The wind was an ever-present reality on day one, with only the severity changing throughout the day.

Although they played at opposite ends of the draw, both Moolman and Norris started their rounds equally strong.

Moolman holed out for eagle at the first and made two birdies thereafter, while Norris opened with three straight birdies.

“It was a dream start,” Moolman said, and one which reflected his love for this Jack Nicklaus layout.

“I like this golf course. It’s one of my favourites in South Africa and I always look forward to playing it. On the first hole I just hit a really good second shot, but where the flag is you can’t really see much, so I figured it was close and when I got up there it was in the hole. I’m very happy with that start.”

Norris was just as pleased with his start to this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event.

“I’m pretty happy with everything. I’m hitting the ball nicely. The conditions weren’t easy but I handled it well. I just hit the ball well, gave myself great opportunities and took advantage of those. But I always love coastal conditions. It just sort of balances out the field because it’s about who controls the ball the best. So I’m happy with where I’m standing.”

Their nearest challenger is England’s Daniel Brown whose 66 was a remarkable effort considering he only arrived at St Francis Links late on Wednesday and had no practice round before going out early on Thursday morning.

“I missed my flight on Monday in Frankfurt and couldn’t fly till Tuesday night. I only arrived at the golf course at about 4:30pm on Wednesday and went straight to the physios. So it wasn’t the best preparation but, it’s a crazy game,” he said.

South Africans Wilco Nienaber and Malcolm Mitchell as well as Germany’s Nick Bachem and Scotland’s Connor Syme all finished the day on five under par. – Michael Vlismas

SCORES:

-7 – Pieter Moolman, Shaun Norris
-6 – Daniel Brown
-5 – Wilco Nienaber, Malcolm Mitchell, Nick Bachem, Connor Syme
-4 – Matteo Manassero, Benjamin Follett-Smith, Jordan Gumberg, James Nicholas, Francesco Laporta, Ugo Coussaud, Jayden Schaper

Photo by Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour

The post Moolman and Norris share SDC Championship lead appeared first on SportsClub.

LIV Golf Invitational Portland (LIV Golf Series)

Branden Grace picked up a cheque for $4-million after winning the second LIV Golf event, in Portland. He ended on 13 under after 54 holes, two shots ahead of Mexican Carlos Ortiz.

Louis Oosthuizen finished fifth on seven under and Justin Harding T8 on three under.

Further down the leaderboard were Ian Snyman and Hennie du Plessis (both six over, T29), the winner of the first LIV event in London, Charl Schwartzel (eight over, T37th), and Shaun Norris (17 over, 47th).

In the team contest, Grace, Oosthuizen, Du Plessis and Schwartzel shared $1.5m for finishing second with Stinger GC.

John Deere Classic (PGA Tour)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout secured a spot at The Open with a share of second place at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. The South African finished on 18 under, alongside Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and three shots behind the winner, Poland’s JT Poston.

Dylan Frittelli ended on 10 under (T30), while Dawie van der Walt failed to make the cut.

The Ascendant presented by Blue (Korn Ferry Tour)

MJ Daffue‘s final-round 65 propelled him to 14 under par and sixth place, three shots behind the winner, China’s Zecheng Dou.

Horizon Irish Open (DP World Tour)

Thriston Lawrence finished third on 16 under par, four shots behind the first Polish winner on the DP World Tour, Adrian Meronk.

Oliver Bekker was the next-best placed South African, on 10 under, for a share of 16th.

Justin Walters ended on nine under (T20), Compleat Golfer playing editor Brandon Stone on five under (T46) and Zander Lombard on two over (T76).

Dean Burmester, George Coetzee, Richard Sterne, Daniel van Tonder, Darren Fichardt, Haydn Porteous and Jacques Kruyswijk all missed the cut.

Italian Challenge Open (Challenge Tour)

Bryce Easton finished on seven under for a share of 13th, four strokes behind the winner, Norway’s Kristian Krogh Johannessen, who beat Dane Oliver Hundeboll in a sudden-death playoff.

Deon Germishuys‘ five under was good enough for a share of 21st, while Jacques Blaauw, who led going into the final round, slipped to three under and T30.

Amundi German Masters (Ladies European Tour)

Lee-Anne Pace shared 13th place on six under, nine strokes behind the winner, Maja Stark of Sweden.

Casandra Alexander finished on three under (T32) and Lejan Lewthwaite on four over (T55).

Stacy Lee Bregman didn’t make the cut.

Photo: Steve Dykes/Getty Images

The post Saffas Abroad: Grace celebrates huge payday appeared first on SportsClub.

Oosthuizen’s round at Southern Hills included four bogeys and an eagle at the 13th, while Schwartzel had four bogeys and two birdies.

