Luca Filippi fired a superb seven-under-par 65 on Friday in the second round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open at Chapman Golf Club to claim a five-shot lead heading into the weekend.
Filippi, who began the day in a tie for fifth after shooting 68 at Royal Harare Golf Club on the first day, was just one-under-par through nine holes on Friday, but he knew he was playing well and stuck at it.
Even missing a short birdie putt on the 10th did not derail him and he then exploded into action with successive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, an eagle on the par-five 14th, and further birdies on 16 and 18.
“I played nicely from the start, even though I was only one-under on the front nine,” Filippi said.
“I had some nice opportunities for birdie and then missed a short one on 10, but it was great to then start making putts. I was especially happy about my eagle on 14 because I had only played the par fives in level par on the front.
“I wanted to be aggressive and on both courses they’re using for the tournament, you’ve got to hit your driver very well. If you position yourself well off the tee, then there are lots of birdies out there. I was doing that well today, although the putting was a little tricky at Chapman – the greens aren’t rolling quite as pure as at Royal Harare. But I knew there was definitely a low score out here.
“I will keep my game plan pretty much the same over the weekend, shooting four-under at Royal Harare on the first day was a good start. I need to keep being aggressive. I can’t afford to sit back and relax. I need to keep my foot on the pedal, be aggressive off the tee and give my putts a chance,” Filippi said.
Filippi, who is on 11-under-par at the halfway stage, will need to keep an eye on second-placed Louis de Jager (-6), who it must always be remembered did the South African Amateur Championship double in 2007, has won five times on the Sunshine Tour and competed in over 100 DP World Tour events.
All that experience has come to the fore in solid back-to-back rounds of 69 by De Jager, while in-form first-round leader Louis Albertse is with a group of five golfers at five-under par after shooting 74 at Chapman GC.
Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya kept himself in the top three with a level-par 72 on the same course, while veteran Jaco Ahlers shot a 69 at Royal Harare to also go five-under for the tournament. Albert Venter and American Dan Erickson are the other golfers on that mark.
Scores:
133 – Luca Filippi 68 65
138 – Louis de Jager 69 69
139 – Madalitso Muthiya 67 72, Louis Albertse 65 74, Jaco Ahlers 70 69, Albert Venter 68 71, Dan Erickson 70 69
140 – Wynand Dingle 70 70, Nikhil Rama 70 70
141 – Hennie O’Kennedy 71 70, Ryan Cairns 71 70, Neil Schietekat 72 69, Keagan Thomas 67 74
142 – Slade Pickering 70 72, Stefan Wears-Taylor 74 68, Martin Vorster 71 71, Jean Hugo 69 73, James Mack 69 73
143 – Jacques P de Villiers 73 70, Clancy Waugh 71 72, Kyle Barker 71 72, Nyasha Muyambo 72 71
144 – MJ Viljoen 72 72, Rhys West 72 72, JJ Senekal 69 75, Ryan Van Velzen 68 76, Martin Rohwer 69 75, Michael Kok 72 72, Deon Germishuys 72 72, Hayden Griffiths 72 72
145 – Brian Gondo 71 74, Simon Katembenuka 69 76, Combrinck Smit 71 74, Therion Nel 69 76, Shaahid Mahmed 72 73
146 – Kyle McClatchie 72 74, Ricky Hendler 71 75, Jared Harvey 69 77, Keegan Shutt 71 75, Rupert Kaminski 73 73
147 – Dylan Naidoo 75 72, Lyle Rowe 74 73, Byron Coetzee 70 77, Thorne Juan Van Zyl 71 76, Stuart Krog 74 73, Stephen Ferreira 73 74, Herman Loubser 66 81, Benjamin Follett-Smith 72 75, Joe Long 77 70
148 – Teaghan Gauche 74 74, Michael Palmer 72 76, Luke Jerling 74 74, Sydney Wemba 74 74, Robson Chinhoi 74 74, Merrick Bremner 78 70, Jovan Rebula 74 74, Tafara Mpofu 77 71, Jacques Blaauw 73 75, Callum Mowat 76 72, Mohammad Rauf Mandhu 73 75
149 – Dylan Mostert 76 73, Visitor Mapwanya 73 76, Michael Wallace 78 71, Jack Allard 74 75, Erhard Lambrechts 71 78, Celestin Nsanzuwer 83 66
Missed the cut:
150 – Danie Van Niekerk 72 78, Sean Cronje 71 79, Clayton Mansfield 75 75, Phumlani Maluka 76 74, Adam Breen 74 76
151 – Brooklin Bailey 74 77, James Pennington 77 74, Mutahi Kibugu 75 76, Sean Bradley 71 80, Jake Redman 78 73, Ignatius Mketekete 75 76, Tatende Makunde 72 79, Li Shijie 76 75, Bradley Bawden 76 75, Trainos Muradzikwa 74 77, Robson Saurombe 77 74, Paul Chidale 72 79
152 – Ronald Rugumayo 75 77, Harry Konig 73 79, Gabriel Chibale 78 74, Kayyam Rauf Mandhu 75 77, Paul Boshoff 77 75
153 – Andre Van Dyk 77 76, Clive Nguru 74 79, Leon Vorster 76 77, Chris Cannon 72 81
154 – Henning du Plooy 77 77, Pride Sembo 72 82, Ndazura Munashe 80 74, Aloys Nsabimana 78 76, Adam Sailesi 79 75
155 – Erick Ooko Obura 78 77, Tristin Galant 75 80, Luke Brown 77 78, Joshua Seale 74 81
156 – Promise Sombrero 79 77, Mairosi Katembenuka 78 78, Vaughn van Deventer 79 77, Julius Kamalizeni 77 79, Jacquin Hess 77 79
157 – Akil Yousuf 77 80, Wayne Stroebel 78 79, Kyle Lucas 75 82
158 – Mark Williams 76 82, Bradley Kulaisi 77 81, Anyway Katembenuka 81 77, Clifford Sibanda 80 78, Tariro November 76 82
160 – Victor Kachepatsonga 78 82, Gerard du Plooy 79 81, Paidon Chiwaka 82 78
161 – Maverick Faber 79 82, Morton Kombai 82 79
162 – Young Sik Baek 79 83, Kevin Rhoderick 84 78, Howard Bauti 84 78, Simon Murungweni 79 83
163 – Gareth Sargent 85 78
165 – Tonderayi Masunga 86 79, Sean Bell 83 82, Tanaka Chatora 83 82, Gary Ferguson 82 83
166 – William Lake 82 84, Phillip Tshuma 80 86, Never Milazi 84 82
167 – Rasheed Mohomed 88 79, Keegan Meth 86 81, Liberty Gumisa 82 85, Matthew Mortimer 85 82
168 – Dean Schoultz 83 85, Titch Musemburi 82 86, Tawana Mangoma 83 85
169 – Pranay Kapur 80 89
170 – Campbell Macmillan 80 90, Clive Muchenje 85 85
171 – Mandla Dlamini Jnr 86 85, Roy Narsing 87 84
174 – Munashe Madhodha 89 85
177 – Braydon Amm 83 94
178 – Takudzwa Basopo 85 93
WDN – Matthew Campbell 97 WDN
RTD – Davison Elijah 74 RTD
Credit: Source link