Van Rooyen fires at Olympics before costly 18th

Stimpmeter · August 1, 2024, 6:00pm

Erik van Rooyen was one hole away from putting his feet up and enjoying the clubhouse view from near the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the men’s golf competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, writes GARY LEMKE.

The Team SA golfer had fired six birdies and an eagle as he headed to the 18th tee, a par four closing hole. Make par and he’d sign for an opening 65, only two shots off the leader, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

However, he ended on the worst possible note with a double-bogey, which dropped him back down to four-under 67.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout, in his second Olympics, carded a first-round 70 with three birdies and two bogeys.

Both South Africans had said after playing a practice round at Golf National that the layout was a good one for making birdies. Drive well, stay on the fairway and attack the flag. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

Bezuidenhout, coming in to these Games ranked No 46 in the world – Van Rooyen is 69th – was one of the earlier starters on a hot Thursday and he started quickly, going two under after the first three holes.

A bogey at the 7th saw him reach the turn at one under and then he came home with a birdie at the 15th negated by a bogey at the 17th.

Van Rooyen’s round was far more adventurous in terms of the scoring.

He made bogey at the 2nd hole, before rebounding with birdies at the 5th and 6th and then eagle at the par-five 9th, to go out in three-under 33.

He immediately gave a shot back to the course on the 10th before a birdie blitz – four in six holes from No 12 to 17 – pushed him right up the leaderboard to third, only two off the pace of Matsuyama and one behind Xander Schauffele, before the dreaded double at the last.

Van Rooyen was understandably chuffed with his round afterwards.

“I played some lovely golf out there, I hit the ball well and putted well. I think four under is a great start.

“My ball found the rough on the 18th and I thought I’d get a flyer out of it but I didn’t. The 18th is an incredibly difficult hole but I got unlucky with the ball coming out dead.”

There would have been plenty of contenders for shot of the day in his round of 67. But, what would Van Rooyen choose as his best two?

“Obviously the 3-wood I hit on the 9th was a beautiful shot and on the 1st hole I hit 7-iron for my second shot. It was a tricky shot with wind coming from the right and I had to cut the 7 into the wind.

The weather was warm, in the 30s, but the course is in fantastic shape. I’m feeling good and really looking forward to Friday.”

Photo: Kevin C Cox/Getty Images

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