Ferguson Edging Closer To ‘Wearing’ Top Scot World-Ranked Honours

Scot Ewen Ferguson’s push for top world-ranked Scot honours continues ​after​ taking route 66 on the opening day of the co-sanctioned Jonsson​ Workwear ​Open at Stern City to the north of Joburg.

Ferguson and fellow Scott Calum Hill each grabbed seven birdies, dropping one shot apiece, to be shari​​ng ​seventh​ place and only two shots adrift of the leading ​local ​duo of Darren Fichardt and Martin Voyster with scores of ​eight-under ​64​s​.

Bearsden-attached Ferguson c​apped his round with four birdies in a five-hole​s ​mid-round.

Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson edging ever-closer to becoming the Home of Golf’s top world-ranked

A Ferguson win this week by the current World No. 139, and on the back of his share of third a week ago, would see the Scot break into the top-100 on the rankings for a first time in his career.

Victory in the South African capital would also see Ferguson unseat the absent Robert MacIntyre, and presently the top-ranked Scot at 96th in the world, who’s heading in the opposite directions on the rankings,

Hill, 28, birdied three of his opening five holes and then three of his closing four on the host Stern City course to the north of the South African capital.

It is the Gleneagles ​golfers ​seventh sub-70 score in 19 rounds this full season after being struck down for most of last year fighting the lingering effects of mosquito bites while competing in Portugal at the end of 2021.

Hill said: “I played well. Just played nice. I didn’t score as well as I would have liked to on the par-5s but had way more birdies than you would expect on the par-3s so it evens out.

“So, it was a good round”.

This week is Hill’s third straight on the African continent, and also delighted in bouncing back after missing the cut last week at Eastern Cape​, a​nd with the opening round at Stern City 10 shots fewer than a week ago.

Hill said: “I like the course and it’s in great condition as well. I putted well on the greens, which I like, and they are at a good pace.

“I feel comfortable out there and I am looking forward to another few rounds.

“It’s much a much better start than last week. I’d rather forget Thursday at St Francis (smiling)

“Yeah, it was much nicer to come out in just a breeze, not really that much wind with maybe a ten-yard hurt at the most.”

“I’m hitting it solid and ball-striking is good. Just need to work on a few woods this afternoon as I mis-hit a couple, but I’m hitting a lot of greens and making some good putts, which is the main thing.”

Two other Scot in the field – Connor Syme and David Law – signed for respective scores of 70 and 71.

MEANTIME ..

David Drysdale grabbed a late round birdie in a one-under 69 to be a shot outside the top-30 on the opening day of the Asian Tour’s World City Championship in Hong Kong.

Drysdale birdied his 17th hole on a tough day for scoring, and with only 47 players in the 132-strong Asian Tour field under par on the tight suburban Fanling course.

Filipino Miguel Tabuena, who won last week’s DGC event in India, leads the way with a seven-under 64.

Former Hong Kong Open winners, Scott Hend is third at five-under and Ian Poulter signing for a two-under 68.



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