TSHWANE, 15 March 2016 – Rookie Carrie Park was in a cheerful mood after a four under 68 earned her a share of seventh and nine-time Sunshine Tour winner Marc Cayeux was laughing after he grabbed a seat on the bus at eight under at the Irene Championship on Tuesday.
Carrie Park; credit CJ du Plooy
Park is five shots off the pace and Cayeux just four behind joint leaders Russel Franz and CJ du Plessis, who grabbed pole position at 12 under 132 with respective rounds of 64 and 66.
Marc Cayeux; credit CJ du Plooy
“Oh man but it feels great to be playing again, even if the kids are hitting it miles past me,” laughed the Zimbabwe-born Cayeux after posting rounds of 67 and 68.
“I would have burst out laughing if someone told me I’d be tied for sixth after two rounds and with Anton Haig, to boot! I played a practice round on Sunday and my feet were covered in blisters. But this is grin it and bear it time. This stage of my rehab is all about getting fighting fit to return to the Sunshine Tour at the end of the year, so there is no turning back.”
Cayeux received a medical exemption from the Sunshine Tour, but he applied for permission to compete on the IGT Tour to prepare for his comeback. He tested the water at the final Race to Q-School event at Centurion Country Club, where he shot rounds of 76, 70 and 73 to tie for 33rd.
It was an emotional week for Cayeux, who had to endure 27 operations and hours of physical therapy for more than five years just to get back on the golf course.
“I’m playing, but I still have a lot of work to do,” said Cayeux, who mixed birdies at six, eight, 13 and 14 with a lone bogey at nine.
“I’m hitting the ball great, chipping well and the short irons are good, but the putter didn’t really warm up today. I have been working with a biokineticist Jessica Weston, and it’s gratifying to see that the work is paying off in the scores I’m posting.
“The biggest challenge at this stage is to walk 18 holes a day and this is a 72-hole event, so is going to really test me. If I survive this week, it will be a huge box ticked. I’ve asked for a sponsors’ invitation to the Zimbabwe Open. It would be unreal to play in my home Open again and it will give me a good idea of where I stand on the Sunshine Tour pros without starting my medical exemption.”
Park teed it up on the IGT Tour just two days after she wrapped up her rookie season on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
The 19-year-old South Korean golfer finished eighth in the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies Final at Millvale Private Retreat and seventh overall in nine starts.
“It has been an incredible summer and an incredible experience for me to play with Bertine Strauss over the first two rounds at Millvale,” said the GFG Academy golfer. “She was my idol growing up and she has inspired me so much since she turned pro last year. As soon as the Chase finished, I was wishing we could start another one right away.”
Park began competing on the country’s premier development Tour just after she lifted the Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur Championship.
“I played the IGT Tour full-time last year to prepare for my pro debut on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and it really gave me the confidence to compete against experienced players. It’s great to come back and to keep the form going. I shot a bogey-free 69 in round one and I didn’t drop a shot today.”
Meanwhile Franz is looking forward to going head-to-head with his GFG Academy stable-mate.
“CJ is very competitive, so we will spur each other on,” said Franz, who notched five birdies on the back nine and added three more coming home for a flawless card, while Du Plessis had just one bogey for his 66.
He renewed his love affair with a trusty Cleveland Classic and believes the trusty driver has turned his game around.
“I threw it in the bag before the GMC Doubles and Hennie (du Plessis) and I won the event and I finished fourth in the Houghton Open last week. I’ve had it since 2010 and I can hit any shot with that club. I can fade it, draw it, hit it high, hit it low; it was just what I needed to get my game back into shape.
“I also got a great car sponsorship from Mandy Mitchell and that Golf 7R has changed my life. Instead of arriving in a bakkie that’s falling apart, I’m driving in style. I arrive feeling like a pro and I play like a pro. It’s amazing how having air conditioning can improve your attitude!”
