ZIMBABWE’S leading professional golfer Scott Vincent put on a solid display to give himself a crack at only his third European Tour top-10 finish of the season and a jackpot at the South African Open yesterday.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The 28-year-old fired a flawless five-under 67 at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, to move into a two-way tie for sixth on eight-under 208.
A day after bouncing back from an even par opening round 72 on Thursday with a 69, Vincent, who is slowly regaining his good form after a difficult season, responded superbly by rolling a magnificent seven birdies for his best score of the week.
Vincent, who is playing in his first full season on the European Tour after recently shifting base from the Japanese Tour, will now head into the final day seven shots behind South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
The 26-year-old South African, who won last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, put himself in prime position to claim back-to-back wins on home soil after opening up a five-shot lead at the South African Open.
Like Vincent, Bezuidenhout also fired a five under par 67 at the Gary Player Country Club to sit comfortably at the top of the leaderboard on 15-under 201. Bezuidenhout holds a five-shot lead over fellow countryman Dylan Frittelli and Welshman Jamie Donaldson.
Zimbabwe-born South African golfer Dean Burmester is in a two-way tie for fourth on nine-under 208, just a shot ahead of Vincent who will be aiming to secure his second top 10 finish on the European Tour this season.
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Vincent’s last top-10 finish came in September when he finished tied for eighth at the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura Golf Club to add to his tie for ninth at the English Championship in Hertfordshire, England, a month earlier.
A top-10 finish in the South African Open also promises Vincent a more lucrative payout as well as massive points in the Race to Dubai standings following his tie for 17th at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The 110th playing of the second oldest national Open in golf, with prize money of R19.5 million, will complete a thrilling three-week run of tournaments co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Tour.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s other representative in the South Africa Open, Ben Follet Smith, will begin the final round in a tie for 21st on two-under par 214.
