THE country’s top golfer Brendon de Jonge made a strong start at the shortened opening day of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in South Africa yesterday as he was tied for fifth position when play was interrupted.
HENRY MHARA,SPORTS REPORTER
The players had only returned to the course at 3pm after a delay of nearly three hours, but tournament officials once again called a halt to proceedings at 4:18pm as ominous skies lurked in the Pilanesburg area.
The decision was then taken to call an end to the day’s play at 4:35pm.
Play will resume today at 7:30am, with the groupings remaining the same for the second round.
De Jonge made the early running with two consecutive birdies in the first two holes to move to second position but was undone by a bogie in third, which he followed with an even par score on the next hole to remain at one under par before players were forced off the course.
It seemed like the suspension of play affected de Jonge who immediately made a bogey after the restart at the fifth but two even pars at sixth and eighth that sandwiched a birdie before the game was called off, saw the 33-year old maintaining his one-under par score.
De Jonge is part of a group of eight, highlighted by Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson, who are tied at fifth, and four strokes behind leader England’s Luke Donald who had gone through eleven holes when the match was interrupted.
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The former World Number One birdied the opening hole and then eagled the long second to race to three under par.
After that blistering start, four straight pars kept the 35 year old on three under and two shots ahead of a group Defending champion Martin Kaymer was alone on two under after eight holes.
