Turner turns it on at CMR Challenge

(PHOTO – Justin Turner; credit CJ du Plooy)

ROODEPOORT, 4 May 2016 – As soon as Justin Turner signed off on a flawless eight-under-par 64 to take one shot lead after the second round of the IGT Tour’s CMR Challenge on Tuesday, the Western Province pro pulled out his phone, clicked on the Sunshine Tour app and checked out the leaderboard at the Royal Investec Swazi Open.

“Jeez, Neil Schietekat made 16 points,” he said. “My 64 would have been worth 15 points. I’d only be one point behind.”

Next Turner checked out Anton Haig’s card and was disappointed to see that the ERMP Challenge winner started with two points.

“It’s just first round nerves; he will turn up the heat tomorrow,” Turner said. “We played together in the GMC Doubles at Zwartkop and struck up a great friendship. He hits the ball so beautifully and so long and his victory really inspired me to step it up.

“I have been playing well this season, but I struggled to hit the ball at ERPM. I struggled a little in round here at CMR, too, but today I got it going early and kept it going through the round. It’s such a great feeling when your scores reflect the way you are playing.”

Turner blew out of the blocks with successive birdies, added gains at the fourth and sixth and reeled in another brace of birdies at 10 and 12 before he hit a cracking drive at the par four 16th to four foot and knocked in the putt for an eagle.

Turner rocketed from joint 13^th to the top of the leaderboard, vaulting past first round leader Eric Nel.

The Pretoria amateur returned a 70 to tie for second with Matthew Spacey, who notched six birdies on his way to a 67.

“It was really a cracking round,” Turner said.

“I had a good two-putt birdie to start, and hit it to five feet at the second and holed the putt for birdie and then I kept it going. I missed short putts at seven, eight and nine and had a lip-out at 11, but you can’t win them all. I’m really pleased with this performance, even if it could have been better.”

The Wanna Be A Champion player competed on the Sunshine Tour in 2015, but failed to keep his card by a couple of thousand rand.

“It really hurt and then I didn’t get my card back at Q-School, but it really was for the best. I had a long hard look at why I failed and I realised that I didn’t do enough hard work. I’ve been going to the gym since the start of the year and I’m a lot fitter than last year. I’m also stronger and I feel better about my game now than I did last season.

“If I can keep going like this, I know I will be fit and ready and mentally capable to take my game the full nine yards on the Sunshine Tour next season.”

SECOND ROUND SCORES

All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs are indicated as AMA:

136 – Justin Turner 72 64

137 – Matthew Spacey 70 67, Eric Nel AMA 67 70

138 – Damian Naicker 69 69, Stephan Erasmus AMA 70 68

140 – David Ashley (ENG) 71 69, Johary Raveloarison (MDG) 69 71

142 – Calvin Caldeira 74 68, Clinton Grobler 71 71

143 – Carrie Park 73 70, Adriel Poonan AMA 74 69

144 – John McClean (NIR) 71 73, Cameron Nesmith AMA 74 70

145 – Coert Groenewald 72 73

146 – Stephan De Beer 71 75, Simon Kruger 75 71

147 – CJ Levey 72 75, NJ Arnoldi 74 73, Gerard Du Plooy 70 77, Warric Dyers AMA 74 73, Jacques De Villiers AMA 74 73, Shaun van Tonder 79 68, Gary Daoust AMA (BEL) 76 71, Matt Wollman AMA (ZIM) 71 76

148 – Bryce Myburgh 79 69, Keegan Steyn AMA 74 74, Hilton Hughes AMA 78 70

149 – Gareth Akers 75 74, Garth Wolter 71 78, WM Coetzee AMA 76 73

150 – Conway Kunneke 77 73, TJ Bekker 74 76, Tristan Nel AMA 74 76

151 – Tyrone Lorusso 77 74, Etzard Grimbeek AMA 77 74, Wayne du Toit 78 73

152 – Michael Kok AMA 73 79, Alpheus Kelapile 77 75, Paul De Beer 78 74, Duane Keun 77 75, Sam Metcalfe AMA 75 77

154 – Jason Ackerman AMA 79 75, Marais Visagie 76 78, Vid Gobac AMA 80 74, Romano Saincic 76 78, Graeme Limper AMA 76 78

Missed the cut:-

155 – Dwayne Coetzee 77 78, Ricky Hendler AMA 75 80, Rudolph Van De Venter AMA 78 77

156 – Devan Payne AMA 78 78

158 – Mohammed Ismail AMA 79 79

160 – Divan Marais 77 83, Ashley Mulligan AMA 80 80

161 – Liam Bezuidenhout AMA 80 81

163 – Duan Nagel AMA 80 83, Stephane Van Neer AMA (COD) 86 77

166 – Charles Grobler AMA 88 78

169 – Dylan Foster AMA 83 86

170 – Cameron Gunning 81 89

171 – Tommie Brits AMA 87 84

184 – Andre De Jager AMA 88 96

WDN – Ryan Wingrove AMA 85 WDN