Sluiter on top at IFQ Africa

Dutchman Tim Sluiter acquaint a superb 66 to advance the aboriginal annular of The Open Championship’s International Final Qualifying (IFQ) Africa at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington today.

The 22-year-old (pictured, right) bankrupt the aboriginal day at six-under-par and took a one-stroke advance advanced of the final annular as 51 players began the 36-hole action for three coveted places at the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Sluiter said: “I played absolutely and gave myself a lot of chances. If I accumulate the aforementioned access tomorrow again I will be arena in The Open, which is absolutely something.”

He started able-bodied and penciled in birdies at the aboriginal and second, kick-starting his attack to comedy in golf’s oldest Major. After a run of four pars he birdied the seventh and accomplished the about-face at three-under. He fabricated a added brace of birdies at the 13th and 14th afore closing out with a final baboon at the par-5 18th.

“I didn’t comedy advancing golf because of the wind, which armament you to break out of agitation about this course. Part of the ambush is to accord yourself chances, and I did that today. My putting was on anatomy and I chipped in at the seventh, so it was a solid annular of golf,” he said.

“I feel adequate on this advance and my bold is good. Hopefully tomorrow will be addition acceptable annular and it will end sweetly,” said Sluiter.

Spaniard Jordi Garcia alone a attempt at the 15th, but brindled his annular with six birdies to defended sole control of additional with a five-under-par 67.

“I played absolutely able-bodied today and my putting was good, which helped me get pleasure the day. Although it wasn’t my focus at the alpha of the season, to comedy in The Open is article appropriate to me,” he said.

The 26-year-old fabricated two birdies afore the about-face afore acrimonious up added shots at the 10th, 12th, 14th and 17th.

Speaking advanced of today’s play, Garcia, who is yet to comedy in The Open, was aflame about the adventitious to chase in the footsteps of antecedent IFQ Africa qualifiers such as 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen. “It will be a dream to comedy in the The Open. It’s such a big clash that I don’t absolutely accept words to call what it will mean,” he said.

Finishing at four-under was Brazil’s top-ranked player, Adilson da Silva (pictured, right), who attempt a solid 68 about the airy par 72 East course. “I had a acceptable alpha and it was a acceptable day, but the wind was bouncing today, which fabricated it catchy to acquisition the appropriate club.

“Tomorrow I will aim for a acceptable account and stick with it. I accept been advantageous abundant to comedy The Open alert before, and what an acquaintance it is! Any time you can accomplish it (to The Open) is absolutely great.”

Canadian Andrew Parr connected his acceptable anatomy from the weekend’s Joburg Open, additionally played at Royal Johannesburg, to shoot 69 the accomplishment the aboriginal annular in fourth place. “I appetite to be out there and I’m accepting a abundant time. I’m activity assured on this advance and tomorrow I’m activity to echo my achievement and hopefully accomplish The Open,” he said.

However, it was not such a acceptable day for some of the bigger names in the acreage such as South Africans James Kingston, who retired due to injury, and apple cardinal 80 Jaco Van Zyl, who attempt a black 78.

Veenstra Triumphs at IFQ Africa

South Africans Grant Veenstra and Andrew Georgiou will accompany Brazil’s Adilson da Silva at The Open 2012 afterwards branch the acreage at International Final Qualifying (IFQ) Africa today.

51 players entered the 36-hole clash at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club with the achievement of battling antecedent IFQ Africa qualifiers including 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen — who was an IFQ qualifier in 2004 — and book a atom at Royal Lytham & St Annes this July.

“We all dream about arena in The Open while growing up. Every golfer wants to comedy amidst the best, to comedy at the accomplished level, and I am so aflame for this adventitious to analysis myself and comedy with golf’s best,” said Veenstra (pictured, left), who appointed his abode with a final annular 67 for a six-under-par absolute of 138.

He leapt into altercation with a cord of birdies from the sixth to the ninth afterwards bottomward a attempt at the fifth, and accepting carded an aperture baboon at the first, Veenstra accomplished the about-face at four-under for the day.

“This accident is actual stressful, because you are arena for article actual special. I attacked the advance today and got off to a acceptable alpha — you can’t ask for abundant added than four-under at the turn,” he said.

He connected his allegation with birdies at the 13th and 15th, but was chock-full abbreviate by a double-bogey at the 16th afore carding a final baboon at 18.

“On 16 I hit my atomic attempt of the day, landed it appropriate in the baptize and proceeded to accomplish bristles there. But afresh the aftermost attempt on the 18th was my best attempt this year — I hit it from the continued grass and landed it 25 bottom from the pin. The putt chock-full aloof in the teeth, but that was the best accretion I’ve fabricated from the rough. Aback I stood over the brawl I knew it was afresh or never,” he said.

Shooting five-under for the additional annular took Veenstra’s account to a adviser advance of six-under, which captivated throughout the day and becoming the 28-year-old his abode at The Open 2012.

Brazilian Adilson da Silva looked to accept absolute his affairs aback he double-bogeyed 16, but his account of five-under was abundant to acquire him a abode at his third Open Championship.

“It hasn’t sunk in completely. It’s antic how aflame I am to comedy in The Open. Maybe it will be third-time lucky,” said da Silva, whose aperture 68 anchored his position on the leaderboard.

“After that annular I am animated to be able to breathe again. That double-bogey on the 16th absolutely bent my attention. That added a lot of burden over the aftermost few holes.”

The Brazilian began the additional 18 able-bodied and birdied one, seven and eight to top the leaderboard advanced of his additional nine. A bogey at the par-three 12th was annulled out by a baboon at the 14th afore his double-drop at the 16th, but acquaintance paid off and da Silva adored par over his aftermost two holes.

Andrew Georgiou, at 25 the youngest of the qualifiers, burnt through the aback amplitude in 32 acclamation to shoot four-under for the additional annular and affirmation the third and final abode at The Open.

An animated Georgiou said: “It’s absurd — I can’t accept it. I gave it my all and to be on top is great. The Open is such an alarming tournament. It has consistently been my dream to comedy in an accident of this consequence and to see it advancing accurate is adamantine to describe. It’s time to arch for the UK and comedy with the best, I can’t ask for more.”

Georgiou birdied the aboriginal and looked abiding through the advanced nine, bottomward a abandoned attempt at the fourth but convalescent it with a baboon at eight. He fabricated the about-face at one-under for the day.

He took a added advancing access on the aback nine, which led to birdies at the 12th, 15th, 16th and 18th, admitting a abandoned alone attempt at the 14th.

“I fabricated a lot of birdies bottomward the stretch. My gameplan was to go for it, to hit disciplinarian generally and go for the flags. I started and accomplished well, so I couldn’t ask for more,” he said.

It was a altered story, however, for brief baton Tim Sluiter (pictured, right). The Dutchman acquaint a superb 66 on day one and began blithely with an hawkeye at the aboriginal but an eight-over-par aback nine — which included a seven at the par-3 16th — on his way to a 78 concluded his chances.