Estiaan Conradie claimed an eighth place finish in the first Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal event, while three more Gauteng North juniors claimed top 20 finishes on a very windy final day at Durban Country Club.
Conradie carded rounds of 75 and 73 and lagged just five strokes behind pacesetter Wilco Nienaber from Bloemfontein.
However, the strong north-westerly wind that whipped around the layout at 40 km per hour in the final round derailed the young gun’s goal of improving on his tie for fifth.
The Wingate Park Country Club player double bogeyed the first and fourth holes, but he stemmed the bleeding with five consecutive pars. He dropped a shot at the 10th but once again followed with four pars on the trot as the wind continued to pick up speed.
A bogey-bogey-double bogey- birdie finish saw him signed for an 80 and a share of eighth on 228 with local golfers Aneurin Gounden and Matt Saulez.
Keegan McLachlan (79-71-80) from Silver Lakes Country Club took 12th on his own at 230, while club-mate Dino Capazario (80-74-79) shared 16th spot on 233 with Wingate Park’s JP Cooper (78-73-82).
Meawhile Free State junior Wilco Nienaber chipped in for an eagle at the 18th to claim his third title in six days in a three-way play-off.
The 14-year-old defeated former number one junior Kyle McClatchie from Ekurhuleni and Western Province rising star Luca Filippi at the first extra hole of a sudden-death play-off after the trio tied on four-over-par 220 in regulation play.
TOP 20 RESULTS
220 Wilco Nienaber 74 68 78 *
220 Luca Filippi 74 70 76; Kyle McClatchie 70 74 76
224 Dylan Naidoo 76 74 74; Eric Wowor 75 73 76
226 Sentanio Minnie 76 72 78
227 Luke Mayo 74 72 81
228 Anuerin Gounden 80 77 71; Matt Saulez 75 79 74; Estiaan Conradie 75 73 80
229 Tristan Hamilton 77 72 80
230 Keegan Mclachlan 79 71 80
231 Gregory Mckay 75 74 82; Cameron Moralee 74 79 78
232 Deon Germishuys 75 73 84
233 Dino Capazario 80 74 79; Juan-Pierre Cooper 78 73 82
234 Garrick Higgo 77 79 78; Jason Broomhead 75 78 81
235 Ruben Coetzer 83 77 75; Dylan Mostert 81 75 79; Allan Lones 79 82 74; Emilio Pera 77 74 84
PHOTO – Estiaan Conradie from Wingate Park; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA