The walk from the 18th green to the first tee box at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate proved to be exactly the reset Zander Lombard needed as he found his rhythm to shoot a 64 and lead the Limpopo Championship by one shot going into the weekend. MICHAEL VLISMAS reports.
The DP World Tour campaigner heads the field on 13 under par with Jacques Blaauw (65) and Deon Germishuys (66) his nearest challengers on 12 under par.
Lombard teed off Friday’s second round on the 10th and said he struggled to feel comfortable as he turned in two under for the round.
“It was a tale of two nines. I fought my swing a bit on the back nine but still managed that nine well. Luckily there’s a long walk from the 18th to the 1st and when I got to the 1st I flushed a three wood down the middle and found my swing again. Then the rest just happened on its own,” Lombard said of a second nine of 30 featuring six birdies that positioned him perfectly for the weekend.
His love of both this Annika Sorenstam-designed golf course and the bushveld has Lombard relishing the challenge of the next 36 holes.
“I think it’s a great design from Annika Sorenstam. You hit every single club in your bag and you can’t just overpower it off the tee. You’re forced to hit to the right areas which I enjoy. I really like that kind of golf. But when you do take risks you get rewarded. I think it’s a great test. And then to combine that with some droëwors and a braai in the bushveld, it makes the week feel like home.”
The phenomenal consistency Lombard has shown on the DP World Tour and his experience will be a key factor on the weekend, but he’s certainly not taking anything for granted at a time when he believes world golf is extremely competitive.
“I think the level golf on all the Tours has improved. The depth is incredible. When I turned professional 11 years ago a lot of cuts on the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour were made on two over par, level par or one under par. Now the depth has changed dramatically. If you make the cut you’re still in with a chance on the weekend. It just shows the improvement and I think the game is in a really good space.”
Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Gallo Images
