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

GOLF: SOUTHERN AFRICA TOUR: Tipping chasing Limpopo double

/noticias.info/ At the top of his amateur game, Ryan Tipping beat rising black star, James Kamte in a play-off at the Polokwane Golf Club to win the 2003 Limpopo Open. Three years later, he’s back and hunting a maiden pro win at the Sunshine Tour’s R1-million Limpopo Classic.

Tipping arrived at the same venue on Monday with a clear goal in mind; to put his qualifying days behind him.

With the co-sanctioned Alfred Dunhill and SAA Open Championships looming in just three weeks, the 26-year old from Johannesburg wants more than just a top-10 finish to get into the Alfred Dunhill Championship; he wants this title and he wants all the nice things that go with it.

Decked out in fashionable red and white, the soft spoken Tipping made a loud noise when he upstaged some of the big names to take the early lead with an opening six-under-par 65.

Although he was overhauled by 2005 Nashua Masters champion, Warren Abery, who charged to the top-spot with nine birdies and a bogey for an eight-under-par 63, the Tipster still sits comfortably in sole second with the morning draw completed.

“I love this course; I know what to do out there and that gives me a lot of confidence,” said Tipping, “I am really fed up with qualifying. I’ve worked hard and this week I am chasing the title.”

Tipping picked up three birdies to complete his outward nine in 32 and enjoyed a birdie run from the 11th to the 13th before dropping his only shot of the round at the par-3 16th.

“That hole is playing straight into the wind. I took a 4-iron, but hit it right, got it to 10-foot and missed the putt for par. Silly drop. But I got it back at the 17th, when I hit a 3-wood short of the green and chipped it to give for birdie.”

At the 18th, he blocked his tee-shot right and was in two minds about his approach to the green.

“I was in the rough and the lie was a little dodgy, so I thought of going left of the water first and play it safe. I changed my mind and went for the green and left it 5-foot from the pin. I couldn’t believe it when I missed that putt.

“But those are the breaks and you just have to roll with the punches. Tomorrow’s another day.”

There are more than enough reasons to play for this week’s title, with a first prize cheque of R100,000 on offer, as well as world golf ranking points, a two-year exemption and a spot into the lucrative HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai next year.

Among the players in the afternoon draw is defending champion, Bradford Vaughan, who will have more than just a recovering shoulder injury and a slew of challengers to deal with. Not only has the rain returned, but the wind continues to strengthen, making club selection all the more difficult around the tree-lined layout. notas_de_prensa_archivo