Latest news with #AldrichPotgieter
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
11 South Africans fight it out among themselves in the Open
Almost any bet you can think of on the links at Royal Portrush. South African golfing fans are avid followers of their countrymen who play around the world – even more so in majors, such as the Open Championship that tees off at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland early on Thursday morning. That patriotic interest can be sharpened with a small flutter. There are 11 South Africans in the 2025 Open field, including former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, recent PGA Tour winner Aldrich Potgieter, SA Open hero Dylan Naidoo and 17-year-old amateur champ Bryan Newman. Ever-popular Oosthuizen is favourite to be the top South African finisher – at R4.50. He is a R6.50 chance to be the South African leader after the first round – and a R120.00 shout to win the tournament overall. Joint favourite (R4.50) to beat his compatriots is PGA Tour regular Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who is known for his consistency. Thriston Lawrence, who finished fourth, three shots behind winner Xander Schauffele, in the 2024 Open at Royal Troon – showing an affinity for links play – is a R5.45 chance to finish top South African. Naidoo's SA Open victory at Durban Country Club earlier this year caught the nation's imagination but he has so far struggled to make an impression overseas. He is at R36.00 to beat all his countrymen, while Newman is at R55.00. Betway is offering more than 100 different betting opportunities on the Open, including peculiarities such as the top left-hander; the likelihood of a hole-in-one over the four days; the top LIV finisher; one- and two-round match-ups in between two, three and five players; the top debutant and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler (and others) to make the cut ('Yes' R1.05, 'No' R7.90). These Betway odds are correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Potgieter in blockbuster group at Royal Portrush: All the Open tee times
There are 11 South African golfers in the field, with the tournament starting Thursday. Former champion Louis Oosthuizen plays a practice round with Aldrich Potgieter ahead of the start of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on Thursday. Picture:Of the 11 South Africans in the field at this week's 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, former champion Louis Oosthuizen will be first off the tee at 7.46am Thursday morning. The Open champion at St Andrews in 2010, who now plays his golf on the LIV Tour, will play alongside Guido Migliozzi and KJ Choi for the first two rounds. Oosthuizen has enjoyed playing the Open over the years and also boasts a tied second (2015) and tied third (2021) in 17 appearances. He will hope for another good week on the links course. Following Oosthuizen off the tee will be Daniel van Tonder, at 8.19am, alongside Phil Mickelson and Ryan Peake, and then it will be Justin Walters at 10.14am, in a group with Takumi Kanaya and fellow South African amateur, 18-year-old Bryan Newman. Newman will be chasing the silver medal, awarded to the best amateur over the tournament, after he qualified to play this week by winning the Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek in February as a 17-year-old. SA Open champion Naidoo At 10.47am new hot-shot and recent first-time winner on the PGA Tour, Aldrich Potgieter, will be off with American powerhouses Sam Burns and Brooks Koepka, who has won five Majors but is seeking a first Claret Jug. At 11.53am, SA Open champion Dylan Naidoo, who won in a playoff in Durban in early March, will make his Open debut alongside veteran South African Darren Fichardt, with John Axelsen the other member of their group. Another South African playing LIV Golf, Dean Burmester, will play alongside Davis Thompson of the US and Rikuya Hoshino of Japan from 1.42pm, while Shaun Norris will play in a group featuring Matt McCarty of the US and Spain's Angel Hidalgo at 2.15pm. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, now a regular on the PGA Tour in the US, will play alongside Rasmus Hojgaard and Romain Langasque, while Thriston Lawrence, who led the Open at one stage last year and eventually finished fourth, will be off at 3.04pm alongside former champion Justin Leonard and Antoine Rozner. The defending champion this week is American Xander Schauffele. The last time the Open was held at Royal Portrush, in 2019, Ireland's Shane Lowry won the Claret Jug. The last South African winner was Ernie Els, in 2012, at Royal Lytham and St Annes, but he is not playing this year. For all the tee times Thursday click here. All the tee times in this story are SA times.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
South Africa's Potgieter grabs PGA Detroit lead
