Herman Loubser went bogey-free on Monday in the opening round of the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour’s Race to Q-School #1 at Modderfontein Golf Club, and his six-under-par 66 gave him a share of the lead.
Three other players carded six-under-par, as Dylan Kok, Ricky Hendler and Jastice Mashego joined Loubser at the top of the leaderboard. They had a one-stroke lead over Haraldur Magnus of Iceland. England’s Bradley Bawden was in sixth on four-under, while Bradeley Gildenhuys shared seventh with Robin Williams of England.
Loubser, who was drawn in a strong group with Kok and Williams, got things going early in his round with a birdie on the second. He picked up two more on six and seven to turn in three-under-par 33, and then picked up shots on 13, 14 and 17 to be full value for his lead.
Kok made an eagle, five birdies and a bogey for his 66, while Hendler, like Loubser, was bogey-free for his opening round. Mashego had two eagles, four birdies and two bogeys on his card, with his final bogey on the 18th preventing him from taking the sole outright lead.
Loubser won once in 2020 on the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour and pulled off 15 other top-20s in a good year as he sets about trying to regain his Sunshine Tour playing privileges.
