Syme Feeling At Home In The Tough Eastern Cape Conditions At SDC Championship

2 months ago by Comments Off on Syme Feeling At Home In The Tough Eastern Cape Conditions At SDC Championship

Scotland’ Connor Syme wasted little time getting himself back into contention on a tough opening day for all competitors at the SDC Championship at the Eastern Cape in South Africa.

Syme, 28, felt right at home in the bright but windy conditions, posting seven birdies in a five-under 67 to end the round just two shots behind the leading South African duo of Pieter Moolman and Shaun Norris on the exposed St. Francis course laid out close to the Indian Ocean.

Fifer Syme teed-up just four days after the disappointment of a season-best in sharing seventh at last week’s Magical Kenya Open at altitude in Nairobi.

Syme had been just two of the lead with a round to play but a last day cold putter didn’t help in managing an even par final nine holes that saw the Scot finish four shots off forcing a play-off.

No such concern for Syme and back at sea-level in the south-east corner of the African continent in posting five birdies and just two bogeys over his outway half ahead of birdies on the two inward par-3s, the 14th and 17th holes.

He said: “The conditions made it difficult out there and fortunately I managed to keep good control of my golf ball while they moved a few tees forward, so you had to adapt your game play a little bit around that.

“The key was keeping in low and out of the sky, and keeping the spin off the ball as much as you can.

“It was definitely one of those days, so pleased with my start”.

It is the second hosting of the event with Syme a year ago finishing inside the top-15 and three adrift of good friend Ewen Ferguson who finished top-three, thanks to a pair of weeknd 68s.

A year on and Ferguson struggled under the weight of a one-over 73 and not helped in posting a triple-bogey ‘8’ at his 15th hole

Richie Ramsay signed for a level par 72 while Aberdonian David Law, and the only other Scot in the field, battled under the weight of a 77.



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