It’s not just the Springbok team that got the wind from the front in Paris in the World Cup tournament against Ireland, because in Chicago four of the team’s biggest supporters sucked at the back teat in the LIV golf tournament.
After Louis Oosthuizen was joint ahead at six shots under par after the first round and the South Africans’ Stinger team also stuck out their tongues, things went awry in Saturday night’s second round.
The 30-year-old Colombian Sébastian Muñoz scored 63 shots in the second round and is the leader at -13 shots. He is three strokes ahead of Anirban Lahiri (-10), followed by Thomas Pieters, Dustin Johnson and Abraham Ancer, who all combined to finish at -8 at the clubhouse.
Oosthuizen and Dean Burmester (both -6) fared the best of the four South Africans, with Charl Schwartzel (-4) and Branden Grace (-2) also dropping back.
This resulted in the South Africans’ Stinger team (-16) dropping from first position to joint sixth position.
Torque and the Fireballs (both -22) are the new joint leaders, with 4Aces and the Crushers (both -18) tied for second.
The Range Goats (-17) are fifth, followed by Stingers and the Majesticks (both -16).
Kaminski wins PGA Championship
On the St. Francis Links course in the Eastern Cape, young Rupert Kaminski opened his account in the Sunshine Series when he won the PGA Championship by one stroke.
The final round was scheduled for Sunday, but the organizers wisely decided to fit in the last two rounds on Saturday, as gale-force winds are forecast for the Eastern Cape on Sunday.
Kaminski finished one stroke ahead of Matthew Spacey, who surrendered par shots on the 16th and 17th holes that marred his chances.
Kaminski has now joined South Africa’s golf legends such as Gary Player, Dale Hayes, Ernie Els, David Frost and Louis Oosthuizen who have also won the PGA Championship.
Kaminski, who finished on 280 strokes, beat Spacey (281) by one stroke, followed by Ryan van Velzen, Adam Breen and Peter Karmis (all three on 284, -4), with Jaco van Zyl and Aldrich Potgieter tied on 285 (-3).
Smith, Ferguson lead in France
In the European series and DP World Tour’s French Open played at Le Club, the Englishman Jordan Smith and Ewen Ferguson of Scotland lead on 200 shots (-13) after the third round.
They are followed in third position on 201 strokes (-12) by Japan’s Kazuki Higa with Yannik Paul of Germany fourth on 202 (-11).
South Africa’s Zander Lombard (205, -8) remains firmly in the race. His compatriots Bryce Easton (208, -5), Hennie du Plessis and Thriston Lawrence (both 211) and Louis de Jager (212) also make their voices heard.
Nail-biting end for Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup series for women ends on Sunday at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia in Spain in a tense ending with the European and American teams tied at 8-8.
Europe trailed 0-4 after Friday morning’s foursomes, but showed great fighting spirit and fought back to finish 3-5 on Friday afternoon.
Saturday morning’s foursomes ended in a 2-2 draw, but the Europeans won the afternoon’s foursomes 3-1 to finish the second day at 8-8 with the Americans.
