Staff WriterJonathan Broomhead’s red-hot run continues as the rising South African talent fired a sizzling seven-under-par 65 to grab a share of the lead at the Gary Player Challenge, the Sunshine Tour’s heartfelt tribute to one of golf’s greatest champions and the ongoing work of the Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation.
Held at the historic Benoni Country Club, the Gary Player Challenge is more than just a showcase of elite golf—it’s a mission-driven event celebrating both Player’s extraordinary legacy and his foundation’s commitment to uplifting underprivileged children across South Africa. And right now, it’s Broomhead who’s stealing the spotlight.
Sharing the summit of the leaderboard with fellow countrymen Jason Roets and Samuel Simpson, Broomhead kept things clinical and calm across a bogey-free opening round.
The trio stands two shots ahead of a trailing pack that includes Graham van der Merwe, Malcolm Mitchell and Ricky Hendler.
“I started on the 10th and made a nice birdie there, and then kept it going. I strung a few nice birdies along the way.
I hit the ball well and made some good putts for most of the round,” Broomhead said, summing up a performance that was as composed as it was convincing.
Fresh off a second-place finish followed by a fourth in his last two starts, Broomhead appears to be playing with the confidence of a man who’s not just knocking on the door—he’s kicking it wide open.
Still, he was quick to keep his feet on the ground.
“It was a good day. It’s the first day and we’re playing just three rounds this week, not four like the last few weeks.
So you need to adjust a bit. But I was hitting it nicely so I wasn’t getting too upset. It was still good golf even though some of the putts weren’t falling.”
The Gary Player Challenge returns to Benoni with no shortage of symbolism—this is the very course where a young Gary Player notched an early career win, making it a fitting battleground for the next generation.
And fitting it is. The course itself is offering up a stern examination, with firm greens and precision pin placements challenging even the sharpest shotmakers.
“The course is good and the greens are rolling really well,” said Broomhead. “It’s firming up quite a bit, and some of the flags in certain positions on the greens can be tricky.”
With two rounds to play and a leaderboard tighter than a drum, the Gary Player Challenge promises more drama ahead.
But for now, Broomhead is leading by example—steady, focused, and with a quiet fire that suggests he’s not here to finish second again.
And if Day One is anything to go by, he’s more than ready to turn this blistering start to the season into something truly special.
