EAST LONDON (8 January 2010) – South African Trevor Fisher Jnr. made two eagles and chipped in for one of his five birdies on his way to claiming a one-stroke lead going into the weekend of the Africa Open. And with a smile as bright as the red pants he had on, it was very hard to believe him when he said he was nervous.
Seeking to claim the biggest victory of a career featuring four titles on the Sunshine Tour, Fisher Jnr. went out in cool, overcast weather at the East London Golf Club on Friday and posted a 66 for the lead on 14 under par.
Not bad for somebody who almost slept past his tee-off time.
“I don’t know how I got to 14 under. I never slept too well and almost didn’t wake up in time. So I didn’t expect much,” he said.
Swede Patrik Sjoland is his nearest challenger on 13 under, and Thomas Aiken and Keith Horne are well-placed on 12 under. Irishman Darren Clarke finished 36 holes at seven under. But two of the star attractions in England’s Nick Dougherty and New Zealander Danny Lee missed the halfway cut of five under par on two over and eight over respectively. After a first round of 76, James Kamte fought back admirably with a second round of 67, but he could still not avoid missing the cut on two under.
All of which means Fisher Jnr. has done a pretty good job of overcoming his nerves in a tournament co-sanctioned with the European Tour.
“I was a bit tight at the start of the round. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to be playing against the European Tour players and then seeing your name up there. I won’t lie to you about that. But I’m just trying to keep my game loose and flowing.”
An eagle-birdie start certainly helped. The eagle on the par-five first came after he hit his five-iron approach over the green and holed the 30-foot putt from there. “Actually, I was just trying to two-putt and it went in”.
He birdied the next, and then reeled off three consecutive birdies from the sixth, including the chip-in on the seventh. The back nine featured another eagle on the par-five 11th, where he hit the shot of his round – a two-iron to five feet. His card featured one more birdie on the short 17th, and only two bogeys for the day.
“There was a bit of luck in the round, but you know, sometimes you’ve just got to take it and ride the wave while you can.”
Fisher Jnr. has challenged in the big tournaments before this, but has yet to make his breakthrough.
“I’ve put myself in position now and I just want to give myself a chance. I’ve won a few times, but there’s more to it for a win here. Whatever happens, I just want to be able to say I gave myself a chance.”
All in all, it will be a feast of golf with every one of the 156 competitors determined to reap a rich harvest on Sunday evening. Only one will ultimately succeed, but the chase will provide wonderful value for the spectators and television fans alike.
Michael Vlismas
Tickets are available at the gate and entry for pensioners and children under 18 is free for all tournament days. Adults enter for free on Thursday, 7 and Friday, 8 January and tickets cost R20,00 per day on the weekend.
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