South African Dean Burmester plays a shof from the rough during the opening round of the 115th South African Open on Thursday afternoon in Stellenbosch.
Image: Carl Fourie | Sunshine Tour
There will be a proper buzz around the 115th South African Open as day two gets under way in the Winelands, with four players locked together at the top and little room for error at Stellenbosch Golf Club.
Home hope Dean Burmester, currently five-under after a strong opening day, will be first off the tee among the leaders at 7.10am, and he won’t mind that one bit. His co-leaders, England’s Joe Dean (7.30am) and Finland’s Oliver Lindell (7.40am), will follow shortly after — both knowing that a sharp morning performance could reshape the leaderboard heading into the afternoon.
The Stellenbosch breeze that tested the field on Thursday is expected to behave itself early on Friday before picking up later. That gives the Southern Guards man a golden chance to lay down a marker before conditions become trickier.
Burmester will be looking to strike early and put some daylight between himself and the chasing pack ahead of moving day.
“I just have to stick to my guns and hopefully I can produce three more good days out there,” Burmester said.
“You don’t win a tournament on Thursdays, but you can play yourself out of it. I’m happy not to have done that. When the wind is up like this, I enjoy the challenge more. The greens started to firm up, and the wind will dry them out — they’ll become bumpy.
“Going forward, it will all be about where you place your ball on the green and how you manage your way around a beautiful golf course like this.”
Spain’s Alejandro del Rey arguably has the tougher assignment among the leaders, not teeing off until 1.40pm. By then, the wind could be stronger, making it harder to stay among the frontrunners after several big names struggled with the conditions on day one.
Another big crowd is expected after the energy of the opening round, and that support could be vital for the chasing pack.
Defending champion Dylan Naidoo (+3), veteran Ernie Els (+4) and Charl Schwartzel (+7) have ground to make up after tough starts. Despite being on the back foot, they know that early momentum could quickly change their fortunes.