The South African duo finished tied for 60th on nine-over-par 289 – 14 shots behind Americans Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris, who went on to contest a three-hole playoff won by Thomas.

ALSO READ: Thomas wins PGA after Pereira collapse

Justin Harding and Shaun Norris carded 74 and 75, respectively, to end tied for 71st on 12-over-par 292.

The other seven South Africans at the event – Branden Grace, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Dean Burmester, Daniel van Tonder, Garrick Higgo, Oliver Bekker and Erik van Rooyen – failed to make the weekend cut.

ALSO READ: Oosthuizen signs up for Saudi golf league

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

The post Saffas well off the pace at PGA Championship appeared first on SportsClub.

Shaun Norris, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel are all on seven-over par 217.

ALSO READ: Oosthuizen signs up for Saudi golf league

Norris shot a 74 on Saturday while playing alongside Tiger Woods. Oosthuizen and Schwartzel both carded 73s.

Justin Harding is a stroke behind them after shooting a third-round 75.

The other seven South Africans at the event – Branden Grace, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Dean Burmester, Daniel van Tonder, Garrick Higgo, Oliver Bekker and Erik van Rooyen – failed to make the weekend cut.

ALSO READ: Top six at PGA Championship hunt first Major

Southern Hills is set up for one final showdown.#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/jtcgtOlkKi

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 22, 2022

Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The post Saffas struggle at PGA Championship appeared first on SportsClub.

The South African’s round included three birdies (at the 5th, 11th and 13th) and two bogeys (at the 17th and 18th).

It left the 32-year-old tied for 16th, four shots behind the leader, Rory McIlroy.

ALSO READ: McIlroy seizes PGA lead, Tiger struggles 

Justin Harding, Shaun Norris and Charl Schwartzel all carded a one-over 71 and are tied for 38th position, while  Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace are a further two shots behind (T78).

Daniel van Tonder and Garrick Higgo shot four-over-par 74s and are tied for 99th alongside Tiger Woods.

Erik van Rooyen is tied for 114th after shooting a five-over 75, while Oliver Bekker struggled with an eight-over 78 (T138).

Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images

The post Burmester leads SA’s charge at PGA Championship appeared first on SportsClub.

The 39-year-old South African birdied three of his final five holes to win his maiden DP World Tour title by three shots on 25 under par. As a result, he has climbed from 85th to 62nd in the ranking.

Steyn City runner-up Dean Burmester has moved up from 76th to 64th, with third-placed Oliver Bekker improving his ranking from 134 to 117.

Meanwhile, Sam Burns has moved into the top 10 after claiming his second consecutive Valspar Championship title.

The 25-year-old American, who sank a dramatic 35-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole on Sunday to defeat rookie Davis Riley, had previously been ranked 17th.

Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images

The post South Africans climb Official World Golf Ranking appeared first on SportsClub.

His wife Candice was with their three-week-old baby girl Riley-Grace. Then, as he was battling with Dean Burmester for the lead and falling behind, he saw them. And it changed everything for Norris.

“As we walked onto the 13th tee box my brother [also his caddie] Kyle said to me, ‘Look up there’. It was my wife and baby daughter. I didn’t think they would be able to come. When I saw them I said to myself, ‘OK, now you do this’,” said Norris.

He went on to birdie three of his final five holes and stage an incredible comeback against a surging Burmester who had taken the lead at this point to win his maiden DP World Tour title by three shots on 25 under par.

“I don’t often get the chance for my family to be with me, and for me to win in front of them is an absolute blessing. I can’t describe that feeling and I’m grateful that in my life this has happened for me,” said an emotional Norris.

With a final round of 70 at The Club at Steyn City on Sunday, he provided a fairytale finish to a round that began with him four shots in the lead over Burmester, then seemingly out of the tournament after a slow start, and then right back in it again on the back nine.

“Dean came out of the blocks strong and definitely made me think about it,” said Norris. “Then he overtook me. I didn’t hit the greatest shots and didn’t give myself many chances, but I just stayed patient and eventually it worked out. The birdies were out there, I just had to stay patient. It’s so special to have finally done this.”

Burmester took second place on 22 under par with a 69, and with his challenge ended by a double bogey on the 17th. But his class as a competitor stood out once again as after his crushing six on the 17th and while walking down the 18th still trying to process this, he visibly stopped and allowed Norris to walk ahead onto the green and to great applause. And Burmester was clapping as well.

“This has been 11 years since I won in South Africa,” said Norris.

And then came the tears.

“This is for a special person we’ve lost over the last couple of years. I’m very grateful.”

