Herman Loubser and Sunshine Tour veteran Hennie Otto finished Thursday’s first round of the Mopani Zambia Open in a share of the lead following their rounds of five-under 67 at the Nkana Golf Club.
They are one stroke clear of Sweden’s Fredrik From and defending champion MJ Viljoen from South Africa.
Loubser, who started his round on the back nine and had to work for a few pars early on, claimed the early clubhouse lead with a solid round including three birdies and an eagle.
“I started off a little bit shaky but made good up-and-downs for par that kept the momentum going,” said Loubser, who wasn’t even born yet when his fellow leader Otto finished second in this tournament in 1998.
“My course management was good today. At the par-five 2nd hole I holed it out of the bunker with my third shot for eagle, which I haven’t done in a while.
“The nice things about these tournaments are that all the guys stay in the same spot, so it’s always very social. The people here are so friendly. I love this place. Africa in general is just a fun experience.”
The young Sunshine Tour professional was delighted with his start and hopes to continue with this momentum.
“It’s quite a weird position to be in. Usually I try to shoot a low round to make the cut, but it’s nice to put myself in a good position.”
Photo: Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour
