Good friends Coetsee and Moore are cooking at Joburg Open
AFTER their respective birdie blitzes in the Joburg Open at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington yesterday morning, all best mates Wallie Coetsee and Titch Moore could talk about were braais and the British Open.
“I looked up at the leaderboard during my round and saw Titch was five under through five holes, and I figured if he finishes well he’s going to celebrate with a lekker braai later today,” said Coetsee, 42, a veteran of 23 years on tour.
“And seeing my buddy shooting the lights out kind of fired me up too and got me making birdies. Great, I thought, we will have a braai. We both love braais. He can bring the chops and I’ll throw in the wors,” chuckled Coetsee, whose subsequent six-underpar 66 equalled the best round of the day on Royal’s longer and tougher East Course. Over on the adjacent West Course, the 39-year-old Moore – he’s also a seasoned campaigner and has been plying his trade in the pro ranks for 17 years – was compiling a superb eight-under-par 63 which tied the best score there, and in his case included an ace at the par-3 fifth hole.
Now the top three finishers in the Joburg Open who are not otherwise exempt, earn coveted spots in this year’s British Open at St Andrews, from July 17-20. And to take part in that – at the hallowed Home of Golf with all its history – would be a dream come true for the two pals, who in spite of their long careers have yet to make it into an Open, or any of the four Majors for that matter.
Warming to the idea, Coetsee beamed: “Maybe me and Titch will both crack the top three this week. Wouldn’t that be great. I’ve never even played St Andrews. Only seen it on TV. Just imagine it, the two of us having a little braai next to the Road Hole!”
Easy-going Coetsee is one of the great characters on tour, and he credits his fine current form – he also played well throughout 2014 – to a move with his family from Tzaneen to Jeffery’s Bay almost three years ago.
“If you can play well in that wind on the Eastern Cape coast (where Moore also lives) you can play well anywhere, and Titch and I practice a lot together down there.
“My wife persuaded me to move to Jeffery’s, and I’m so grateful she did. Up in Tzaneen I ran a paint contracting business, employing about 50 people and it was a lot of stress and didn’t do my golf much good.
“Now I have to look after just one oke – me – and it’s a fantastic feeling.”