Rough justice: SA Open delivers early reality check at brutal Stellenbosch Golf Club

South African Dean Burmester, currently tied for the lead, had a strong day on the greens during the opening round of the 115th South African Open in Stellenbosch. The 115thSouth African Openat Stellenbosch Golf Club took no prisoners on day one, reminding the field that golf in the Cape Winelands can be as ruthless as it is picturesque — especially when the wind has a say. A tricky Cape breeze swept across the fairways on Thursday, testing the precision and skill of the players in equal measure.

While some prevailed, a handful of big names quickly discovered there would be no easing into the tournament. Defending champion Dylan Naidoo (3-over par) battled to find his rhythm,while four-time winner Ernie Els (+4)endured a frustrating start, despite making an eagle on the fifth hole. Masters champions Patrick Reed (+1) and Charl Schwartzel (+7) also struggled to tame a layout that punished even the slightest lapse in judgment.

Instead, the early honours on Thursday belonged to four players who navigated the blustery conditions and tricky rough superbly, sharing the lead at five under par. South Africa’s Dean Burmester, champion in 2023, was the only local among the leaders, alongside Spain’s Alejandro del Rey, Englishman Joe Dean and Scotland’s Oliver Lindell. Southern Guards GC star Burmester continued his encouraging start to the season with a composed round of 65, mixing seven birdies with two bogeys in the swirling wind.

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His patience on the greens, where he avoided three-putts and two-putted only four times, proved decisive on a day when par was a good score across much of the course. “I would not wish this rough on any amateur golfer,” Burmester said following his round. “The guys who played in the Pro-Am — the three I played with — struggled.

It is difficult and you have to read the lie well. My lie on 18 was not an easy one. It is a gamble and you must play the right shot for the right lie.

I managed to do that today. “The putter was hot today. I would not be surprised if I was leading the stats after that.

There were a lot of ones in my putting stats, for sure.” Burmester, looking to take the outright lead on the 18th, overshot the green with his approach and landed in a thick patch of rough above the flag, metres from the bunker. He expertly wedged the ball towards the hole to leave himself an easy tap-in par to finish. He was pleased with how the course played on the first day, but warned that it would “show its teeth” over the weekend.

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