ZIMBABWE professional golfer Micky Hough continued with his good form on the South African golf circuit with a creditable fifth place finish at the Sunshine Big Easy Tour event at Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg.
Teeing Off with Daniel Nhakaniso
The 29-year-old pro, who captured his maiden win at the Big Easy Tour Observatory tournament back in April, followed that up with another solid display.
Hough, who used to caddie for European Tour star Miguel Jimenez, carded identical scores of 71 and 71 in the first and second rounds respectively for an aggregate of two-under par 242 to earn himself R4 690 for his efforts.
He finished five shots behind the eventual winner Attie Schwartzel, the younger brother of former Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel, who claimed his maiden win after shooting 68, 69 to win by a comfortable four shots.
Schwartzel, who has been playing for five years on tour without a win, was delighted with his victory.
“It really feels like I’ve got the monkey off my back. I’ve been playing a lot more consistently, and that’s why my scores are getting better. If I keep playing like this I can pull off a win on the main tour,” he told the Sunshine Tour website.
The Namibian duo of Glen de Waal and Ruan Huysamen finished in a three-way tie for second place alongside South Africa’s Mark Fensham on three-under par to earn R8 260 each.
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The Big Easy Tour, which affectionately named after South African legend Ernie “Big Easy” Els is a rung below the Sunshine Tour and was launched in 2011 to give a wider selection of professionals a chance to play in competitive, officially-sanctioned events.
Hough’s recent good form and his breakthrough win in April have earned him automatic exemption for this week’s Sun City Challenge which tees off tomorrow at the Lost City Golf Course in Sun City.
Hough will be joined by fellow Zimbabwean, Ryan Cairns as the only other locally exempted players in the Sun City Challenge field.
Other local pros, Tongo Charamba and Greg Bentley will however have to play in the tournament’s pre-qualifying tournament to be held at Lost City Golf Course today.
Big Easy Tour — Houghton Golf Club Leaderboard 1 Attie Schwartzel (SA) -7 R14 000 T2 Glen de Waal (NAM) -3 R8 260 T2 Ruan Huysamen (NAM) -3 R8 260 T2 Mark Fensham (SA) -3 R8 260 5 Micky Hough (ZIM) -2 R4 690 T6 Divan Gerber (SA) -1 R3 290 T6 Thabo Maseko -1 R3 290
