Viljoen’s brilliant final-round 65 lifted him to 16-under-par for the R2.5 million event, well clear of local favourite Dayne Moore, who shot 70 on Sunday to finish on 10-under-par.

The Serengeti Estates golfer has not won since September 2022 and his emotional triumph on Sunday follows a tough time in which he finished 64th in last season’s Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, the first time he had finished outside the top-30 since 2018/19.

“I needed this win big time and I am very proud of myself for pulling it through. I’ve worked hard for the last few months and it feels really good to get this result. I lost a lot of playing rights last season, so it’s really good to be back in the winner’s circle,” Viljoen said.

The 29-year-old had started the final round with a one-stroke lead over Jacques P. de Villiers and Moore, with the next closest contenders being five strokes back in Heinrich Bruiners, Fredrik From and Kyle Barker.

But neither De Villiers nor Moore were able to keep up with Viljoen as he birdied the fourth, sixth and seventh holes. Viljoen’s only bogey on Sunday came on the par-four 10th hole, cutting his lead to two strokes, but he rebounded superbly with three successive birdies. The coup de grace was an eagle on the 527m par-five 17th.

Having secured an albatross on the fourth on the first day, he birdied the 484m par-five in the last two rounds, and he said his shots on that hole will be one of his favourite memories when he thinks back on his third Sunshine Tour title.

“My shots on four, I almost had a hole-in-one today on the seventh, and the eagle on 17 nearly went in for another albatross, those will be my favourite memories. And also the fans. I played with Dayne Moore on Saturday and so many youngsters were following us around, there was just noise all the time and it was awesome,” Viljoen said.

Zambia’s Moore birdied the first hole to draw level with Viljoen on nine-under, but was four behind by the turn, having dropped a shot on the par-four eighth. A birdie on the 10th saw a two-shot swing and he matched Viljoen with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, but bogeys on 13 and 16 were his undoing.

Despite an eagle on the par-five 12th, De Villiers battled to build momentum as he mixed two bogeys and a double on the last with three birdies, posting a 71 that left him in third place on nine-under-par.

South Africans Daniel van Tonder (-6) and Barker (-5) rounded out the top five.

SCORES:

272 – MJ Viljoen 66 70 71 65
278 – Dayne Moore 70 64 74 70
279 – Jacques P de Villiers 70 70 68 71
282 – Daniel van Tonder 72 70 72 68
283 – Kyle Barker 70 68 74 71
284 – Fredrik From 70 70 72 72
285 – Luke Brown 75 70 71 69, Stuart Krog 72 74 69 70, Lyle Rowe 69 72 73 71
286 – Pierre Pellegrin 75 71 68 72, Heinrich Bruiners 69 75 68 74
288 – Brandon Gildenhuys 73 73 73 69, Keegan Mclachlan 74 73 72 69
289 – James Mack 72 75 73 69, Kyle De Beer 74 71 72 72, Neil Schietekat 74 74 69 72, Brandon Pieters 70 72 73 74
290 – Jason Roets 68 76 77 69, CJ du Plessis 72 71 71 76
291 – Rhys West 73 75 71 72, Toto Thimba Jnr 71 77 71 72, Visitor Mapwanya 70 73 72 76
292 – Danie Van Niekerk 75 75 73 69, Jean Hugo 75 74 73 70, Jake Redman 76 74 71 71, Therion Nel 73 72 75 72, Werner Deyzel 71 74 75 72, Hennie O’Kennedy 73 73 72 74
293 – Stephen Ferreira 78 72 73 70, Bwembwa Chanda 76 72 74 71, Graham van der Merwe 72 71 74 76, Conner Mackenzie 75 72 69 77, Drikus Joubert 75 73 68 77
294 – Sydney Joseph Wemba 74 76 74 70, Njoroge Kibugu 70 77 75 72
295 – Jake Roos 76 75 74 70, Madalitso Muthiya 69 74 77 75, Jack Hawksby 73 73 71 78
296 – Otto Van Buynder 70 74 80 72
297 – Samuel Simpson 74 73 78 72, Francois van Staden 71 76 77 73, Johan Theron 76 75 73 73, Rourke van der Spuy 77 72 74 74
298 – Robson Chinhoi 73 72 79 74, Haydn Porteous 74 73 77 74, Stals Swart 78 71 73 76
299 – Hayden Griffiths 70 79 76 74, Nick Cunningham 74 73 76 76, Gary Kemp 75 73 75 76, DK Kim 75 76 72 76
300 – Ruan Groenewald 75 76 76 73
301 – Promise Sombreiro 78 72 74 77
302 – Kyle McClatchie 73 76 76 77, Travis Ladner 74 76 74 78, Gilbert Chalwe 76 74 73 79
303 – Adrian Andrade 76 75 75 77
304 – Nji Pristhly 72 79 75 78
305 – Ricky Hendler 72 75 77 81, Keagan Thomas 68 80 73 84
308 – Gabriel Chibale 73 76 83 76
310 – Henry Mwanza 73 78 78 81
311 – Tristin Galant 74 77 76 84, Kelly Tembo 78 71 76 86
314 – Basil Wright Jr 72 76 82 84
Missed the cut:-
152 – Terence Boardman 76 76, Christian Kriek 72 80
153 – James Pennington 76 77, Warwick Purchase 76 77, Timothy M Sondashi 74 79, Shaahid Mahmed 79 74, Ruan de Smidt 73 80, Christopher Long 77 76, Pride Sembo 76 77, Tiger Adams 77 76
154 – David Amm 76 78, Ntengwa Mukosa 75 79, Gerhard Pepler 78 76, Ethan Smith 79 75, Adam Breen 76 78, Dominic Musonda 75 79, Innocent Chalwe 77 77, Umar Davids 79 75, Michael Chuma 75 79
155 – Leonard Chibwe 79 76, Aaron Simfukwe Jnr 82 73, Jordan Duminy 78 77
156 – Denmark Mulambo 74 82, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu 77 79, Mandla Dlamini Jnr 77 79
157 – Luke Trocado 74 83
158 – Paul Adam Chidale 79 79, Thabang Simon 76 82
159 – Biggie Chibvuri 80 79, Funga Ebenenzer 74 85, Davison Elijah 74 85, Victor Kachepatsonga 77 82, Steven Le Roux 75 84, Morton Muwowo 80 79
160 – Lwazi Gqira 78 82
161 – Patrick Mwendapole Snr 80 81
162 – Regan Steyn 84 78
163 – Adam Sailesi 81 82, Tongoona Charamba 82 81, Anyway Katembenuka 79 84
164 – Liberty Gumisa 80 84, Keagan Bwalya 82 82
165 – Raphael Phiri 78 87, Dezzie Ngandu 81 84
166 – Francis Musonda 80 86, Beza Daka 84 82
167 – Mapalo Shakemba 83 84, Moses Chewe 85 82, Daniel Delpierro 78 89
170 – Gibson Mutoya 87 83
183 – Benjamin Fouche 90 93
191 – Aadam Hamir 90 101
RTD – Irvin Mazibuko 81 RTD

