ZIMBABWEAN golfers Greg Bentley and Sheldon Steyn will join the main field for tomorrow’s R800 000 Bearing Man Group (BMG) Classic event in South Africa after finishing among the top 15 in yesterday’s pre-qualifier staged at Glendower Golf Club in Johannesburg. DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER
Bentley was the country’s top performer in the pre-qualifying round for the lucrative Sunshine Tour event, carding a one-over par 73 to finish in a tie for seventh position with Zambian Madalitso Muthiya.
The one-time winner on the local Zambezi Tour initially found the going tough with two bogeys in his first four holes before closing out the front nine with two birdies and another boogey.
Needing a solid perfomance on the back nine, Bentley managed to save par in the final nine holes to qualify for the main field. Steyn also booked a place in the main field after finishing in a two-way tie for 10th position with Hough South African TJ Bekker.
The duo will now join compatriot Mark Williams who qualified automatically for the main field of 143 players because of his exemption status on the Sunshine Tour.
Namibian Roux Jeffery won the pre-qualifier where 66 golfers were bidding for 15 slots available in the main field after carding a solid round of one-under par 71.
Zimbabwe’s other hopefuls, Ignatius Mketekete and Tongo Charamba were also expected to feature in yesterday’s qualifier, but withdrew at the eleventh hour due to lack of sponsorship.
BMG Classic tournament has been one of the most successful on the Sunshine Tour since it teed off in 1995 at the Witbank Golf Club.
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In 2008, it moved to Ebotse Golf & Country Estate in Benoni, and then in 2009 to its current home of Glendower Golf Club.
Zimbabwean Mark McNulty is a former winner at the prestigious tournament together with South African greats such Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Gavan Levenson.
The tournament also occupies a key place on the South African golf calendar, serving as a timely warm-up for the professionals ahead of the summer leg of the Tour and the events co-sanctioned with the European Tour.
