logo
Only 3 out of 11 SA golfers make The Open cut, with Christiaan Bezuidenhout faring the best

Only 3 out of 11 SA golfers make The Open cut, with Christiaan Bezuidenhout faring the best

IOL News4 days ago
Christiaan Bezuidenhout South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout watches his drive from the 17th tee on the opening day of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland. Picture: AFP
The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland has proven to be a challenging battleground for the South African 11-man contingent.
Only three of the 11 players made the cut after a gruelling two rounds of competition. Leading the pack, Christiaan Bezuidenhout maintained a glimmer of hope for the nation despite falling out of contention on Friday.
Bezuidenhout, who shared the early lead after an impressive opening round of 67, saw his fortunes shift as the second round unfolded. Despite starting brightly, the 29-year-old recorded a two-over-par 73 on Friday, landing him at two-over for the championship and tied for 17th place, eight strokes behind American Scottie Scheffler, who surged to the top with a stunning second-round performance.
Scheffler, the reigning PGA Championship winner and current world number one, dazzled spectators with a remarkable 64, which featured eight birdies and only a single bogey, showcasing his prowess on the course even amid challenging, rainy conditions.
'I felt like I hit a few more fairways than I did yesterday, hit some nice iron shots, and was able to hole some putts,' Scheffler told the media afterwards. His solid play has made him a favourite for his first Claret Jug, sitting at 10-under-par.
Joining Bezuidenhout in the weekend action are Dean Burmester and Thriston Lawrence. Burmester, who remained steady throughout the two rounds, posted two consecutive even-par scores of 71 to end the halfway stage tied for 34th.
Lawrence rallied from a shaky opening round to finish with a one-under-par 70, placing him tied for 51st at one-over par.
However, the remaining eight South African contestants have struggled to find their rhythm. Notably, reigning South African Open champion Dylan Naidoo marked his major debut with rounds of 74 and 72, ending on four-over par.
Fellow professionals Shaun Norris and Aldrich Potgieter both finished five-over par, while 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen could not muster a stronger performance, ending at six-over par.
Other competitors such as Darren Fichardt, Justin Walters, Daniel van Tonder, and amateur Bryan Newman all fell well below the cut line, highlighting the fierce competition faced in the illustrious championship.
As the tournament progresses into the weekend, Bezuidenhout, Burmester, and Lawrence will need to leverage their skills to climb higher and make an impact, with the hope that South Africa's long-waiting major title drought will not extend beyond this year's competition.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EXCLUSIVE: Durban City FC chairperson Farook Kadodia looking to revive Indian community interest in PSL football
EXCLUSIVE: Durban City FC chairperson Farook Kadodia looking to revive Indian community interest in PSL football

IOL News

time27 minutes ago

  • IOL News

EXCLUSIVE: Durban City FC chairperson Farook Kadodia looking to revive Indian community interest in PSL football

Gavin Hunt and Farook Kadodia Gavin Hunt and Farook Kadodia accept a small fleet of BMW's as part of their partnership with the car brand. DURBAN City FC chairperson Farook Kadodia is looking to revive the interest of the Indian community in South African football with his newly-promoted Betway Premiership side. Speaking exclusively to Independent Newspapers at the announcement of their sponsorship from the BMW Durban South on Tuesday, Kadodia insisted that although this is not something he 'wanted to publicise', but felt he it was important to highlight the need for Indian representation in the local professional league. According to Kadodia, when he first formed Maritzburg United (now changed to Durban City), they were part of three Indian-owned teams in the PSL along with Manning Rangers and Santos FC. 'I come from the days where we used football as a method to demonstrate our stance against apartheid. There used to be an all-African league, an all-white league and then we had a league with players from all racial groups in it," said Kadodia. "I grew up in the sort of mixed fraternity where we fought and struggled together. I think football is a lot like that, because it's a fight to stay in this league. It's tough and you need to have your best all the time. But I'm a football fanatic, I don't think giving up is an option."

Competition Tribunal approves Canal+ and MultiChoice's more than R50 billion deal
Competition Tribunal approves Canal+ and MultiChoice's more than R50 billion deal

The Citizen

timean hour ago

  • The Citizen

Competition Tribunal approves Canal+ and MultiChoice's more than R50 billion deal

