Fuente: © Southern Africa Tour
http://www.sunshinetour.com/

GOLF: SOUTHERN AFRICA TOUR: Vaughan faces Stern(e) challenge in Limpopo

/noticias.info/ Bradford Vaughan received the all clear from his physiotherapist shortly after locating his globe trotting clubs and declared himself fit and ready to defend his Limpopo Classic title in Polokwane this week.

The R1-million full field tournament, which tees off from Thursday, 16 to Sunday, 19 November at the emerald green Polokwane Golf Club, celebrates its second year on the lucrative Summer Swing and its 12th year on the Sunshine Tour calendar.

Vanderbjilpark’s Vaughan is quite determined to make it three-in-a-row.

“When I won the title last year, I earned a spot into the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai,” explained Vaughan. “I went over there knowing I was injured and made a real hash of it, finishing stone last. I still earned $6,500, but that’s not what I played for last year.”

“More than anything I want to win again this year. Not only will it take my tally to eight Sunshine Tour events, but I will get closer to the top of the Order of Merit before the co-sanctioned events and I can make a return trip to Shanghai.”

But the man over whose fitness there was some serious concern, knows that he faces some stiff competition this week.

Leading the challenge in Pretoria’s Richard Sterne, back from Europe and making his second Sunshine Tour appearance this season.

Last year the 25-year old European Tour campaigner blitz around the par-72 layout in rounds of 66-71-66-66 to tie for third alongside world number five, Retief Goosen and two-time Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner, Darren Fichardt.

Sterne returns to Limpopo brimming with confidence after a solid season in Europe and having been selected to partner Rory Sabbatini at the World Golf Championship – Barbados World Cup in early December.

With heavy thunderstorms over the last three weeks, more than 60mm rain has left the Polokwane golf course emerald green, creating a buzz that this week will see record low scoring and a gargantuan battle for the title.

The rough is the highest it’s ever been in a dozen years, but the greens are soft and receptive, and it showed in the pro-am scores on Wednesday, that the straight hitters and hot putters are going to have a field day.

Ulrich van den Berg topped the pro-am leaderboard with a eight-under-par 64, followed closely by Omar Sandys at seven-under and Desvonde Botes at six-under.

Werner Geyer joined veterans, Chris Williams and Grant Muller, on 67, while Titch Moore, who finished alone in second last year, tied Lindani Ndwandwe, Doug McGuigan and the winner in 1999 and 2002, Hennie Otto, on 68.

The defending champion received a reprieve from the pro-am to receive final treatment to his neck and Sterne did not play out on all the holes under the Fourball Alliance Stableford format, keeping everyone guessing at how they will shape up in Thursday’s first round. notas_de_prensa_archivo