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King David Mowbray Golf Club, 26 September: Trevor Reich earned a slender one-shot lead over Virgil Foster after an opening round of 83 in the Cape Town Disabled Open hosted by the City of Cape Town at King David Mowbray Golf Club on Sunday.
Two Canon Open Series events, two 18-hole leads for Reich. Beginning on King David Mowbray Golf Club’s first hole, consecutive drops at the second and third holes weren’t ideal but not necessarily cause for alarm. Welcome pars at the fifth and sixth followed before untimely bogeys at the 7th and 8th holes respectively.
The ninth was to be the sternest test of the Provincial player’s character as a triple-bogey eight saw him turn in eight-over par 44.
To his credit, Reich knuckled down on the inward half. Despite dropping shots at the 11th and 12th, he played very steady golf for much of the back-nine. Six pars over the homeward nine was far more in line with what he expects of himself.
Though he made a drop at his penultimate hole, Reich was upbeat after his opening round display.
“I had to steady the ship a little bit. I was a little disappointed with what I scored on the front nine but I just felt that if I could grind out pars I would be in a good position,” he said.
Even with the lead, he is determined to remain focused on just trying to play solidly.
“Tomorrow I am looking forward to putting my head down, playing the best golf I can and just grinding it out,” he said.
The second and final round promises to be an absorbing one with no fewer than five players within four shots of the lead. Virgil Foster sits a shot adrift of Reich while Francois Bosman is a further shot behind after an opening round of 85.
Magatye Making Waves
Yolande Magatye enjoyed a wonderful round one. The Fancourt member – playing in her first SADGA event gave a great account of herself as she posted a fantastic 38 points.
She began her round spectacularly – carding a par at the stroke-1 10th hole to earn four points. A three-pointer just two holes later was early vindication of the hard work she’s been putting in with SADGA Coach Carlo Kok. Back-to-back bogeys and three-points apiece to close out her opening nine underlined the fact that Magatye has the ideal temperament for competitive golf.
Magatye’s opening round fireworks continued on her inward nine. A sensational birdie-3 at the par-4 first was followed by two consecutive two-pointers. Unperturbed by a double-bogey at the par-3 4th, she rebounded with a three-pointer at the par-5 sixth. Magatye capped a wonderful day with a closing par which yielded three further points.
Magatye holds a commanding seven-point lead over fellow leg-amputee Craig Moorgas. Were she to complete the win – it would certainly be a great advertisement for not only ladies disabled golf but golf in the Southern Cape too.
Williams Leads Deaf Strokeplay
After a runner-up finish in the Deaf Strokeplay component of the Canon Kwazulu-Natal Disabled Open, Charles Williams is poised to go one better in Cape Town.
Beginning on the par-5 10th, the highlight of Williams first nine was a birdie at the par-3 13th. The Deaf golfer had a mixed bag for the balance of the nine as four pars and as many bogeys saw the First Swing Program Elite squad golfer turn in 39.
The story of William’s second nine was similar to the first: A birdie at the par-5 6th after a wonderful putt offset some of the damage caused by four dropped shots. While one of the dropped shots came at his final hole of the day, the par-5 9th – four pars over the course of the nine means that Williams will take a slender one-shot lead over Cedric Touzard into the final round.
The final round will have a matchplay feel to it as Williams holds a one-shot lead over Cedric Touzard while their nearest challengers are a further 11 shots adrift.
Nokomo In Command
Sisa Nkomo holds a mammoth nine-shot lead over Elvirno Visagie in the Deaf Stableford category. The Dominican School pupil notched an impressive 33 points on the opening day.
A front-nine which yielded 17 points was highlighted by nett-birdies at the first, fifth and sixth. Nkomo maintained his composure superby on the way in as he began the second-nine with a par at the 10th which yielded four points. Two pointers at the 12th and 13th followed before a nett-birdie at the tough par-4 15th.
While Nkomo closed with three consecutive one-pointers, his opening round effort was fantastic and is a testament to the great work he and coach Charles Williams have put in.
There is all to play for in the second and final-round of the Cape Town Disabled Open hosted by The City of Cape Town and there is every chance that the final result in all four divisions could go down to the wire.
