Bland hits the front at Graceland
Southern Cape golfer Sonja Bland has taken pole position in the championship division of the South African Mid-Amateur Championship at Graceland Hotel, Casino and Country Club on Monday.
The George mid-amateur carded an opening five-over-par 77 at the tricky Gary Player-designed layout to edge four shots ahead of Carina Theron from Free State & Northern Cape and will take a five shot lead into the second round over Desiree Earle from Limpopo.
Bland is the lowest handicapped player in the championship division for handicaps nine and under, so seeing her in front was not unexpected.
She erased a bogey start with birdie at the second hole, but lost a second bogey to back-to-back birdies before the turn. “I had a nervy start, as you do, but I settled down nicely after the turn,” Bland said.
“I dropped another at the 10th, but then played to par for the next five holes. The last three holes on the homestretch are extremely tricky, but I was a little disappointed to bogey 16 and drop two shots at the 18th.
“I hit a pretty decent tee shot at the 18th that landed just off the fairway left. I had about 100 meters into the pin into a slight breeze, but I think the ball was a little embedded, because my nine-iron sent it spinning into the creek. Not exactly the finish I was after, but then again, if you had given me a 77 at the start of the round, I would have taken it.”
Bland said course management is critical at the course.
“They had a lot of rain, but the fairways drained well and you get nice run on your tee shots,” she explained. “But there is so much trouble out there. You have to keep focussed and really commit to club and line. It’s really easy to make a big number at this course.”
Louise Van Niekerk from Border surged to the lead in the B-Division for handicaps 10-18.
Van Niekerk opened with a nine over 81 to finish four shots clear of Michelle Holt from Free State and Northern Cape and six ahead of Mpumalanga’s Patrizia Lombard.
In the C-Division for handicaps 19-24, North West’s Janine Myburgh made 34 points to finish two clear of Gill van der Meulen from Gauteng and fellow North West player Karen Gird.