Conradie shares the lead after strong start at Lost City

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Photo Credit: Michael Vlismas

Married life appears to be agreeing with Estiaan Conradie, who, just a month after his wedding, shares the lead following the opening round of the Blu Label Unlimited Challenge at Lost City Golf Course.

Conradie and fellow South African Tyran Snyders each carded 17 points under the tournament’s modified Stableford scoring format, establishing a two point lead over England’s Joe Sullivan.

Conradie was first into the clubhouse on Wednesday and was pleased with his opening round.

“I’m happy with those 17 points. I couldn’t really have asked for a better start than that. It’s a good position to be in,” he said.

“It was a good round. There was just the one bogey on the par five, which is not really what you want to do, especially with this format. I’m glad I could bounce back quickly after that. Overall, it was a good round. I gave myself lots of birdie opportunities and made lots of putts,” he added.

The tournament’s distinctive format rewards an aggressive approach, something Conradie embraced throughout his round.

“It’s a nice format. It’s a bit different and a nice change. I’m enjoying it. Trying to be as aggressive as you can is important, especially in this tournament. You need to be aggressive and give yourself as many birdie opportunities as you can, because you need birdies to make the points.”

Snyders joined Conradie at the top of the leaderboard later in the day, producing an impressive round that included an eagle on the fourth hole.

Ricky Hendler also made a solid start, collecting 12 points. Hendler finished runner up in the tournament in 2024 and has fond memories of competing at Sun City.

“That was an amazing week in 2024. It always gives me a good vibe coming here, and I always enjoy coming to Sun City. The format of this tournament allows you to play more freely and be more aggressive,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Stuart Krog continued the recent run of holes in one on the Sunshine Tour, recording an ace on the par three 15th. The achievement earned him 100,000 SkyBucks, courtesy of Fly Airlink, and secured his place in the Airlink Aces Shoot Out at the end of the season.