Jaco

Van Zyl

The South African journeyman finds himself level with Adrian Otaegui, Antoine Rozner and Garrick Porteous going into the weekend, one back of T4, three adrift of T2 and six in arrears of the leader Pablo Larrazabal. He started his day with 12 pars and a birdie at the sixth hole (his second of the week). But then he struggled. He made bogey-5s at the 14th and 17th holes and although he added a birdie at the 15th he was grumpy enough to lob his ball dismissively into the water after he did so. He has plenty of Leopard Creek CC experience. In 12 starts there he has only twice failed to make the weekend and ticked off three top tens. He was third in 2011 and eighth in both 2005 and 2015.

The South African is no stranger to the top of the leaderboard at Le Golf National. Back in 2015 he tied the first round lead with a 68, gave it away due to a Friday 71, but reclaimed it all on his own with a Saturday 64 (by two shots) before a final circuit 73 left him T3. In those days such a result would have returned enough cash to save his card, but not now the event has a diminished prize fund. So although he took lunch T3 on the live leaderboard (and T2 in the clubhouse) he was only making 35 gains on the Race to Dubai and into 150th. He needs more to save his card for next year. His was, understandably in nasty conditions, an up and down day. He made an early red number at the second, but then added a brace of bogeys at 4 and 5 before a pair of birdies at 7 and 8. On the way home he dropped a shot at the 12th but regained it at the 15th.

This season has been a struggle for the South African who finds himself only 178th on the Race to Dubai and desperate for a good week. He’s found plenty of those on the Sunshine Tour in 2019 (three top fours in fact), but returning to the higher level has represented a problem. He’s made 14 starts, has claimed just the eight weekends, a mere one top 20, but the good news is that was last week when T17 at the European Open and, moreover, he finished like a train. He opened with a 78 for T124, then added 69-71-66.

The South African was a popular outsider for many in the gaming and betting world last week because, away from the glare of the PGA and European Tours, he posted T4 in the Sunshine Tour’s Dimension Data Pro-Am. It was a return to form and fitness for a player who hadn’t made a top 20 on the ET since last May’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and in that home country bounce back effort he had held the solo halfway lead before sharing the 54-hole advantage. Alas he made the cut in Oman, but could only finish T61. This week he might have even greater claims because it was here two years ago that he lost out to Jeunghun Wang in a play-off. He was also T35, with three laps of 71 in a 54-hole event, back in 2012.

The 39-year-old had eight months off earlier this year after suffering a wrist injury and had missed six of eight cuts since coming back. But he took T10 in a local Sunshine Tour event at the end of October and finished T23 in last week’s Mauritius Open with inconsistent rounds of 65-75-74-66. He’ll look to kick on further in his national Open where, by contrast, he’s been wonderfully consistent, making each of his last 15 cuts. That stretch includes three top 20s in his last four starts (all at Glendower). As for this week’s venue, Van Zyl played Firethorn (used in three of the four rounds) when it staged the SAA Pro-Am Invitational - Randpark. He took T6 in 2009 and finished runner-up in 2010 so it’s a place he clearly likes.

Right now, that’s two clear of Matthieu Pavon although another Frenchman, in-form Victor Perez, is also at 5-under with seven holes to complete. Van Zyl ticked three of his first three holes today, stayed steady with a run of pars and another par breaker at 11 before finishing with a birdie-eagle flourish. The South African had eight months off in 2018 with a wrist injury before coming back in September, cashing three times in six starts up to mid-October. He said: “It’s the first round of a new season, so it’s really nice to get off to a good, solid start. I played nicely. After getting back from my injury, I’ve been at it – I think I played six events in Europe in the latter part of the year. It feels like I’m still getting back into it and shooting seven under in the first round is a really good feeling.”

Van Zyl may be mildly familiar to fans that follow the PGA TOUR, as he had a brief stint on the circuit in 2007 after sneaking through Q School on the number. The South African is known mainly for his success on his native Sunshine Tour, where he boasts 10 wins. In 2012, he’s notched six top 10s worldwide, and enters this week 171st in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Van Zyl had a stint on the PGA TOUR in 2007 as a fully-exempt member via Q School, but has since focused his efforts elsewhere. It’s worked out well, as he currently sits 85th in the Official World Golf Ranking thanks in large part to three wins in his last five starts in Africa. He picked up his seat at the table this week via a T2 at the Sectional Qualifier in Surrey, England.

The South African completed 72 holes over three tracks at Montagu Golf Course in Fancourt in 17-under 272. England’s Daniel Brooks, who also closed with a 70, was the runner-up at 16-under 273. Hennie Otto, who shared the 36- and 54-hole leads with Van Zyl, came home in 73 to finish in a four-way tie for third place at 14-under 275. This tournament is the flagship event on its circuit, so the champion is awarded with a berth into the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in August. Although he was a PGA TOUR member in 2007, Van Zyl will be making his debut at Firestone.

In his last 11 worldwide starts, the South African has led/co-led after round one in three and been inside the top 10 in five others. He’s on course to add to that record after recovering from an opening bogey to shoot his lowest score in five starts at Wentworth. Van Zyl connected four straight birdies from the 4th hole and made further gains on the back-nine par 5s at 12 and 17. He hit 14 greens in regulation today after piping 9 (of 14) fairways and was 3-for-4 in scrambling. Although he holds the clubhouse lead, Scott Hend is two shots in front at 7-under with a hole to play.