CAPE TOWN, 25 April 2015 – Unheralded Andre Nel capped his giant-killing run with victory in the Western Province Amateur Championship at Rondebosch Golf Club on Saturday when he defeated South Africa’s number two ranked Teaghan Gauche from Gauteng North 3 & 2 for victory.

The 19-year-old KeNako Academy student was 2-down after a bogey-bogey start, but tamed his nerves with a birdie at third hole and squared the match with another gain at the seventh. He assumed control of the match with a third birdie at the eighth and kept a firm grip on the lead to turn 1-up going down the last 18 holes.

However, after starting the second trip par-birdie-birdie, Nel surprised with back-to-back bogeys.

“I think the nerves got me a little again,” he stated. “I hit two very poor tee shots at the fourth (22^nd) and fifth (23^rd) holes. It took me a few holes just to settle down again. At the seventh (25^th), I travelled from the trees on the right to the trees on the left, but I chipped it close and boxed the putt for birdie.

“I stayed super calm after that. Teaghan came back with three birdies on the trot from the third (21^st) to square the match and we halved the seventh, but I birdied the ninth (27^th) to go 1-up again.”

Gauche battled valiantly, but there was no shaking Nel and the Gonubie Golf Club native closed with three successive birdies from the 32^nd to seal his victory.

PHOTO – Andre Nel from Southern Cape; credit WPGU.