Kelvin Van Baalen in action during round one of the Tshwane Disabled Open at Waterkloof Golf Club. Photo Credit: South African Disabled Golf Association
Waterkloof Golf Club, 13 August 2022: Les Autres golfer Kelvin van Baalen laid down an early marker with an opening-round 75 which earned him a one-shot lead over David Watts in the Physically-Disabled Medal after the first round of the Tshwane Disabled Open on Saturday.
Van Baalen made a flying start to his round as he began with two consecutive birdies. Though he surrendered a shot at the par-4 4th, he bounced back immediately with yet another red-number at the par-3 6th. His scintillating start didn’t end there, however, as he notched a further birdie at the 7th and despite carding back-to-back bogeys to close out the nine, Van Baalen made the turn at one-under par.
His strong start was undermined somewhat by three closing bogeys which saw him sign for an inward nine of 40 and a round of 75. Nevertheless, Van Baalen is in pole position heading into the final round as he goes in search of a maiden SADGA Open title.
Trailing Van Baalen is the man who claimed convincing victories in the Ebotse Links, Irene and Kwazulu-Natal Disabled Opens respectively earlier in the year. Watts began his bid for a fourth SADGA Open title with a front-nine 38 during which he mixed bogeys at the 4th, 5th and 8th with a birdie at the 7th to turn in 38.
A second-nine which featured seven pars and dropped shots at the 10th and 13th respectively saw Watts sign for a 76 and set up an intriguing final-round battle with Van Baalen.
Curtley Roberts is four shots adrift after a first-round 79.
Crawford Leads Physically-Disabled Stableford
Sebastian Crawford made a fantastic start to his round with two three-pointers and three two-pointers over his first five holes. Further three-pointers at the 16th and 17th helped cap off a front-nine of 19 points.
His inward nine began brightly with three two-pointers over his first four holes. Though one-pointers at the 5th and 7th followed, back-to-back three-pointers at the 8th and 9th saw him sign for 35 round-one points.
One point adrift of Crawford is visually-impaired golfer Charlene Pienaar who returned a score of 34 highlighted by four three-pointers split two apiece over the front and back-nines. Ernst Conradie meanwhile matched Pienaar’s 34-point haul and will be in with a good chance of victory in the final round.
Botha leads Deaf Medal
Deaflympian Jay-Jay Botha opened up a sizable 14-shot lead over Donovan Stephenson in the Deaf Medal after a round of 86 highlighted by a birdie-3 at the 16th.
Snyman leads Deaf Stableford
Rhyno Snyman made a good start to his Tshwane Open, carding 29 first-round points as he opened up an eight-point lead over Shanon Van der Berg in the Deaf Stableford.
Snyman’s round included a four-pointer at the 12th and three-pointers at the 2nd, 6th and 13th. A smattering of two-pointers at timely intervals ensured that Snyman begins the second and final round in control of the Deaf Stableford division.
