1 April 2015 – Gauteng North’s Otto van Buynder moved within striking distance of pacesetter Sentanio Minnie in the first round of the Nomads North vs South Inland on April Fool’s Day.

Minnie notched eight birdies on his way to a sizzling six-under-par 66 at Bloemfontein Golf Club, but Van Buynder from Blue Valley Golf Estate overcame a lone early bogey at the par-four second with half-a-dozen birdies to finish one stroke off the pace.

The Gauteng North junior shares second with Franklin Manchest from Southern Cape, who reeled in four birdies on the back nine to offset back-to-back bogeys at 10 and 11.

Minnie also bogeyed the second hole, but three successive birdies from the fourth carried him to the turn in two under. A birdie at the 10th took him to the turn in three under and the 17-year-old from Glendower could even afford a second bogey at the 11^th after he rallied with another hat-trick of birdies at 12, 13 and 14 before a final gain at the par-three 16^th.

Van Buynder and Manchest are two strokes clear of Gauteng North pair Cliffie Thompson and Keegan Mclachlan, who tied for fourth with Luke Mayo from KwaZulu-Natal and Boland’s Herman Loubser.

Bloemfontein’s Therion Nel and Steven le Roux from neighboring Schoeman’s Park lead the local challenge at even-par 72.

FIRST ROUND SCORES
66 Sentanio Minnie
67 Franklin Manchest; Otto van Buynder
69 Herman Loubser; Clifford Thompson; Keegan Mclachlan; Luke Mayo
70 Niehaus Loots
71 Alan Lones
72 Steven le Roux; Therion Nel; Gregory Mckay; Vaughn van Deventer

PHOTO – Otto van Buynder; credit Rogan Ward