Photo by Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

The post Viljoen bags third Sunshine Tour title at Mopani Zambia Open appeared first on SportsClub.

Viljoen followed up his excellent 66 in the first round with a two-under 70 on Friday, but still surrendered a two-stroke lead to Moore, whose 64 was his best ever round on the Sunshine Tour.

The Zambian’s hole-in-one came on the par-three third hole, but Moore produced plenty of superb golf as he went bogey-free and collected six birdies as well.

“Three is such a tough hole and I was just trying to get on to the top level, to be honest,” Moore said. “It was 221 metres to the flag and down off the right, and I hit a high six-iron which just came off exactly how I wanted.

“But the scorer at the back of the green wasn’t looking, so there was no reaction. When I walked up to the green, I actually started looking over the green at first. It’s my third hole-in-one and I got one on the Big Easy Tour at Wingate two years ago.

“But apart from being lucky at the third, my putter worked really well, especially on quite a few clutch par putts. And I hit 15 greens in regulation. I’ve been seeing coach Neil Cheetham and he has completely changed my long game, he has helped me a lot. That’s where I was lacking, because my short game has always been something I could lean on,” Moore said.

Moore leapt up to 10-under-par going into the weekend, and Viljoen was also on that mark after 12 bogey-free holes on Friday that included an eagle on the par-five second. But the par-fours coming in proved his stumbling block as he dropped shots on the 13th, 14th and 16th holes, before birdieing the par-five 17th to finish on eight-under-par.

Kyle Barker also had an excellent second round, shooting a 68 to claim third spot on six-under-par.
Jacques P. de Villiers and Fredrik From both shot 70s to share fourth place on four-under-par, while Lyle Rowe completed the top six, notching a level-par 70 on Friday for three-under-par.

Jason Roets was sharing second place after the first round with Keegan Thomas, but tumbled down the leaderboard on Friday, having six bogeys in his 76 that saw him finish on level-par.
Thomas suffered even more, struggling to an 80 in the second round, which left him on four-over-par.

