Walters takes one shot lead
South African shoots a brilliant 65 on the East Course
SEASONED Sunshine Tour player Justin Walters shot a near flawless 65 on the more difficult East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club yesterday to lead the 10th Joburg Open by one shot after the first round.
The 35-year-old made six birdies and an eagle – at the par five sixth – to go with a bogey at the par four third to lead the co-sanctioned European Tour event on seven under par.
Walters, who finished tied second at this event two years ago and tied for 24th last year, is in good form after finishing fourth at last week’s SA Open at Glendower.
“I had a really good week last week and I really wanted to build on that coming into this week and keep the form going, and to be leading so far and to be in a good position, I’m so happy,” said Walters.
He added the reason behind his good performances at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington was because he enjoyed the two courses. “I kind of feel at home here. I tend to enjoy the greens a little more for some reason; maybe they just suit my eye a little bit, but also I’m able to take advantage of the par-fives.
“I tend to do that regularly somehow and hopefully I can continue to do that. I generally build it around the par-fives, and if I can play those well and sprinkle a few in here and there around that, then I’m generally quite happy.”
A shot back are six players, including promising youngster Haydn Porteous, who upstaged the growing contingent of young stars coming out of the Sunshine Tour.
Twenty-one year old Porteous missed the cut at Glendower last week after registering rounds of 70 and 79, but he hit back in style yesterday, also on the East Course, with a sparkling, bogey-free 66 for a score of six-under par. An eagle-3 at the first set him on his way.
“It was definitely one of my best rounds as a professional,” said the winner of last April’s Barclays Kenya Open, where he beat SA Open champion Brandon Stone in a dramatic play-off for his only international victory to date.
“I was solid from fairway to green and made a good few up and downs later in the round. The key coming in this week was to make as many pars as possible ... because the birdie chances will come. I’ve always made a lot of birdies, but too many bogeys.”
Porteous was particularly chuffed with his opening hole eagle. “Yeah, I hit a big drive and had about 137m in with a wedge. I was just looking to make a solid birdie to get the round going, but you take what you get.”
Eight players were two shots off the pace ahead of today’s second round where the players will swap courses, with everyone required to play both the East and West Courses before the final two rounds are played on the East Course only. Last week’s runner-up at Glendower, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, is one of the players starting at five-under today af- ter recording an impressive round of 67 on the East Course, which included six birdies. Also lurking is Germany’s Marcel Siem, who made seven birdies, but two bogeys, for a round of 66 on the par 71 West Course.
The runner-up to England’s Andy Sullivan last year, Wallie Coetsee, can also feel pleased with his opening round after shooting a 67 on the West Course, while for- mer two-time champion Richard Sterne came home in 69 blows on the East Course.
Stone, playing alongside Siem and Ernie Els, had an up and down day, making four birdies and two bogeys for a 69 on the West Course. Els played some glorious iron shots, but his putting again let him down and he had to settle for a one-under 70 to be well off the pace.