Liam Grehan may have to wait until next year to receive a coveted handshake from Gary Player after a round of 72 all but ended his hopes of a maiden tour victory at the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge.
Teeing off just four shots off the lead in his second round, Grehan started well but fluttered shots away on the back nine to remain three-under and slip ten shots behind Samuel Simpson.
The K Club man started birdie, bogey before marching into contention with three birdies in four holes around the turn. Unfortunately, dropped shots on 13, 16 and 17 undid all of his good work and he fell outside of the top-30 on the leaderboard.
Simpson followed up his first round of 65 with another quality round of 66 to lead this Sunshine Tour field on 13 under par overall at Benoni Country Club.
He is two strokes clear of Malcolm Mitchell, who signed for a second round of 66. Martin Vorster, Jonathan Broomhead and Jason Roets are all joint third on nine under par.
It wasn’t an ideal start to Simpson’s second round as he bogeyed the second hole. But thereafter he made five birdies in his next seven holes, and added a further two birdies on the back nine.
“We started off early and I had a shaky start, but that happens. Then I hit a great shot on the third which settled my nerves,” he said.
“I was coming into today after a good first round, and that was in my mind. I just knew that I have a really good strategy around this golf course that I planned out before the week. So I knew that whatever happens I should just stick to that strategy and not play off emotion, and let the rest do the talking.”
Simpson was a decorated amateur before he turned professional in 2022 and admits it’s taken him some time to adjust to the professional arena. But he certainly seems to be finding his feet now.
Last season he finished just outside the top 50 on the Courier Guy Order of Merit on the Sunshine Tour in 64th place, and with a few top 10s under his belt.
Then he started this season with a finish of tied seventh in the FBC Zim Open before taking the lead at Benoni Country Club on Thursday.
“I didn’t go back home to Cape Town in the break between seasons. I stayed in Joburg and got myself mentally ready for the new season. That’s the biggest thing for me – mental confidence equals good golf. This is my third year on the Sunshine Tour. I’ve learnt a lot. Last season I learnt how to make cuts, and how to put myself in a position to play well on the weekend. Coming into the first events of this season, I’ve prepared myself to succeed.”
A final round of opportunity awaits for Simpson in a tournament played as a tribute to Gary Player, who conquered the world with his tenacity on the golf course. And Simpson is well aware of the challenge he’ll face on Friday.
“The final round is out of my hands. I can’t control what anybody else does. All I can control is myself. My strategy won’t change. I’m going to go out and do my best.”
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