Burke holds onto lead in Vodacom Origins of Golf Final
[Friday, November 21, 2025 18:49:21]
Christiaan Burke. Credit: Tyrone Winfield / Sunshine Tour
Christiaan Burke. Credit: Tyrone Winfield / Sunshine Tour
There is probably no better example of the confidence with which Christiaan Burke is currently playing than the eagle he made at the last to retain his place at the top of the leaderboard in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at Pezula Golf Estate on Friday.
Burke’s second round of 66 on Friday lifted him to 15 under par and still well on track towards claiming a maiden Sunshine Tour title.
He is one stroke clear of Tyran Snyders, who signed for a 65, and the in-form Casey Jarvis, who carded a brilliant 62 including an outward nine of 29 where he started with five consecutive birdies and then added an eagle. Jarvis recently won The Hyundai Open on the Sunshine Tour.
But Burke has looked impressive this week as he opened with a 63 to lead the first round, and then put together a second round of five birdies and a bogey that had him one shot behind Snyders and Jarvis with three to play. An eagle on the par-five ninth then took him to the top of the leaderboard again.
“I played well the whole day and to finish off with an eagle makes it that much better. I didn’t have a particular strategy coming into this week – I just wanted to play and hit fairways and greens like I try and do every week. But the putter is starting to get really hot now so that’s a good thing. I can’t wait to just enjoy the weekend and try and play my best golf again,” said Burke.
Burke’s form has been building to this and he finished runner-up in last week’s Stella Artois Players Championship in a second half of his season where he’s been in contention a few times.
It’s the kind of form that’s carried him into 13th place on the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit, and comes at a timely part of the season with the big summer tournaments to come.
Jean Hugo heads into the weekend just two shots off the lead and looking for a record 13th victory on the Vodacom Origins of Golf series.
Jarvis’ 62 was one of two such superb rounds on Friday. Bryce Easton also added a round of 62 that lifted him into a share of seventh place on 12 under par.
Kayle Wykes claimed a hole-in-one on the par-three fifth hole on his way to a 68. He wasn’t able to make the halfway cut, but it did earn him 50 000 Skybucks courtesy of Airlink. He is the sixth player to score an ace this season.
SCORES
129 - Christiaan Burke 63 66
130 - Tyran Snyders 65 65, Casey Jarvis 68 62
131 - CJ du Plessis 64 67, Jean Hugo 66 65, Jacques P de Villiers 65 66
132 - Thomas Spreadborough 68 64, Liam Grehan 67 65, Bryce Easton 70 62, Peter Karmis 67 65
133 - Wilco Nienaber 69 64, Rhys West 68 65, Rowan Lester 67 66, Deon Germishuys 66 67
134 - Albert Venter 69 65, Wynand Dingle 66 68, Jason Roets 67 67, Martin Vorster 67 67, Barend Botha 70 64
135 - Nikhil Rama 71 64, Herman Loubser 67 68, Ivan Verster 67 68, Otto Van Buynder 70 65, Luke Brown 66 69
136 - Danie Van Niekerk 71 65, Luke Jerling 69 67, Lyle Rowe 67 69, Gerhard Pepler 66 70, Ruan Conradie 67 69, Altin van der Merwe 70 66, Kyle De Beer 68 68, Stuart Krog 71 65, Keenan Davidse 64 72, Jaco Prinsloo 65 71, Graham van der Merwe 70 66
137 - Vuyisani Makama 72 65, Alexander Knappe 64 73, Ruan Korb 68 69, Stephen Ferreira 69 68, JJ Senekal 68 69, Estiaan Conradie 66 71, Ronald Rugumayo 67 70
138 - Stals Swart 70 68, Tomas Gana 72 66, Christiaan Basson 71 67, Robson Chinhoi 72 66, Benjamin Van Wyk 72 66, Pieter Moolman 71 67, Dylan Mostert 66 72, Joe Long 68 70, James Mack 68 70, Heinrich Bruiners 67 71, Haydn Porteous 71 67, Neil Schietekat 69 69, Keegan Mclachlan 69 69, Rupert Kaminski 71 67, MJ Viljoen 70 68, Jean-Paul Strydom 69 69, Jordan Burnand 70 68
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