That special person was Norris’s father, Patrick, the rock in the family who passed away from cancer in 2019.

No doubt when Norris looked up on 13 and saw his wife and new-born baby, somebody else was looking down and filled with immense pride.

By Michael Vlismas

The post Norris claims emotional victory at Steyn City appeared first on SportsClub.

Norris jumped to a career-best 93rd – up 33 from his position last week – in the world after finishing two shots behind Yuki Inamori at the Yokohama Country Club.

The 36-year-old joins Louis Oosthuizen (down one place to 37th), Branden Grace (down one place to 47th), Charl Schwartzel (down two places to 67th), Dylan Frittelli (down three places to 73rd) and Justin Harding (up two places 91st) in the top 100 with Brandon Stone dropping out after missing the cut at the British Masters.

Oosthuizen dropped a spot despite securing a top-five finish at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia as he works his way towards the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in November.

Norris adds his runner-up finish – which saw him add R2.84-million to his bank account – to four other top 10s on the Japan Tour this year where he occupies fourth spot on the moneylist.

There was no change in the world’s top 10, which sees Dustin Johnson remain in first place ahead of Justin Rose and 2017-18 Player of the Year Brooks Koepka.

Photo: Luke Walker/Gallo Images

The post Norris jumps into top 100 appeared first on SportsClub.

Oosthuizen finished T49 at the Singapore Open after sliding back down the field after starting with a 66. His final round 76 saw him finish over par at the Sentosa Golf Club where Sergio Garcia cruised to the title.

Garcia moved up one spot to ninth after winning by five strokes from Shaun Norris. The South African, who plies his trade on the Japan Tour, rocketed up 40 places after his runner-up finish and is now SA’s fifth-ranked player.

Like Oosthuizen, Branden Grace was unable to make good on a fast start as he finished T15 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. After opening with a 72, rounds of 64 and 67 thrust Grace into contention but a final round 76 in difficult, windy conditions ended any hopes of going one better than his second place finish from the week before.

Another South African who failed to produce fourth round magic was Dylan Frittelli although he has the consolation that his T19 finish was enough to see him rise two spots. Chasing a place at The Masters following his breakthrough 2017 season which included two European Tour wins, the 27-year-old shot 74 on Sunday to miss out on a place in the top 10.

Charl Schwartzel was not in action last week and joins countryman Oosthuizen and Grace in dropping a single place.

On the PGA TOUR, Jon Rahm won the CareerBuilder Challenge after a final round 67 helped him into a playoff with Andrew Landry. The Spaniard held his nerve as he rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the fourth playoff hole to secure his second title in the US and move ahead Jordan Spieth in the rankings.

Dustin Johnson finished T9 in Abu Dhabi and retains his healthy lead at the top of the rankings with Spieth third ahead of Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy remains 11th in the world, one ahead of Tommy Fleetwood who moved up six places after defending his title at the start of the desert swing.

Top 10 South African rankings:

25. Louis Oosthuizen
29. Branden Grace
35. Charl Schwartzel
51. Dylan Frittelli
111. Shaun Norris
128. Richard Sterne
130. Erik Van Rooyen
138. George Coetzee
140. Dean Burmester
166. Darren Fichardt

Full OWGR here!

The post South Africa’s top three all drop a spot appeared first on SportsClub.

The 23-year-old followed in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy while beating any countryman to the position after finishing second to Dustin Johnson at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Weekend rounds of 66 and 69 helped his cause as the field played catch-up to Johnson.

Johnson leads by over two points at the top of the rankings from Jordan Spieth, who finished ninth in Hawaii after an opening round 75.

Rahm’s move above Justin Thomas was the only change in the top 15 with Pat Perez moving to 16th spot forcing Tyrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren down one spot apiece.

Louis Oosthuizen, not in action in Hawaii, dropped one spot to 24th in the world but remains SA’s top ranked player. Branden Grace was unmoved in 30th going into this week’s SA Open at Glendower. Grace starts the country’s national championship as the bookies’ favourite but will need to fend off competition from Charl Schwartzel, down one to 34th.

Fortunately for Dylan Frittelli, his ranking (53rd) was unaffected by the first event of 2018 and as he looks for a strong showing at Glendower with his eyes still on a spot at The Masters.

Top 10 South African rankings:

Louis Oosthuizen – 24

Branden Grace – 30

Charl Schwartzel – 34

Dylan Fritelli – 53

George Coetzee – 134

Dean Burmester – 139

Richard Sterne – 140

Erik Van Rooyen – 141

Shaun Norris – 158

Haydn Porteous – 174

Full OWGR here!

The post Rahm up to third, Louis remains SA’s number one appeared first on SportsClub.