Sefatsa opens sails on back nine at blustering Copperleaf
AFTER a shaky start at the Els Club Copperleaf, Teboho Sefatsa opened up the sails over the back nine and coasted to a one-stroke lead during round two of the Big Easy Tour Championship.
“I made four threes in a row on the back nine, which was good. I knew something was going to happen, and it did on the stretch – I managed to beat the wind, so I’m very happy,” he said.
Sefatsa has finished outside the money only once on the Big Easy Tour this year. He continued to dominate yesterday, shooting 69 and opening up a one-stroke lead over three-time Nortje.
“Consistency is my kind of thing,” said Sefatsa. “I guess that’s the way my game has developed over the years, hence the scores showing now.
“We’ll let time tell and fate
winner
Riekus dictate for the rest of this tournament.”
Despite good ball-striking, Sefatsa battled blustery conditions over the front nine and dropped at the fourth and fifth.
A well-timed pair of birdies at the seventh and eighth was enough to keep the 29-year-old composed in spite of a further drop at the ninth.
“I got off to a good start with a birdie on one. Then I made two quick drops at four and five, but I picked a few shots back and turned at levelpar. It just kept me in there – I felt that I was still in it and that if I stayed patient something would happen,” he said.
The Glendower Golf Club professional rode the wind over the back stretch. He birdied the 13th before soaring into the lead with an eagle at the par-five 15th.
“I took driver, three-wood to about six foot and made a nice putt. I went straight to five [under] from there and birdied the next.
“Unfortunately I three-putted 18 to finish five-under, but it’s been a good two rounds,” he said.
Nortje also carded 69 for the day.
Birdies at 16 and 17 pushed him up the leader board to finish four-under.
The rookie is second in earnings on the tour, and sole second will secure him the Order of Merit title.
Tyrone Ryan shot a respectable 71 to finish a further stroke adrift. The lead has been five-under for the last two rounds, which means he is in with a chance tomorrow.
Mark Williams carded 71, which puts him in sole fourth, while Ross Wellington and overnight leader Francois Coetzee finished fifth at oneunder.