BRENDON DE JONGE was on the verge of his first top 10 finish of the season on the PGA Tour after jumping a further 15 places from 31st to 16th on the leaderboard after the third round of the Farmers’ Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego on Sunday.
Report by Daniel Nhakaniso
The top-ranked US-based Zimbabwean golfer carded a third round one-over-par 73 to finish on six-under-par 213 and when play was called off, De Jonge had completed 13 holes in the fourth round.
De Jonge’s performance this weekend ensured a commendable comeback.
In the past, he has been labelled a poor finisher due to his poor performances in the latter stages of tournaments.
This weekend De Jonge, however, did the opposite as he had looked set to miss the cut for the first time this season with an opening two-over-par 74 on Thursday to finish the first round tied for 123rd.
De Jonge brought himself back into contention in Saturday’s second round where he carded a five-under-par 66 jumping an impressive 92 places on the leaderboard to a respectable position 31.
The Farmers’ Insurance Open was expected to go into the fifth day late yesterday (US time) with De Jonge expected to finish the last five holes on the tough Torrey Pines South Course.
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Fog wiped out all but five minutes of day three’s play on Saturday. The third round and a large chunk of the fourth was completed on Sunday before darkness fell.
De Jonge was 11 shots behind runaway leader and former world number one Tiger Woods, who was on course to register his first win of the season in his first PGA Tour appearance this season.
An impressive Woods was 17 under-par with 11 holes to play – six shots clear of nearest challengers and compatriots Brandt Snedeker and Nick Watney.
Meanwhile, on the Sunshine Tour, Zimbabwean golfer Ryan Cairns enjoyed a good start to his season after finishing in a tie for 23rd at the Telkom PGA Pro-Am at Centurion Country Club on Friday in Tshwane, South Africa.
Cairns, who finished as the leading Zimbabwean golfer on the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit standings last season finished on eight-under-par 208 to walk away with R7 160 for his efforts.
