Porteous lining up title defence in SA Stroke Play

GEORGE

School was a strong wind and a prickly golf course in Thursday’s third round of the South African Stroke Play Championship. And it appears Haydn Porteous took his lessons well.

The South African number one and defending champion in this event signed for a two-under 70 at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa to lead the field on 10 under par, two strokes clear of Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti, Australia’s Brady Watt and South African Werner Ferreira.

Porteous is the first to admit he has struggled with his concentration during key rounds, and his start of two bogeys in his first three holes on Thursday suggested he was headed this way again.

But three birdies to the turn pulled him back under par for the round, and he added a further two birdies and one more bogey on the second nine.

“It wasn’t such a bad thing for me to start with those bogeys because it made me concentrate more, especially in the tough conditions,” said Porteous.

“I just kept telling myself that nobody was going to shoot 66 or 65 in these conditions, and that it was just a questions of getting through today with as little damage as possible and not throwing away the tournament.

“I’ve been battling with my concentration for the last few months and it was tricky trying to get used to the wind over the first few holes.”

The wind did indeed surprise many in the field after two days of perfect and hot weather.
And it’s also brought an intriguing mix to the leaderboard.

Tosti’s round of 68 in the tough conditions was a remarkable effort from the young Argentinian. “It was a difficult day, but I putted really well and holed some important putts from six feet. I’m two back going into the final day and playing well, and I know I can do it,” he said.

Watt, the highest ranked player in the field at second on the world rankings, was at 10 under with three to play thanks largely to a run of four birdies in five holes over the turn. But he bogeyed his final two holes to slip to two behind.

And Ferreira refuses to go away, having shared the first round lead, led on his own on day two and now still very much in this at two off the pace after his round of 73.
But Porteous may well have turned a significant mental corner in Thursday’s round. And he seems to also have luck going his way.

On the par-four eighth hole he was trying to hit a high fade off the tee and ended up pushing it way right, with the ball stopping just short of out of bounds. He went on to make birdie from there.
 
