MENA Tour’s Elson grabs lead at Jo'burg City Masters
JOHANNESBURG: Precise with his irons and clinical with the putter, MENA Tour’s Jamie Elson fired a sparkling five-under 67 to grab the lead heading into the final round of the Jo'burg City Masters, co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Big Easy Tour, at Country Club Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Two off the pace at the start, the Englishman rattled off five birdies and an eagle (on the sixth) against two bogeys to reach nine-under for the tournament, one clear of South Africa’s Jaco Prinsloo.
Maritz Wessels, also of South Africa, matched the day’s low score of 67 to climb into solo third a further shot adrift as overnight leader Jacquin Hess slipped into a three-way tie for 13th on four-under after a 74 despite closing his second round with an eagle at the par-5 18th.
“I played really solidly the past two days. I’m really confident with my iron-game. I got some really good yardages today and managed to hit some pretty close. It’s just a question of getting it in on the green, you know,” said Elson, who racked up a creditable second at the MENA Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic in April earlier this year.
Coming off a MENA Tour’s threeevent Thailand swing, Elson had more than just the strong field assembled in Johannesburg, to contend with. “The main thing is just working out the altitude,” he said of what he needs to work on going forward.
“You know, coming from the UK, the ball is flying, I would say, five per cent further in the winter time here. I have been to Jo’burg before in the summer time but it was about 10 per cent further. So I have got a little conversion thing in my bag that’s been helping me out and it’s been working very well.”
Elsewhere, Sweden’s Henric Sturehed backed up his opening 68 with a level-par 74 to settle for a share of 13th on four-under, one ahead of Chile’s Antonio Costa, Fredrik From of Sweden and English cricketer-turned-golfer Craig Kieswetter, who shared 16th as Eddy Holland stumbled to a second round 77 after opening with a 68.
England’s Sam Hobday led the amateur division on two over as overnight leader Tiago Lobo of Brazil endured a tough second round, carding a 78 to finish on seven over, leaving himself with a mountain to climb in Thursday’s final round.
An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St. Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.