SCORES:

134 – Dayne Moore 70 64
136 – MJ Viljoen 66 70
138 – Kyle Barker 70 68
140 – Jacques P de Villiers 70 70, Fredrik From 70 70
141 – Lyle Rowe 69 72
142 – Brandon Pieters 70 72, Daniel van Tonder 72 70
143 – Visitor Mapwanya 70 73, Graham van der Merwe 72 71, CJ du Plessis 72 71, Madalitso Muthiya 69 74
144 – Otto Van Buynder 70 74, Jason Roets 68 76, Heinrich Bruiners 69 75
145 – Luke Brown 75 70, Kyle De Beer 74 71, Robson Chinhoi 73 72, Therion Nel 73 72, Werner Deyzel 71 74
146 – Brandon Gildenhuys 73 73, Hennie O’Kennedy 73 73, Jack Hawksby 73 73, Stuart Krog 72 74, Pierre Pellegrin 75 71
147 – Njoroge Kibugu 70 77, Conner Mackenzie 75 72, Ricky Hendler 72 75, James Mack 72 75, Nick Cunningham 74 73, Francois van Staden 71 76, Haydn Porteous 74 73, Keegan Mclachlan 74 73, Samuel Simpson 74 73
148 – Keagan Thomas 68 80, Basil Wright Jr 72 76, Gary Kemp 75 73, Bwembwa Chanda 76 72, Rhys West 73 75, Neil Schietekat 74 74, Drikus Joubert 75 73, Toto Thimba Jnr 71 77
149 – Hayden Griffiths 70 79, Kyle McClatchie 73 76, Stals Swart 78 71, Rourke van der Spuy 77 72, Kelly Tembo 78 71, Gabriel Chibale 73 76, Jean Hugo 75 74
150 – Sydney Joseph Wemba 74 76, Promise Sombreiro 78 72, Gilbert Chalwe 76 74, Danie Van Niekerk 75 75, Jake Redman 76 74, Stephen Ferreira 78 72, Travis Ladner 74 76
151 – Adrian Andrade 76 75, DK Kim 75 76, Jake Roos 76 75, Nji Pristhly 72 79, Johan Theron 76 75, Henry Mwanza 73 78, Tristin Galant 74 77, Ruan Groenewald 75 76
Missed the cut:-
152 – Terence Boardman 76 76, Christian Kriek 72 80
153 – James Pennington 76 77, Warwick Purchase 76 77, Timothy M Sondashi 74 79, Shaahid Mahmed 79 74, Ruan de Smidt 73 80, Christopher Long 77 76, Pride Sembo 76 77, Tiger Adams 77 76
154 – David Amm 76 78, Ntengwa Mukosa 75 79, Gerhard Pepler 78 76, Ethan Smith 79 75, Adam Breen 76 78, Dominic Musonda 75 79, Innocent Chalwe 77 77, Umar Davids 79 75, Michael Chuma 75 79
155 – Leonard Chibwe 79 76, Aaron Simfukwe Jnr 82 73, Jordan Duminy 78 77
156 – Denmark Mulambo 74 82, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu 77 79, Mandla Dlamini Jnr 77 79
157 – Luke Trocado 74 83
158 – Paul Adam Chidale 79 79, Thabang Simon 76 82
159 – Biggie Chibvuri 80 79, Funga Ebenenzer 74 85, Davison Elijah 74 85, Victor Kachepatsonga 77 82, Steven Le Roux 75 84, Morton Muwowo 80 79
160 – Lwazi Gqira 78 82
161 – Patrick Mwendapole Snr 80 81
162 – Regan Steyn 84 78
163 – Adam Sailesi 81 82, Tongoona Charamba 82 81, Anyway Katembenuka 79 84
164 – Liberty Gumisa 80 84, Keagan Bwalya 82 82
165 – Raphael Phiri 78 87, Dezzie Ngandu 81 84
166 – Francis Musonda 80 86, Beza Daka 84 82
167 – Mapalo Shakemba 83 84, Moses Chewe 85 82, Daniel Delpierro 78 89
170 – Gibson Mutoya 87 83
183 – Benjamin Fouche 90 93
191 – Aadam Hamir 90 101
RTD – Irvin Mazibuko 81 RTD

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

Photo by Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

The post Moore gets memorable hole-in-one to lead Mopani Zambia Open appeared first on SportsClub.

Viljoen said his game-plan has generally been to hit three-woods off the tee, but the tee-box being moved up on the 484m fourth hole was why he decided to try his driver. And what a decision it was as he notched the first albatross of his career.

“I keep telling everyone it was just two perfect golf shots. There’s a little sluit in the way on the fourth, and I didn’t expect them to move the tee-box up. That gave me the idea to maybe try driver and I hit it over the sluit and into a perfect position. I had 187 metres to the flag and my six-iron only goes 180 and it was a touch into the wind. So I was never going to go too long and I could just swing as hard as I can.

“It came out just unreal and I saw it going straight for the hole. Jean Hugo and the guys on the next tee-box affirmed that it went in like a putt, if it had missed the hole it would have only been by two or three inches,” Viljoen said.

