Andy DevaneyAustin Bautista has positioned himself for a second Sunshine Tour victory of the season, and he’s done it with something every golfer understands but very few can produce on demand: a scorecard without a bogey.
The Australian’s third-round 64 at Houghton Golf Club on Saturday moved him to 12 under par in the Fortress Invitational, two shots clear of Germany’s Morris Schiefner, who signed for a 66.
It’s a useful advantage, particularly with Bautista already having won the FNB Eswatini Challenge this season. But two shots offer considerably less protection than they might appear to when there’s another round to negotiate and a defending champion still lurking among the chasing pack.
The Quiet Discipline Behind Bautista’s 64
There was nothing particularly complicated about Bautista’s explanation of his round. He identified the holes that required caution, recognised where he could attack and trusted the two areas of his game he considers his strengths: wedges and putting.
The simplicity is rather appealing. Executing it over 18 holes without dropping a shot is the difficult bit.
“There weren’t necessarily moments that were crucial for me. Come the final round, usually there are moments where you really want to lock in and you feel like there’s heavy pressure. But today I just went about my business, playing the tough holes smart and playing the easier holes a bit more aggressive, and knowing what my strengths are which are wedges and putting, and putting myself in position to make putts. I did that well today,” said Bautista.
That measured approach has given him control of the tournament heading into its final round. The challenge now is retaining the same clarity of thought when every missed opportunity carries rather more significance.
Schiefner’s Eagle Comes With an Expensive Catch
Morris Schiefner provided a rather different version of how to reach the business end of a golf tournament.
The German, currently 20th in the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings, made an eagle at the 10th before a double-bogey at the 12th undid much of the good work. Without that double, he could have finished alongside Bautista at the top of the leaderboard.
Golf can be remarkably efficient at returning a player to earth.
“The eagle on the 10th hole was good. I saw the cameras coming up and I knew I had to show off a little bit. Sadly, the back nine was not as good as I wanted it to be, but I kept it together,” Schiefner said.
His 66 was still good enough to secure second place heading into the final round, although he sounded considerably less enthusiastic about the physical demands of the day.
“I will definitely be resting tonight. My back hurts a bit, and I’ll be putting on enough sunscreen tomorrow. I am very tired.”
Two strokes is hardly an insurmountable deficit, but Schiefner must now chase a player who completed the third round without making a single bogey.
Defending Champion Purchase Still Has Work to Do
Warwick Purchase remains in contention to defend his Fortress Invitational title, although the task has become considerably more demanding.
He will begin the final round four shots behind Bautista, alongside Jonathan Broomhead, Tyran Snyders and Altin van der Merwe.
All four are therefore eight under par, with enough ground to recover that a steady final round might not be sufficient.
For Bautista, the situation is straightforward enough on paper. He has a two-stroke advantage over his nearest challenger and twice that margin over the next group.
Maintaining it, naturally, is where golf tends to become less accommodating.
Jacques van der Merwe Collects a Six-Figure Reward
Away from the argument over the tournament lead, Jacques van der Merwe found a particularly rewarding way to make his mark on the third round.
He holed his tee shot at the par-three 14th, collecting R100 000 courtesy of CIB and a further 100 000 Skybucks courtesy of Fly Airlink.
The hole-in-one also earned him a place in the Airlink Aces Shoot-Out at the end of the season.
It’s an impressive return from a single swing, and a welcome reminder that the leaderboard doesn’t always tell the entire story of a day’s golf.
For van der Merwe, the 14th has already paid handsomely. For Bautista, the next round will decide whether an excellent 64 becomes the foundation of another Sunshine Tour victory.