Aldrich Potgieter of South Africa grabbed the lead after the third round of the US PGA Tour Rocket Classic (Gregory Shamus) South Africa's 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter birdied six of the first eight holes and seized a two-stroke lead after after Saturday's third round of the US PGA Tour's Rocket Classic. Potgieter, seeking his first PGA title in only his 20th tour start, reeled off five birdies in a row on the way to firing a bogey-free seven-under par 65 to stand on 19-under 197 after 54 holes at Detroit Golf Club. Advertisement "Being in contention is great," Potgieter said. "We're looking forward to tomorrow and maybe trying to just keep the ball in front, what we did today, hit a little bit more fairways and greens and if that putter just stays hot it will be good." Americans Max Greyserman, Chris Kirk, Andrew Putnam, Jake Knapp and Mark Hubbard shared second on 199 with South African Thriston Lawrence and Americans Michael Thorbjornsen and Jackson Suber on 200. "I just played really solid. Hit it really good. Gave myself a lot of chances," Knapp said. "With how bunched as this leaderboard is... you have to try to make as many birdies as you can." Potgieter, who managed his best PGA finish with a Mexico Open playoff loss to American Brian Campbell in February, began the day two adrift in a shootout. Advertisement The last group teed off with seven players sharing the lead on 14-under and 12 more only one stroke adrift. Potgieter took command early, blasting out of a bunker from 35 feet for birdie at the first then starting his birdie run with a putt from just inside eight feet at the fourth. He followed with a 33-foot birdie putt at the par-three fifth, dropped his approach inches from the hole at six to set up a tap-in birdie, sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-five seventh and made an 11-foot birdie putt at the eighth to reach 18-under with a three-stroke lead. Suber made back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th to reach 17-under and climb within one of the lead, but he fell back with a bogey at 12. Advertisement Potgieter, meanwhile, sank a birdie putt from just outside six feet at 13 to reach 19-under and restore a three-stroke edge. Knapp, who broke Potgieter's day-old course record of 62 with a 61 on Thursday, birdied the last three holes to shoot 66 and swipe a share of second. "I definitely thought I could get that course record back today with that six-under front nine," Potgieter said. "I was definitely trying to chase that course record again." Davis Thompson's 66 to finish on 202 was the first PGA round since 2020 to feature three front-nine eagles. He made three in the first eight, starting with an 80-yard hole-out from the fairway at the opening hole. Advertisement He followed with a 37-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh and drove the green at the par-four eighth to set up a seven-foot eagle putt. "I don't think I've ever had that," Thompson said. "I've had three eagles in a round before, but I haven't had it all in nine holes." js/bb
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Local golfers talk about honoring Rockford golf legends Lloyd McWilliams and Mike Johnson
Can Potgieter seal the deal on first PGA Tour win? Aldrich Potgieter played "flawless golf" on moving day at the Rocket Classic, but can he keep it going and finish off his first career PGA Tour victory on Sunday? 1:07 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rising PGA Tour Star Suddenly Withdraws From John Deere Classic Before Final Round
Rising PGA Tour Star Suddenly Withdraws From John Deere Classic Before Final Round originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The third round of the John Deere Classic unfolded on Saturday, setting the stage for what could be a dramatic finish in Sunday's final round, with several players still firmly in contention. Advertisement Last year's tournament winner, Davis Thompson, surged to the top of the leaderboard at 15-under par after posting a 4-under round. Brian Campbell, Emiliano Grillo, David Lipsky, and Max Homa are all tied for second at 14-under, just one shot back. A recurring theme throughout the tournament, however, has been a wave of unexpected withdrawals. Four players pulled out before the event even began, and since then, Andrew Putnam, Nicholas Lindheim, and Stephan Jaeger have all withdrawn mid-tournament. Now, another surprise exit has emerged: 20-year-old rising star Aldrich Potgieter — who captured his first PGA Tour victory last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic — has withdrawn following his third round. Advertisement Potgieter entered Saturday in contention, but after a disappointing 5-over round dropped him to 4-under for the tournament, he made the decision to withdraw — despite still being in the running for a sizable payday. The 20-year-old rising star from South Africa has quickly made a name for himself on the PGA Tour. In just 20 career appearances, he's already recorded two top-five finishes, three top-10s, and one runner-up performance — in addition to capturing his first career win just last week. Aldrich Potgieter reacts to making his putt on the 15th green in a playoff during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament.© Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Fans weren't particularly pleased with the withdrawal, pointing to his poor third-round performance as the likely reason behind the sudden decision to step away. Advertisement "76 at tpc deere run will do that to you," a fan said. Another fan posted, "NOOO." Someone else said, "Maybe mention that on your leaderboard then. He's completely disappeared from it! "This is getting ridiculous @PGATOUR? Why?," one more fan commented. Related: Aldrich Potgieter's Victory Proves Professional Golf's Next Generation Has No Fear This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
