Anthony Michael leads Alfred Dunhill Championship
Sunshine tour rookie, Anthony Michael, is leading the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship that took place at the Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa. Also passionate about baseball, Michael showed he made the right decision to turn into
a professional golfer when he secured the lead after posting a 6-under 66.
Getting a sponsors invitation to play, Michael was eager to take part in this tournament. The Championship also kicked off the 2011 European Tour season and was the first event in the 2011 Race to Dubai competition.
Anthony is one shot behind the English Robert Rock, Germany’s Sebastian Buhl, the Norwegian Marius Thorp and the South African Dawie Van der Walt. All the four players are tied for second place at 5-under 67.
As for the leader of the day, Michael said he played baseball for South Africa when he went on a trip to Japan when he was ten. He was going to US to play baseball, but the sport didn’t have much popularity in South Africa, hence he decided to play golf
as a profession.
Michael’s lead was thanks to the 7 birdies he posted in the opening round. Opening with a birdie on the first hole, he had three more birdie shots on the front nine. On the back nine holes, he posted a birdie on the tenth hole, following a bogey on the twelfth.
His bogey slip was made up by the two birdies Michael shot on the 13th and 14th holes.
“I think I hit only three fairways the whole day, but from the rough to the greens was good and on the greens was amazing,” Anthony said. “I had a good feel out there. On eight, I sank a 50, 60-footer for birdie, and on nine I sank a 25-footer, so my putter
was working really well today,” he added.
Despite Michael playing South Africa’s premier golf course three times before today, he was able to do well enough to leave others behind.
The British Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen, didn’t do so good in the opening round and finished four over par 76. The player made four birdies, four bogeys and two double bogeys.
Overall, the first day came to an end with Anthony Michael atop the leader board. With so much competition, there is no saying in what will happen next. All the players including the leader will tee off in the second round tomorrow.
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