Davidse leads Joburg Open

HE fired three rounds in the 60s on his way to a share of seventh in the last Joburg Open, and Keenan Davidse was heading even lower yesterday as he led the first round of the 2018 version of the tournament with an eight-under-par 63.

He blazed round the Bushwillow course at the Randpark Golf Club with nine birdies and a bogey to have a one-stroke edge over six players on seven-under.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said, laughing.

“It’s not like I’m shocked. I’m very happy, pleased obviously.

“I didn’t really have any expectations coming into the week. I’m just out here to have fun, so I’m very blessed to be playing well.”

The Davidse family had a rough run of poor health recently, so it was not too surprising that he did not have any expectations.

“When I played the Sunshine Tour event at Simola, my little boy was sick with a bad chest. Then my wife had flu and then I got flu, and lost a lot of weight.

“I couldn’t deal with that and the prospect of the heat in Mauritius last week, so I checked myself into hospital for four days,” he said.

With Bushwillow playing to a par of 71, and Firethorn 72, it is widely held that Bushwillow is the easier challenge. Davidse was not so sure. “Some people say Bushwillow is easy – and I have just shot 63 – but to be fair, it’s not easy,” he said.

“You can’t say any golf course is easy. You’ve still got to hit the ball. The flags were pretty good.

“The rough’s not as up as it is on Firethorn, but it’s a good test. You’ve still got to hit your ball in the right areas and then you have to make the putts.”

In that group on six-under, one back from Davidse, were South Africans Jared Harvey, Erik van Rooyen and Ockie Strydom.

England’s Matthew Baldwin and James Morrison and German Sebastian Heisele rounded out that group.

Harvey was bogey-free in his opener, and credited a mental change for his impressive start.

“I made a mental change in the winter events on the Sunshine Tour,” he said.

“I try and feel like I’m there to compete and win at every tournament now.

“It’s tough to bring that to these big events, with strong competition from Asian and European players. But I try to keep that same attitude, that I belong here and I’ve got the game to compete.”