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Haydn Porteous Takes Early Lead at Mopani Zambia Open

Posted : 12 June 2026

South Africa’s Haydn Porteous made an impressive start to the Mopani Zambia Open on Thursday, carding a bogey-free five-under-par 67 to take the first-round lead at Nkana Golf Club.

Porteous, who was named the Sunshine Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year last season, continued his strong form in Zambia, a country where he has previously recorded top-five finishes. His opening-round performance gave him a one-shot advantage over Chilean golfer Martin Leon heading into the second day of competition.

Starting his round from the 10th tee, Porteous quickly found his rhythm on a demanding course that tested players with its firm conditions. He collected four birdies on his opening nine holes before adding another on his inward half to finish as the only player at five under par.

The South African was particularly pleased with his consistency throughout the round, highlighting his ability to avoid mistakes and recover effectively when necessary. He credited his short game and scrambling for helping him navigate the challenging layout while capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

Leon mounted a strong challenge and briefly moved into the outright lead after producing a run of three consecutive birdies late in his front nine and adding four more birdies on the back nine. However, a costly double bogey on his final hole dropped him back to four under par and into second place.

Only 14 players in the field managed to finish under par during the opening round, underlining the difficulty of the course conditions and the quality of Porteous’s performance.

Porteous is aiming to build on the momentum he gained from his victory at the Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Gowrie Farm last year, a triumph that ended a lengthy wait for another title. Encouraged by his recent form, he expressed confidence in his game and hopes to maintain his strong start over the remaining three rounds.

South Africa’s Rigardt Albertse and France’s Pierre Viallaneix share third place after both posted rounds of three-under-par 69.

Meanwhile, defending champion Samuel Simpson endured a difficult opening day, finishing with a three-over-par 75 and facing an uphill battle to retain his title.

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