David GonzalezGolfers can spend years searching for the secret to consistent success. Luke Brown appears to have stumbled across it, although there is one small problem. He hasn’t the faintest idea what he’s doing differently.
The South African continued his outstanding Sunshine Tour season with an opening nine-under-par 63 at Country Club Johannesburg, taking a share of the first-round lead at the Telkom PGA Championship alongside Kyle de Beer.
For a player who has already collected two victories this season, another appearance at the business end of the leaderboard is becoming familiar territory.
What makes Brown’s run particularly intriguing is his insistence that there has been no dramatic change to his game.
“People have asked what I have done differently to suddenly be at the top of the leaderboard doing well. If I knew I would have done it four years ago,” Brown said after his round.
Not exactly the answer every struggling club golfer was hoping for, but refreshingly straightforward.
Home Advantage Pays Off for Brown
Playing at his home course, Brown made the most of familiar surroundings with a round featuring two eagles, combining accurate driving with the sort of wedge play that makes low scoring considerably easier.
He credited his performance off the tee for creating opportunities throughout the round. With Country Club Johannesburg not particularly long by professional standards, keeping the ball in play allowed him to attack with shorter clubs.
Brown also suggested that his improved results might be down to several smaller improvements coming together rather than one technical breakthrough. Better putting, in particular, has helped him turn more opportunities into birdies while protecting his score when pars are required.
There is added motivation this week, too.
Brown described the Telkom PGA Championship as an iconic event, pointing to its status as South Africa’s second-oldest tournament. Having the opportunity to compete for the title is significant enough. Doing so while enjoying the best form of his season makes the prospect rather more appealing.
Kyle de Beer Joins the Party
Brown’s 63 looked a formidable opening statement, but Kyle de Beer had other ideas.
Fresh from winning the Rwanda Open, De Beer produced a nine-under-par 63 of his own during the afternoon to join Brown at the summit.
The pair hold a slender one-shot advantage over defending champion Deon Germishuys, Kieron van Wyk and Tyran Snyders, who each opened with eight-under-par 64s.
With five players separated by a single stroke, the championship is already shaping into a contest in which another low round could prove essential.
Sunshine Tour Order of Merit Leader Remains in Contention
The chasing pack also includes Samuel Simpson, the current leader of the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit.
Simpson opened with a seven-under-par 65 to join Louis Albertse, former Telkom PGA Championship winner George Coetzee and Frenchman Pierre Viallaneix in a four-way tie.
He was particularly impressed with the presentation of Country Club Johannesburg and enjoyed his opening-round company alongside Dean Burmester and Albertse.
“What a venue. To see it in full tournament condition is really cool,” said Simpson.
For Simpson, another low score would strengthen his position in a tournament already featuring plenty of players capable of challenging for the title.
Brown, meanwhile, has a slightly different problem. He is playing some of the best golf of his Sunshine Tour career, has two victories behind him this season and has opened another prestigious championship with a 63.
If he ever works out precisely what changed, there will probably be a queue of golfers wanting to know.
Until then, he might be wise not to change a thing.