SA Stroke Play 2013
Oubaai Golf Resort
Round 3
 
206 - Haydn Porteous (69, 67, 70)
208 - Alejandro Tosti (73, 67, 68), Brady Watt (71, 67, 70), Werner Ferreira (66, 69, 73)
209 - Ewan Scott (71, 67, 71)
211 - Eddie Taylor (70, 73, 68), Joshua White (69, 68, 74), Louis Taylor (66, 72, 73)
212 - Josh Munn (74, 65, 73), Zander Lombard (70, 69, 73)
213 - Dermot McElroy (74, 69, 70), Thriston Lawrence (73, 69, 71), Max Orrin (72, 70, 71)
214 - Jovan Rebula (71, 67, 76), Richard O’Donovan (69, 74, 71), Ryan Ruffels (66, 71, 77)
215 - Harry Diamond (71, 72, 72), Teaghan Gauche (71, 70, 74), Nicky Grant (70, 72, 73), Geoff Drakeford (69, 71, 75)
216 - Andrew Light (74, 72, 70), Vaughan McCall (73, 68, 75), Nicolas Manifacier (72, 70, 74), Chris Selfridge (72, 69, 75), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (71, 70, 75), Tom Watson (70, 73, 73)
218 - Toby Tree (77, 69, 72), Gary Hurley (73, 73, 72), Cameron Moralee (73, 73, 72), Pierre Mazier (73, 72, 73), Lucas Herbert (72, 71, 75), Damian Naicker (68, 75, 75)
219 - Adam Dunton (76, 72, 71), James Du Preez (75, 72, 72), Reeve Whitson (73, 73, 73), Santiago Bauni (72, 69, 78)
220 - Jamie Rutherford (75, 74, 71), Nicholas Mitchell (75, 71, 74), Werner Van Niekerk (75, 69, 76), Kevin Rundle (73, 73, 74), Jack Duthie (72, 73, 75)
221 - Johann Germishuys (75, 74, 72), Paul Elissalde (75, 69, 77), Jamie Lopez Rivarola (74, 75, 72), David Meyers (74, 71, 76), Rory McNamara (74, 69, 78), Paul Boshoff (72, 73, 76), Tertius Van Den Berg (72, 70, 79)
222 - Jason Smith (78, 66, 78), Jonathan Dixon (77, 69, 76)
223 - Callum Mowat (79, 68, 76), Gregory Royston (73, 73, 77), Lauritz Loubser (72, 75, 76), Victor Veyret (71, 72, 80)
224 - Fraser McKenna (78, 67, 79), Edgar Catherine (74, 75, 75), Garen Niemand (73, 72, 79)
225 - Aubrey Kok (78, 71, 76), Thomas Le Berre (74, 74, 77), Joris Etlin (68, 78, 79)
226 - Jonathan Whitehouse (77, 71, 78), Bryce Bibby (72, 73, 81)
227 - Joaquin Bonjour (76, 72, 79), Angus Ellis-Cole (72, 73, 82)
228 - Pierre De Villiers (77, 72, 79), Jason Viljoen (75, 71, 82)
229 - Andrew Carlsson (76, 71, 82)
230 - Jason Froneman (76, 73, 81)
234 - Carlo O’Reilly (75, 74, 85)
MC - Justin Meister (78, 72, MC), Jarred Miltz (76, 74, MC), Drew Denyer (76, 74, MC), Christiaan Van der Merwe (75, 75, MC), James White (73, 77, MC), Andre Nel (78, 73, MC), Andrew Van Der Knaap (76, 75, MC), Zack Van Der Schyff (76, 75, MC), Tyler Hodge (75, 76, MC), Phillip Smith (79, 73, MC), Luan Steenkamp (79, 73, MC), Elton James (78, 74, MC), Blair Riordan (78, 74, MC), Dwayne Basson (78, 74, MC), Graeme Robertson (77, 75, MC), Aubrey Beckley (74, 78, MC), Henri Van der Walt (73, 79, MC), Gerard Du Plooy (85, 68, MC), Tiaan Strydom (80, 73, MC), Josh De Klerk (79, 74, MC), Dylan Naidoo (79, 74, MC), Connor O’Neil (78, 75, MC), Paul De Beer (77, 76, MC), Conway Kunneke (77, 76, MC), Gideon Van der Vyver (77, 76, MC), Teagan Moore (72, 81, MC), Chris Cordier (83, 71, MC), Jacques Cloete (82, 72, MC), Stephan Cronje (80, 74, MC), N J Arnoldi (80, 74, MC), Dylan Raubenheimer (79, 75, MC), Matthew Spacey (78, 76, MC), Shane Martin (77, 77, MC), Philip Kruse (77, 77, MC), Daniel Barnard (83, 72, MC), Henk Geldenhuys (82, 73, MC), Hendrikus Stoop (80, 75, MC), Johnathan Poppesqou (79, 76, MC), Andi Dill (79, 76, MC), Wesley Baptiste (83, 73, MC), Aheurin Gourden (80, 76, MC), Kevin Smith (77, 79, MC), Graham Van Den Berg (75, 81, MC), Jade Buitendag (85, 72, MC), Ivan Williams (83, 74, MC), Breyten Meyer (80, 77, MC), Chad Evans (80, 77, MC), Bryan Webster (76, 81, MC), Stephanus Raubenheimer (76, 81, MC), Murray Smit (85, 73, MC), Christoff Els (79, 79, MC), Francois Kruger (77, 81, MC), Stephen Pienaar (84, 75, MC), Leon Naidoo (81, 78, MC), Nikki Jonker (80, 79, MC), Alan Lones (80, 79, MC), Andrew Ilsley (83, 77, MC), Zabastian de Jager (81, 79, MC), MJ Viljoen (81, 79, MC), Marco Loubser (84, 77, MC), De Waal Botha (81, 80, MC), Eric Nel (88, 75, MC), Rudi Armstrong (79, 84, MC), Dean Martin (87, 78, MC), Shawn Ramlall (85, 82, MC), Jaco Kruger (87, 82, MC), Werner Burger (87, 84, MC), Jason Reynolds (86, 88, MC)
N.R. - Albert Venter (80, N.R., MC), Theo Pahlsson (N.R., N.R., MC), Ross Bell (N.R.)

For further information, please contact:

André Pieterse (SAGA President) Cell: 082 771 8614

Bruce Younge (SAGA Executive Director) Cell: 082 374 3455

Released on behalf of the South African Golf Association by Michael Vlismas Media.