GOLFING NEWS - A sensational five-birdie blitz at Kyalami Country Club rocketed Fourways golfer Tyron McComb straight to the top of the pile in the weather-affected IGT Challenge Tour’s Kyalami Challenge yesterday.
Play was suspended due to dangerous conditions and eventually called off as lightning lit up the skies in Midrand, but not before the 26-year-old Dainfern golfer shot a flawless nine-under-par 63 to leave nearest his challengers in the dust.
McComb finished three shots clear of Country Club Johannesburg’s Andi Dill and he is four strokes ahead of Sunshine Tour campaigners JC Richie and Breyten Meyer and Glenvista professional Michael Dreyer.
McComb launched his opening round with three straight birdies, but a brace of birdies at four and five got him into red numbers. He turned two under and the five-birdie blitz from 10 plus further gains at 16 and 18 saw him complete the back nine in 29 strokes.
“I left a few birdie putts short on the front nine, including a really short one at nine, but then I remembered a bit of advice my dad gave me for Qualifying School,” said McComb. “I am striking the ball really well and I hit everything close, but just couldn’t get the ball in the hole. My dad told me to use a little more flick in my left wrist and I remembered this when we turned.
“Suddenly the putts just starting dropping; all five birdies were around three metres. At 15 I hit flick wedge well past the hole, but saved par and made a five-footer for birdie at 16. Unfortunately I missed a three meter putt at 17 for birdie, but I made a great up-and-down from the bunker at 18 to finish with another birdie.
“It was such a great feeling to see those short putts find the hole and I hope I can carry that momentum forward on Tuesday.”
Two years ago, McComb won an event in the Race to Q-School that earned him passage to ply his trade on the Professional Golf Tour of India.
He split his time between the IGT Challenge Tour and India and the experience paid off when he earned his card for the 2016 Sunshine Tour. Unable to hold on to the card, McComb had to make a return trip to Qualifying School in March.
“This time I missed his card by five shots and if I’m perfectly honest, it was my own fault,” he said.
“I didn’t graft as hard as I did to prepare for the Sunshine Tour and I paid the price for slacking off. It was disappointing to miss, but I know I will benefit from another season playing the IGT Challenge Tour and the Big Easy Tour events.
“Hopefully I can earn my card through one or the other, but I had to take a long, hard look at the situation and admit it was my own doing. I’ve stepped up my work ethic and I hope hard work this year will pay off.”
Meanwhile Musi Nethunzwi from the Gary Player Class of 2017 produced a two bogey 68 to tie for sixth with five-time Sunshine Tour winner Merrick Bremner, the winner of last week’s Waterkloof Challenge on the country’s premier golf development circuit.
First Round Completed Scores (top 20)
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as AMA:
63 - Tyron Mc Comb
66 - Andi Dill
67 - Michael Dreyer, JC Ritchie, Breyten Meyer
68 - Merrick Bremner, Musiwalo Nethunzwi
69 - Kyle Barker, Juan Langeveld, Matthew Spacey, MJ Viljoen, Erik Van Rooyen
70 - Ivanna Samu, Sheldon Steyn (ZIM), Andrew Carlsson AMA, Luke Brown AMA, Gareth Clements AMA, Paul Boshoff, Herman Loubser, Sipho Bujela, Ruhan Van Dijk AMA
71 - Bryce Myburgh, Matthew Rossouw AMA, Coert Groenewald, NJ Arnoldi, Tyrone Ryan
72 - Patric Dowling AMA, Jason Smith, Steven Ferreira
73 - Brendan Britten (NAM), Heinrich Bruiners, Armand van Dyk AMA, Louis Botha, Matthew Vogel, Shaun van Tonder, Eric Nel AMA, Irvin Mazibuko, Jandre Fullard
74 - Divan Marais, Ruan Korb, Paul Rodrigues AMA, Arthur Horne (SWA), Jacquin Hess
75 - Brandon Cloete, Byron Garvie, Gerard Du Plooy, Matt Westner, Duane Keun, CJ Levey, Dylan Docherty, Tristan Topka AMA, Songezo Sonamzi, Thabi Ngcobo, Jaco Prinsloo, Teagan Moore
76 - Simon Kruger
77 - Arno Pretorius AMA, Wayne Stroebel
78 - Albert Visser, Quintin Crause
79 - Teboho Sefatsa
81 - Eric Park (KOR)
82 - Paulo Serrao AMA (POR)
84 - Dylan Morton AMA, Gareth Anderson AMA
85 - Gary Jutzen AMA, Alex Krebs AMA
85 - Zarko Fabricius AMA, Tumie Motale
86 - Duan Nagel AMA
98 - Theo Odendaal AMA
ARTICLE: LALI STANDER
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