Combrinck Smit will take a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s last round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf final at Pinnacle Point Estate.
And he remains determined to keep playing as aggressively as this golf course will allow.
“I need to just go out there and still play quite aggressively on the final day. There is never a big enough lead when it comes to the Sunshine Tour. I’ll have to go out there and shoot another low round,” he said.
Smit was as delighted as the rest of the field to be presented with a far calmer day on Saturday at Pinnacle Point after a Friday where the infamous wind ripped through the field and into some of the finest golf swings on the Sunshine Tour.
“Today was unbelievable out there. You could actually stand still and make a swing and a putt,” he joked after his third round of 67 to take the lead on eight under par.
His nearest challengers are Malcolm Mitchell and Albert Venter following their third rounds of 67 and 69, respectively.
Smit led the first round, but a 76 in Friday’s brutal weather cost him that position. However, it’s a measure of how tough the golf course played that day that his 76 still put him in a tie for third place. And Smit remained philosophical about his golf in those conditions.
“If the wind blows like it blew on Friday, then this is probably one of the hardest golf courses I’ve ever played. It was tough for everyone that day. But you can’t start doubting yourself based on a day like that. You can’t take it personally. You just keep trusting in your swing.
“I hit it pretty well again and was in play most of the time. I set myself up with some nice birdie opportunities and wasn’t in trouble off the tee, and I’ll just keep trying to do the same. All I can do is control what I can control and the rest will take care of itself.”
