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

GOLF: SOUTHERN AFRICA TOUR: SA trio in top form at SAA Open Championship

/noticias.info/ The stage is slowly being set for another showdown between Ernie Els and defending champion, Retief Goosen, but this year 2006 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Trevor Immelman looks set to join the fray at the SAA Open Championship.

Ernie Els marked his return to form with an eagle and two birdies in his last five holes at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth to claim a share of the four-way tie for the lead with Immelman, Spain’s Carl Suneson and Andrew Raitt from England.

Immelman turned in one-under, playing the back nine first, then got upwardly mobile with birdies on two and four, followed by a superb eagle on the par-four ninth that elicited huge applause from the crowd and cemented his share of the clubhouse lead.

Goosen, who won last year in a titanic battle against Els at the final hole, finished tied for eighth on three-under, the SA number one was the biggest danger on the day.

Goosen eagled the ninth to turn on four under, one shot behind Els and held the outright lead with a three-shot lead at eight-under through 16 holes. After making an 11 at the 17th, the Goose dropped to three-under, but holed a 10-footer for birdie at the last to claw his way back to three-under.

Although Goose poses the obvious threat to Immelman and Els, the leading foursome can expect some tough competition from a number challengers just one or two shots off the pace, including England’s Lee Westwood, who tied for third at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The European Ryder Cup playes is tied for fifth at four-under alongside a resurgent Des Terblanche from South Africa and Sweden’s Patrick Sjoland and one ahead of a group fo seven, including Goosen and rising black star, James Kamte from Queenstown.

Els, who has won the world's second-oldest open three times, was one of three players who shot 67 to take a one-stroke lead before the wind picked up later in the day at the links course.

Gran Canaria-born Suneson, whose mother Paula is English, bogeyed the second and third but clawed back those shots at the fourth and seventh to turn in a level-par 35. He turned up the heat with a run of five birdies in six holes from the turn to reach five under.

But it was Els and Immelman who stole the morning show, taking advantage of the less testing conditions early on.

Els cruised through the back nine on one-under, before making the turn and grabbing a birdie on the par four fifth. With the wind behind him, he then followed it up with an eagle on the 574-yard par-five seventh which catapulted him up the leaderboard and into a share of the lead.

Els said he was longing for the wind to do the course justice.

"I really hope we don't have calm conditions like we had yesterday - that certainly won't do the course justice," he said.

Referring to the blustery weather Els added: "I can handle this and hopefully it doesn't get worse than this."

Immelman was visibly pleased with his 67, but felt that he had thrown away a couple of chances.

“The locals said the wind was going to blow so I really just wanted to hang in there and try and shoot a solid score. I did that on the front, which was the back nine where I started.

“I threw away a few shots on the greens that were a little bit disappointing then on the second nine I took advantage and holed a couple of putts and hung in there. Obviously the highlight of the day was the eagle on the ninth.”

Argentina's Angel Cabrera was four-over after 16 holes, but fought back with a birdie at the 17th to tie for 92nd on three-over. notas_de_prensa_archivo