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
132 – CJ du Plessis 66 66, Russel Franz 68 64
133 – Pieter Kruger 68 65
134 – Andre De Decker 67 67
135 – Breyten Meyer 69 66
136 – Marc Cayeux ZIM 67 69, Anton Haig 70 66
137 – Carrie Park 69 68, Matthew Vogel 66 71, Matthew Spacey 70 67, Ruan Huysamen NAM 67 70, Zachary Portemont USA 67 70, Stuart Smith BOT 68 69
138 – Johnathan Agren SWE 70 68, Derik Ferreira 64 74, Mark Murless 72 66, Duane Keun 65 73, Thriston Lawrence 72 66, Damian Naicker 69 69
139 – Conway Kunneke 69 70
140 – David Ashley ENG 71 69
141 – Irvin Mazibuko 72 69, Dean O’Riley 72 69, Teagan Moore 72 69, Juan Langeveld 70 71, Paul De Beer 70 71, Andi Dill 71 70, Matt Wollman (AMA) ZIM 69 72, Dayne Moore ZAM 70 71, Drikus Van der Walt 70 71, Terence Boardman 71 70, Werner Van Niekerk 71 70, Coert Groenewald 72 69
142 – Dylan O’Leary 75 67, Teboho Sefatsa 72 70, Hilton Hughes (AMA) 73 69, Jaco Prinsloo 70 72
143 – Gideon Pienaar 71 72, Jeff Inglis ENG 72 71, Simon Kruger 70 73
144 – Tyron Mc Comb 74 70, Louis Taylor 72 72, Michael Schutz (AMA) 70 74
145 – Jonathan Waschefort 75 70, Eddie Taylor 69 76, Quintin Crause (AMA) 71 74, Armandt Scholtz 71 74, Neal Herman 72 73
146 – Leon Visser (AMA) 74 72, Johary Raveloarison MDG 78 68, Steven Van Heerden 71 75, Hendrikus Stoop (AMA) 74 72, CJ Levey 73 73, Juan Swart 68 78
147 – Cameron Esau 75 72, Arno Pretorius (AMA) 73 74, Alex Van Heerden (AMA) 72 75, Jacques De Villiers 76 71, Nobuhle Dlamini SWA 71 76, Matthew Adams (AMA) 72 75, Eric Nel (AMA) 70 77, Marco De Beer (AMA) 73 74
148 – Calvin Pearson 71 77, Tumie Motale 75 73, Nyasha Muyambo ZIM 78 70, Wayne Stroebel 76 72, Jabulane Mabilane 75 73
149 – Bryce McCabe 78 71, Norman Beggs 75 74, Thabang Simon 79 70, Romano Saincic 76 73
150 – Lejan Lewthwaite 71 79, Francois Coetzee 70 80, Michael Kok (AMA) 71 79
Missed the cut:-
151 – Michelle Leigh 75 76, Altaaf Bux 76 75, Tristan Nel (AMA) 78 73, Werner Van Wyk 77 74
152 – Francesca Cuturi 75 77, Stephane Van Neer (AMA) COD 79 73, Stephan De Beer 75 77
153 – Owen Grobler 77 76, Brendan Britten (NAM) 79 74, Dwayne Coetzee 79 74, Hanko Bothma 79 74
154 – Wayne du Toit 75 79, Michael Petersen 78 76, Ryan Wingrove (AMA) 76 78, Bryce Myburgh 79 75, Ruan Korb (AMA) 76 78, Amerigo Renieri (AMA) 78 76
155 – Brendan Blake (AMA) 76 79, Niel Theron (AMA) 76 79, Ruhan Van Dijk (AMA) 76 79
156 – Igor Milicic SRB 79 77, Frans Strydom 77 79, Armand Azar (AMA) 76 80, Lourens Du Plessis 75 81, Neville Mitchell (AMA) 81 75, Justin Godfrey 81 75
157 – Walter Behr (AMA) 77 80, Marais Visagie 76 81, Jacques De Villiers (AMA) 82 75
158 – Shane Heckler (AMA) 76 82
159 – Maverick Faber (AMA) (FRA) 72 87, Shaun van Tonder 79 80, Liam Bezuidenhout (AMA) 85 74, Jordan Parsons (AMA) 78 81
161 – Heinrich Stoop (AMA) 83 78, Cameron Gunning 75 86, WM Coetzee (AMA) 80 81
162 – Sam Metcalfe (AMA) 83 79, Jabu Radebe 76 86, Phillip Montgomery 79 83
164 – Schalk Du Plessis (AMA) 87 77
165 – Ruan Botha 81 84
168 – Gustav Erasmus 91 77, Marc De Jager (AMA) 81 87
169 – Barend Swanepoel 88 81
172 – Duan Nagel (AMA) 90 82
173 – Charles Grobler (AMA) 92 81
RTD – John McClean (NIR) 75 RTD, Wian Gagiano (AMA) 83 RTD
DSQ – Elvis Sithebe 76 DSQ
ABOUT THE IGT TOUR
The IGT Challenge Pro Tour launched in 2010 and has fast grown into South Africa’s premier developmental golf tour, offering a tailor-made gateway for amateurs aspiring to join the pro ranks.
The IGT Challenge Pro Tour Gauteng and IGT Tour Cape provides significant financial opportunities and incentives, and statistical feedback with a full playing schedule of more than 50 events (36-hole, 54-hole and 72-hole tournaments) that enables its members and non-members to perform at a high level in a strong competitive environment.