68 82 75
226 - Casey Jarvis 70 79 77, Dylan Mostert 67 80 79, Gerhard Pepler 72 79 75, Erhard Lambrechts 73 79 74
227 - JJ Senekal 75 75 77, Basil Wright Jr 71 79 77, Keagan Thomas 76 76 75
229 - MJ Viljoen 70 81 78, Wynand Dingle 80 72 77
231 - Leon Vorster 70 82 79

Missed the cut:-

153 - James Kamte 79 74, Hayden Griffiths 71, 82, Wallie Coetsee 70, 83, Henning du Plooy 71, 82, Luca Filippi 75, 78, Andre Van Dyk 72, 81, Luan Boshoff 73 80
154 - Kyle Barker 73, 81, Merrick Bremner 75 79, Luke Jerling 76, 78, Jean-Paul Strydom 71, 83, Sean Cronje 77, 77, Benjamin Follett-Smith 76, 78
155 - Jordan Duminy 73 82, James Mack 73 82, Rhys West 78, 77, Adam Breen 71, 84, Alex Haindl 71 ,84, Charl Coetzee 76, 79
156 - Brooklin Bailey 78 78, Richard Joubert 74, 82, Peter Karmis 78, 78
157 - Sean Bradley 81 76, Pascal Gunther 79, 78, Nikhil Rama 79, 78, Siyanda Mwandla 72, 85, Michael Kok 67 90, Quintin Wilsnach 76, 81
158 - Tumelo Molloyi 76, 82, Ruan Conradie 76 82, Kevin Rhoderick 80, 78, Herman Loubser 75, 83
159 - Tristin Galant 79, 80, Dean O'Riley 76, 83
160 - Vaughn van Deventer 80 80
161 - Franklin Manchest 83, 78
162 - Dayne Moore 74, 88, Ruan de Smidt 77, 85
163 - Samuel Simpson 80, 83
164 - Brandon-Jude Rennie 87, 77, Steve Basson 79, 85, Noel Anderson 77, 87
166 - Carlo Heunis 78, 88, Maverick Faber 73, 93
173 - Richard Kruger 83,90
179 - Maurice Prinsloo 90, 89
181 - Steven Le Roux 94, 87
RTD - Brandon Pieters 71, RTD
DSQ - Aneurin Gounden 71 DSQ, Shaahid Mahmed 83 DSQ, Gareth Sargent DSQ DSQ.