Golf can be a cruel mistress and is even tougher when a course comprises two nines that are totally different in style, but Jason Roets has handled the challenges of the Nkonyeni Lodge and Golf Estate with aplomb as he goes into the final round of the FNB Eswatini Challenge with a one-stroke lead.
Roets fired a marvellous bogey-free six-under-par 66 in Friday’s second round to go to 11 under par for the tournament.
The Dainfern golfer dropped just one shot in the first round, sharing the lead with Combrinck Smit and Stephen Ferreira, so it is fair to say he has mastered the 18-hole combination of nine holes on the Bushveld Golf Course and nine on the Golden Eagle Links.
Roets started his round on Friday on the 10th, the Bushveld nine, and went out in four under, and then finished his round wonderfully with birdies on the 7th and 9th holes, both par fours, as he took his score to six under over the first two days on the front nine links.
“It was a very nice day, any time you go bogey-free you know you’ve played well,” Roets said. “I like both nines, it’s a really unique challenge to have a whole new set-up after halfway.
“On 7 I hit a good drive, hit my second to 25 feet and made a really nice putt. On the short 9th, I took driver and was slightly left of the green, but I hit a great shot to about two feet,” Roets said.
The 31-year-old Roets is one stroke clear of former SA Open winner Danie van Tonder, who showed a return to something approaching his best form with a 66 on Friday, his best round this season. He had one bogey on each nine, but eagled the par-five 8th and collected six birdies.
Other contenders for the title on Saturday are Keenan Davidse (68) and Neil Schietekat (69) on seven under, while Lyle Rowe fired a 67 to be five strokes back on six under par.
Smit could only shoot level-par 72 on Friday and is in the tie for sixth on five under, while Ferreira had three bogeys on the front nine and a seven on the par-five 15th in a 74 that leaves him eight shots behind.
Roets has been on the Sunshine Tour since 2020-21 and is without a victory after 68 tournaments.
Other than contending strongly on the Blue Label Development Tour, the former University of North Texas golfer also has three top-10 finishes on the Sunshine Tour proper. But this season has been his best, as he currently sits 32nd on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.
“I’ve played really nicely this year, just a couple of rounds have let me down,” Roets said. “So it’s nice to capitalise on good golf. Obviously I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about my first win, but I’m just going to try hard to stay in the moment in the final round, take it shot-for-shot with 100% commitment.”
Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour
