NATIONAL NEWS - Just a couple of holes into the third round of the Indwe Risk Services SA Senior Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Humewood Golf Club, former SA tennis ace Kevin Curren and Brian Mampies began calling their playing partner ‘Umthakathi’.
“Brian and I were treated to an absolutely world class exhibition,” said Curren.
“David Konzani is a magician around the greens. It’s only when you play with him that you can truly appreciate his incredible short game skills. It’s no wonder he is running away with the championship.”
Konzani carded rounds of 67 and 70 to carry a seven stroke lead into the third round.
He mixed 14 pars with a birdie and three bogeys to sign for two over 74 and moved to five under 211 and the diminutive 55-year-old from Port Elizabeth leads by eight strokes from Mampies and Curren.
“David shot two under in windy conditions yesterday,” Curren said.
The average score was 83, so you have to tip your hat to him. Today, the wind was pretty mild, but no-one really made a move. David must have upped-and-downed six or seven times to save par and the way he handles himself around the greens is as good as any pro I’ve seen.”
Curren took second place with an opening 69 and followed with a second round 75 to hold on to share of second on Thursday.
The Durban Country Club player looked good to finish in second on his own, but soft bogeys at 17 and 18 saw him in a tie with Mampies from Parow Golf Club.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be in this position,” Curren said.
“I don’t think it matters to Brian and I that we are playing for second place. We will have front row seats to David’s victory and hopefully his prowess at Humewood rubs off on us.
“You really have to think your way around this course and strategize your shots. Brian putted extremely well and he made two great birdies at 14 and 15 to finish with a 71. It was a nice contest out there and I’m looking forward to more of the same tomorrow.”
Defending champion Mellette Hendrikse, William Skinner, Schalk Naude and Mzuyanda Zingela finished a distant 12 strokes behind the third round leader.
Zingela was not in the least surprised that his premier and mid-amateur Inter-Provincial partner was streaks ahead of the field.
“I told the guys at the KwaZulu-Natal events in September that anyone who wanted to win the Indwe Risk Services SA Senior Amateur Stroke Play Championship this year would have to beat David, including me,” he said.
“He knows this course and his game is perfectly suited to this layout. He is a great ball striker, but his short game is something else. It’s going to be of fun watching him win this championship on Friday.
“Hopefully my own putter warms up and I can sink a few to give Eastern Province a one-two finish.”
And the man of the hour?
“I had a great time out there with Kevin and Brian and I enjoyed the teasing,” Konzani said.
THIRD ROUND SCORES
211 David Konzani 67 70 74
219 Brian Mampies 72 76 71; Kevin Curren 69 75 75
223 William Skinner 75 78 70; Schalk Naude 73 79 71; Mzuyanda Zingela 73 77 73
224 Tim Hewan 73 77 74; Mellette Hendrikse 72 82 70
225 Ian Espitalier Noel MRI 75 76 74; Ramon Rahme 74 76 75
226 Bruno van Eck 77 76 73
227 Jaco Visagie 78 75 74; Gavin van Aswegen 76 77 74; Jock Wellington 75 79 73; Alex Pillay 75 75 77; Gordon Wessels 71 84 72
228 Basil Naidoo 75 81 72; Lawrence Franklin 75 78 75
229 Francois le Roux 79 78 72; Colin Mavuso 75 81 73; Alexander Anderson 74 83 72; Wilhelm de Kock 73 81 75; Anton Bezuidenhout 72 82 75
230 Duncan Neill 75 78 77; Attie Burger 74 78 78; Norman Phillips 71 79 80; A W Glover 70 79 81; Adrian Kriel 69 80 81
231 Alan Fraser 71 85 75
232 Malefetsane Joseph Lekhasi 77 83 72; Manie Daniels 71 82 79
233 Mark Hair 79 78 76; Peter van Coller 77 77 79
234 Ian Smith 77 81 76; Ben Kleynhans 76 80 78
235 Leonard Pienaar 80 80 75; John Mitchell 79 76 80; Japie Koopman 77 84 74; Christie le Roux 75 84 76; Rajen Sewgolum 74 81 80
236 Derek Reyneke 76 85 75; Richard Bruyns 75 82 79
237 Corrie Leonard 77 84 76; Hugo Calitz 77 80 80; Ivan Palframan 76 81 80; Morgan Phillips 72 88 77
238 Brian Dougherty 76 82 80
239 Hennie Heyns 81 79 79; Ivan Kidson 80 81 78; Colin Weinstein 80 81 78; Neil Goosen 79 81 79
240 Eugene Louw 81 76 83; Henri Swanepoel 77 83 80; Stephen Rossiter 76 84 80; Denis Jones 76 82 82
241 Johannes Fortuin 82 77 82; David John Wakeford 76 83 82
242 Peter Waison 84 75 83; Guilliam van Wyk 83 78 81; Declan O’Loughlin 80 80 82; Ernest Motase 79 82 81; Herman Matthee 78 79 85; Patrick Totyi 78 79 85
243 Hermanus Potgieter 80 80 83
244 Andre Potgieter 77 82 85
246 William Prince 80 77 89
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association