The tremendous round came at a time when the Serengeti-based Viljoen feels like he is getting back to being the golfer who soared to two Sunshine Tour wins and more than R4 million in prizemoney after joining the tour in 2015. But last season was a real struggle for him as he tried to juggle his commitments at home and playing on the Asian Tour and Challenge Tour; he finished 64th on the Order of Merit Delivered by the Courier Guy, the first time he was outside the top-30 since 2018/19.

He completed the season well, though, with top-20 finishes in the Stella Artois Players Championship and the Limpopo Championship. This season he has finished in ties for sixth, 14th and 34th in the three events so far.

“Last year was a struggle, but I have played good golf in the past so obviously I know what it takes. That kept me mentally alive, even though my head was all over the place playing on the Asian Tour, having some status on the Challenge Tour and trying to keep my card in South Africa. I also struggled with my equipment and made big changes at bad times.

“I was in a downward spiral but then I went back to my old equipment and my old coach, Hendrik Buhrmann. Shaun Landsberg looks after the mental side for me, telling me how the brain works and putting that puzzle together.

“So today was the way I know I can play and even though it’s just one round, it’s nice to get a pat on the shoulder from the game. I’m very happy with my round as a whole, I played very solid golf and I can’t see how I would not have a good score playing like that. It was pretty flawless,” the 29-year-old Viljoen said.

His divine moment on the fourth also separated him from the chasing pack, with Keegan Thomas and Jason Roets both shooting four-under 68s. Thomas was bogey-free around the 94-year-old, 6571m course, the only golfer to achieve that feat on Thursday.

Home favourite Madalitso Muthiya was in a tie for fourth on three-under-par after a 69 that included a seven on the par-five 17th. The Zambian is alongside Lyle Rowe and Heinrich Bruiners.

SCORES:

66 – MJ Viljoen
68 – Keagan Thomas, Jason Roets
69 – Lyle Rowe, Madalitso Muthiya, Heinrich Bruiners
70 – Njoroge Kibugu, Brandon Pieters, Hayden Griffiths, Visitor Mapwanya, Otto Van Buynder, Jacques P de Villiers, Kyle Barker, Dayne Moore, Fredrik From
71 – Francois van Staden, Werner Deyzel, Toto Thimba Jnr
72 – Graham van der Merwe, CJ du Plessis, Stuart Krog, Christian Kriek, Daniel van Tonder, Ricky Hendler, James Mack, Nji Pristhly, Basil Wright Jr
73 – Gabriel Chibale, Henry Mwanza, Therion Nel, Rhys West, Ruan de Smidt, Brandon Gildenhuys, Robson Chinhoi, Kyle McClatchie, Hennie O’Kennedy, Jack Hawksby
74 – Funga Ebenenzer, Davison Elijah, Haydn Porteous, Keegan Mclachlan, Tristin Galant, Luke Trocado, Neil Schietekat, Travis Ladner, Samuel Simpson, Denmark Mulambo, Kyle De Beer, Timothy M Sondashi, Nick Cunningham, Sydney Joseph Wemba
75 – Gary Kemp, Danie Van Niekerk, Drikus Joubert, Jean Hugo, Ruan Groenewald, Pierre Pellegrin, Michael Chuma, Steven Le Roux, Ntengwa Mukosa, Luke Brown, Conner Mackenzie, DK Kim, Dominic Musonda
76 – Bwembwa Chanda, Terence Boardman, Gilbert Chalwe, Johan Theron, Thabang Simon, Jake Redman, Pride Sembo, David Amm, Warwick Purchase, Adrian Andrade, James Pennington, Adam Breen, Jake Roos
77 – Victor Kachepatsonga, Innocent Chalwe, Christopher Long, Mandla Dlamini Jnr, Tiger Adams, Rourke van der Spuy, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu
78 – Stephen Ferreira, Jordan Duminy, Daniel Delpierro, Raphael Phiri, Lwazi Gqira, Gerhard Pepler, Stals Swart, Promise Sombreiro, Kelly Tembo
79 – Umar Davids, Anyway Katembenuka, Paul Adam Chidale, Ethan Smith, Leonard Chibwe, Shaahid Mahmed
80 – Patrick Mwendapole Snr, Morton Muwowo, Liberty Gumisa, Francis Musonda, Biggie Chibvuri
81 – Irvin Mazibuko, Adam Sailesi, Dezzie Ngandu
82 – Tongoona Charamba, Keagan Bwalya, Aaron Simfukwe Jnr
83 – Mapalo Shakemba
84 – Beza Daka, Regan Steyn
85 – Moses Chewe
87 – Gibson Mutoya
90 – Benjamin Fouche, Aadam Hamir

Photo by Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

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