POLOKWANE, 8 April 2015 – Estiaan Conradie led the Gauteng North challenge in the Nomads SA Boys U-19 Stroke Play Championship at Polokwane Golf Club on Wednesday.
The Wingate Park golfer carded rounds of 76, 68, 69 and 68 to finish on seven-under-par 281.
Conradie began the third round eight strokes off the pace, but limited his mistakes to one bogey each in the final two rounds to vault to third in the final standings.
The 17-year-old lagged eight strokes behind champion Dylan Naidoo, but finished just one shot behind the country’s leading amateur and defending champion, Tristen Strydom.
David Opperman tied for eighth on three under, while fellow Pretoria Country Club golfer Keegan de Lange claimed a share of 15th on even-par. JP Cooper from Wingate Park fired a final round 67 to break into the top 20. He finished in 17th place on one over 289.
Conradie will face Dylan Mostert from State Mines in the first round of the Match Play Championship on Thursday, while Rosswell Sinclair from Centurion drew Strydom.
Opperman goes up against local favourite Cameron Nesmith, De Lange will go into battle against Cooper and Keegan McClachlan from Silver Lakes will face off against Jason Thalrose from State Mines.
Pebble Rock’s Cliffie Thompson will go head-to-head with Western Province’s Luca Filippi in the last match of the first round.
PHOTO – Estiaan Conradie; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA