Erhard Lambrechts missed the cut for his first tournament as a pro, but the experience he got at Zanaco Masters at Lusaka Golf Club in Zambia last week was priceless.
‘I didn’t start as I wanted to, but it was an amazing experience,’ the 21-year-old player who came through the Sunshine Tour Final Stage Qualifying School said. ‘It is very nice. The people here are spectacular. I didn’t expect them to be so nice. I enjoyed it very much.’
The Stellenbosch Golf Club player missed the cut after shooting rounds of 77 and 75 for 11 over par in the tournament which was won by JJ Senekal at 14-under-par 274.
His first tournament as a pro with the big boys was a bit intimidating for Lambrechts.
‘I was a bit nervous for the first few holes. I had a rough start and I was seven over after four, but after that, I re-grouped well. I finished five over par. It was a bit nerve-racking, but there’s no real difference. The guys you play are definitely better, but they’re still human,’ he said.
Lambrechts also learned a thing or two about the course.
‘The course reminds me a little bit of Durban courses, the greens, especially. I struggled with my chipping a lot around the greens. It’s quite firm, so you need to know where to bounce and where to stop and I struggled with that mostly.’
His aim for his first season on the Sunshine Tour? ‘I just want to make as many cuts as I can. The main goal is to keep my card, not go back to Q-School. That is probably my main goal,’ he said.
He is also impressed with the standard of competition on the Sunshine Tour.
‘Everybody here can play golf. There isn’t a guy who will shoot 10 over. Everyone would come back with a better score and everyone is the same. There is no guy that is a lot better than the other guys,’
The next stop for Lambrechts is the Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare Golf Club this week, which he is looking forward to.
‘It is a great experience. I am still learning a lot. I am still young,’ he said.
Credit: Sunshine Tour
