On a first day when mist delayed the start of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Gowrie Farm Lodge & Golf Course on Friday, Sunshine Tour rookie Ryan van der Klis managed to see the top of the leaderboard quite clearly.
Related: War-zone worker Austin Bautista now vying for Sunshine Tour glory
Van Der Klis climbed into the lead on six under par with three holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.
The delay caused by the mist of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands means the first round will resume at 7am on Saturday.
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Van Der Klis will do so with a one-stroke lead over Samuel Simpson, who has nine holes to complete, and Christiaan Burke, who has three holes to play.
Van Der Klis, who played his college golf at Augusta University, was still fresh in his professional career this year when he won on the Betway Big Easy Tour.
Australia’s Austin Bautista is also well in contention on three under par with nine holes to play and looking for back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour after his victory in last week’s Sunbet Challenge Wild Coast Sun.
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Gabrielle Venter and Kelsey Nicholas are the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals on level par through nine holes.
A two-day pro-am preceded the main professional tournament, with local Gowrie Farm member Colin Hardie claiming victory on 85 points after playing with Sunshine Tour professional Warwick Purchase on day one and then Dylan Mostert on day two, and qualifying for the Vodacom Origins of Golf Pro-Am Final at Pezula in November.
“This was my first experience of the Vodacom Origins of Golf and it was absolutely humbling to see just how good the Sunshine Tour professionals are and to spend two days inside the ropes with them. I was blown away by the experience,” he said.
