Staff WriterIf there’s one man enjoying the chaos at the NTT DATA Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank, it’s MJ Daffue – and he’s doing it in the kind of rain-soaked mayhem that would make a duck ask for a brolly.
The 37-year-old South African carved out a majestic second-round 64 at Fancourt Golf Estate on Saturday, climbing to 13-under-par and taking a two-shot lead into a weather-juggled finale in George, with American Hunter Logan and compatriot Deon Germishuys doing their best to keep him in sight.
Daffue Turns Outeniqua into a Birdie Runway
After a five-hour rain delay that had players loitering around the clubhouse like delayed passengers at Heathrow, Daffue started his second round on the 10th tee of the Outeniqua course and wasted absolutely no time. Eight birdies, no bogeys, and the sort of tidy card you’d happily frame above the mantlepiece.
He rattled off four birdies on his opening nine, added two more after the turn, then—after steady pars on six and seven—closed with back-to-back birdies to edge clear at the top. It was calculated aggression rather than mindless bombing, which Daffue was the first to acknowledge.
“Today was very good,” he said. “I’ve been working hard but haven’t seen much come through for a few years but it has always felt like something is right around the corner. I love this place and it’s so nice to be back in South Africa.”
That affection for Fancourt goes hand in hand with a more mature strategy.
“I believe any course suits me well because of how I’ve built my game and practised. It rewards good ball strikers and those who plot their way around. In the past I’ve played well here but haven’t had much success.
“I think this time around I’ve scaled back. Being a longer player, it’s so easy to fire at everything so I’m pleased with my game plan so far this week.”
Weather, Delays and a 54-Hole Sprint to the Finish
The NTT DATA Pro-Am has had more interruptions than a family Zoom call. Thursday’s first round was washed out by heavy rain in George, forcing the tournament to be shortened to 54 holes. That means Sunday’s final round shifts to the Montagu course, with the entire field in a sprint rather than a marathon.
Several players, including first-round leader Benjamin Follett-Smith, must return early Sunday to finish their second rounds after play was suspended due to darkness. The remainder of round two restarts at 7:30am, with the final round not expected to begin before 11:00am.
In that context, Daffue’s discipline over the first 36 holes looks even more impressive.
“With the tournament being shortened you can easily push too hard. You have to be methodical whilst keeping your foot on the gas,” he added.
“It’s going to be windy tomorrow. It’s going to be about going out there tomorrow and understanding that there’s a good score out there. It’s going to take commitment to every shot and your instincts to execute it.”
There speaks a man who knows that in a compressed NTT DATA Pro-Am week, one reckless decision can be more costly than a double-bogey on your wedding anniversary.
Els Rolls Back the Years on Montagu
And then there’s Ernie. Fancourt is stitched into the fabric of Ernie Els’ career like his name on a claret jug. In 2003 he stared down Tiger Woods in an unforgettable Presidents Cup playoff at The Links here – so dramatic that even darkness threw in the towel and the Cup was shared. He launched his foundation at Fancourt. On Saturday, the Big Easy gave the place another page for the scrapbook.
When darkness finally dropped the curtain on an incomplete second round of the NTT DATA Men’s Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank, the 56-year-old South African was settling into a glass of red wine, having played his way to within just five shots of Daffue’s lead.
Daffue’s 64 on Outeniqua took him to 13 under, while South Africa’s Deon Germishuys and American Hunter Logan signed for 11 under. Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith also sits at 11 under through nine holes, waiting to polish off his second round on Sunday morning.
On an overcast day at Fancourt, Els lit the place up. Playing the Montagu course, he had residents pouring out of their homes and onto the fairways like it was the back nine on Masters Sunday.
At one stage, Els was seven under through 11 holes. A pair of back-to-back bogeys on the inward half cooled the card slightly, but not the mood, and he now heads into Sunday with an outside chance that feels just tempting enough to keep everybody watching.
“I really had it going at one point there and I was looking at something special. I think I ran out of steam. But listen, I’ll be around for the final day and if I get another run like that, I’d love to finish it off with something nice,” said Els.
“It was great out there. A lot of people were coming out of their homes to watch, and a lot of my friends who I play with here. We had a good time out there. I won here in 1993, believe it or not. That’s how far back I go at Fancourt. There are many great memories for me here. So I’m looking forward to keep chipping away at my game and get it really sharp for the Investec South African Open.”
So while Daffue pilots the leaderboard, Els is quietly tuning up for the Investec South African Open like a concert pianist warming up in the wings – just with more fairways and fewer black notes.
Chasing Pack Ready to Pounce
Behind Daffue, the leaderboard is as bunched as a rush-hour roundabout. Germishuys and Logan are just two back at 11 under, with a host of players hovering ominously.
South African duo Louis Albertse and Casey Jarvis, alongside Zimbabweans Kieran Vincent and Benjamin Follett-Smith, share fourth on 10 under par. Add Els and a wind forecast that promises to turn Montagu into a moving day rollercoaster, and Sunday’s final round of the NTT DATA Pro-Am is shaping up like a proper test of nerve and creativity.
For Daffue, there’s more at stake than just a trophy and a nice photo for the mantelpiece.
At the top of the leaderboard, Daffue is just as eager to finish off strong on Sunday, and also with an eye on the Investec South African Open in two weeks’ time.
“My game feels close. This is my lowest round in a while and coming off the surgeries I’ve had. I am not in the Investec SA Open at present. But if I go and take care of business on Sunday and it’s my time and I win, then that will get me in.”
Sunday at Fancourt: Wind, Nerves and One Big Opportunity
So here’s the Sunday picture: a shortened 54-hole NTT DATA Pro-Am, a bunched chasing pack, wind on the forecast, and Fancourt’s Montagu course ready to reward the brave and expose the reckless. Daffue holds the advantage, but Els is lurking, the Zim contingent is circling, and Germishuys and Logan are a single hot streak away from turning the whole thing upside down.
The second round resumes at 7:30 am, with the final round not expected to start before 11:00 am. By sundown, someone will have turned a soggy, stop-start week into a career-defining victory – and maybe, for MJ Daffue, a golden ticket into the Investec South African Open.
