Staff WriterMichael Hollick has turned the Sunbet Challenge at Wild Coast Sun into his own personal highlight reel, carding a dazzling five-under-par 65 in Thursday’s second round to grab a one-shot lead at nine under par.
“It was another good day on the golf course. Yesterday was a really good round considering the tough conditions we had since early morning. It really was a tough day’s play,” said Hollick, who’s clearly treating the Sunshine Tour like a private buffet line this season.
The 36-year-old South African, already the winner of last month’s FNB Eswatini Challenge, wasted no time making his intentions clear.
He rolled in four birdies on the front nine—only blemished by a dropped shot at the par-four second—then followed it up with three more birdies and a bogey on the back.
“Today I was able to manage my game and hit the ball into good places. I am putting nicely this week, but had two unfortunate bogeys where I overshot the greens, which are very quick downhill.
Being over the green is not what you are looking for,” Hollick admitted, summing up golf’s eternal law: gravity is never your friend.
Hollick has already pocketed two Sunshine Tour titles this year and looks like a man who wouldn’t mind adding another trophy to the mantelpiece. His game plan for Friday? Simplicity itself.
“Tomorrow we will play the same game, tactically nothing will change. Hopefully it will be good enough to win the tournament,” he said.
The chasing pack
While Hollick was cruising, Jacques P de Villiers and England’s Joe Knox—joint leaders after round one—couldn’t quite keep pace. Both signed for 69s, leaving them tied for second on eight under, a single stroke behind.
Albert Venter (68) and Lyle Rowe, who matched Hollick’s 65, sit just another shot back at seven under. With the leaderboard stacked tighter than a Cape Town traffic jam, the weekend promises plenty of drama.
The Sunbet Challenge isn’t known for being forgiving, and with Wild Coast Sun’s greens running faster than a cheetah on espresso, Hollick’s slender advantage is anything but secure.
But if he keeps rolling the rock the way he has, the man from Durban just might be tough to catch.