Canal+ already owns 45% of MultiChoice's shares, and with this deal, it intends to buy the remaining shares for R125 per share, valuing the group at more than R50 billion. French Media giant Canal+ is one step closer to acquiring the remaining stake of MultiChoice, as the Competition Tribunal has approved the deal. MultiChoice's primary business is providing video entertainment through multiple platforms, including DStv, GOtv, and ShowMax. Canal+ already owns 45% of MultiChoice's shares, and with this deal, it intends to buy the remaining shares for R125 per share, valuing the group at more than R50 billion. ALSO READ: Is MultiChoice in trouble? Group reports sharp decline in subscribers Canal+ to buy MultiChoice The approval from the Competition Tribunal follows a recommendation from the Competition Commission that the Tribunal should approve the deal, subject to conditions related to public interest considerations. The Competition Tribunal is an independent body that adjudicates on matters referred to it by the Competition Commission. While the Competition Commission is an independent adjudicative body established to regulate competition between firms in the market, the commission is the investigating and prosecuting agency in the competition regime, while the Tribunal is the court. 'The approval by the tribunal concludes the competition review process in South Africa,' stated the Stock Exchange News Service (SENS) announcement made on Tuesday. ALSO READ: WATCH: DStv's 'R100' advert deemed misleading by regulatory board Deadline for the MultiChoice and Canal+ deal The announcement stated that the parties remain on track to complete the Mandatory Offer by Canal+ within the timeline announced on 8 April 2025, and prior to the long-stop date of 8 October 2025. 'The approval by South Africa's Competition Tribunal marks the final stage in the South African competition process and clears the way for us to conclude the transaction in line with our previously communicated timeline,' said Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+. He added that he is positive about the potential this transaction will unlock for all stakeholders, including South African consumers, creative businesses and the nation's sporting ecosystem. 'The combined group will benefit from enhanced scale, greater exposure to high-growth markets and the ability to deliver meaningful synergies.' Agreed conditions of the deal 'As was previously disclosed, the agreed conditions include a robust package of guaranteed public interest commitments proposed by the parties,' read the announcement. 'The package supports the participation of firms controlled by Historically Disadvantaged Persons (HDPs) and Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) in the audio-visual industry in South Africa. 'This package will maintain funding for local South African general entertainment and sports content, providing local content creators with a strong foundation for future success.' NOW READ: Another year, another decline in DStv subscribers: Will Canal+ be buying a shell?

Striker: Exit the master jockey
Striker: Exit the master jockey

The Citizen

timean hour ago

  • The Citizen

Striker: Exit the master jockey

Peerless Piere Strydom has finally called it a day. Trainer and old friend Sean Tarry sums it up well: 'If you want to learn how to ride racehorses, just watch Piere Strydom.' Racing fans in Gqeberha nicknamed Strydom 'Striker' early in his career – when he was starting out as a jockey in his hometown in the 1980s – because of his uncommon ability to precisely judge the pace of a race and fly up from behind to win by a whisker. His father Hekkie, a former jockey and trainer in the Windy City, lectured him from an early age about a race not being won at the 200m pole but rather at the winning post. The truth is young Strydom won a lot of races by leading all the way, utilising a coastal tailwind to get away – and stay away – from rivals. Indeed, in those days frontrunning victories were a lot rarer than they are now and Strydom was influential in major tactical changes in the game – even after he moved to Joburg in 1889/90 and took mainstream racing by storm. Spectacular career For anyone who missed it, 59-year-old Strydom announced his retirement from riding this week. He has not renewed his licence for the 2026 season and will ride his last race at the Vaal next week. The stats: six national jockey championships, four Durban Julys, seven wins on a card twice and 'five thousand, six hundred and, um, nearly twenty' career wins. The legend: one of the top two South African jockeys of all time, along with Muis Roberts. The pinnacle: beating the best jockeys and speed horses in the world aboard South Africa's J J The Jet Plane at Sha Tin in the Hong Kong Sprint in 2010. Piere Strydom after winning the 2016 Durban July on The Conglomerate. Picture: Steve Haag/Gallo Images Time to call it quits Speaking on a podcast hosted by his new employer Joao da Mata of Glistian Events, Striker said the time had come to finally hang up his saddle – after threatening to do so for a decade. 'It just came to the point where I didn't feel like getting on a horse,' he said. 'It's always nice to ride these winners, it still gives you a thrill … and knowing that you're doing the job right and to see other people happy. I've always been a competitive person, but how do I compete when I don't want to ride? 'I still do the job I need to do, but when you start thinking about the possibility of getting injured again and stuff like that you know it is time to call it.' He added that the cost of his insurance policies had also grown unsustainable. Looking ahead Strydom will keep busy in a hospitality role for Glistian – mixing with clients/guests at race days, golf days and other fun events. Racing scribes like me have written many thousands of words in praise of Piere Strydom over the decades. Racehorse owners like me have seen him win on our nags when the task looked impossible. Acquaintances such as I have always been touched by the friendliness, warmth and honesty of the man. There's not much more to say. Go well, Striker!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store