AICHI-PREFECTURE, Japan (16 June 2016) – The United States celebrated a double victory, while the South African Boys team shared fourth and the SA Girls team tied for seventh after a final push in the 2016 TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup, supported by JAL, in Toyota City, Aichi-Prefecture, Japan on Friday.

GIRLS DIVISION

Kirsten Gillman, Kaitlyn Papp and Alyaa Abdulghany made it two-for-two for the United States when they held off defending champions Japan for a five shot victory in the Girls Division.

Papp and Abdulghany combined for three under 139 to secure victory on 18-under-par 558.

Spain took third on four under, Korea finished a stroke back in fourth and Italy sealed fifth on two under. Mexico overhauled South Africa and Argentina on 11 over with a final round 142 to take sixth on four over, while Australia brought up the rear on 28 over par.

Ivanna Samu closed out her campaign with a 73 and fellow Gauteng golfer Kaleigh Telfer added a 74 for a final round 147, while Gauteng North’s Danielle du Toit carded a non-counting 83.

Gillman won the Girls Division individual trophy with a wire-to-wire performance.

The American carded rounds of 66, 69, 71 and 72 for a four stroke victory over Japan’s Mone Inami on 10-under-par 278. Samu rounded out the individual top 10 at two over.

“Ivanna had another consistent round with a couple of birdie opportunities from good iron play, but unfortunately the putts were not dropping,” said Womens Golf South Africa national coach Val Holland. “She has been the most consistent player in the team and we congratulate her on her top 10 finish in the Individual Competition.

“Kaleigh was three over early in the round, but fought back with successive birdies on the third and fourth holes. She was even-par though 14, but a wayward drive at 15 resulted in a double bogey. Our last member of the team, Danielle, had a struggling day and just could not find a momentum.

“The girls have been impeccable ambassadors for South Africa this week and in addition to the exposure to top juniors from around the world, the experience they have gained is p

GIRLS DIVISION TEAM RESULT
558 (-18) United States 137 143 139 139
563 (-13) Japan 135 144 145 139
572 (-4) Spain 139 141 149 143
573 (-3) Korea 141 146 144 142
574 (-2) Italy 145 139 149 141
580 (+4) Mexico 148 147 141 144
587 (+11) South Africa 148 142 150 147; Argentina 139 147 149 152
604 (+28) Australia 152 147 156 149

GIRLS DIVISION INDIVIDUAL RESULT (top 10 plus SA)
278 (-10) Kristen Gillman USA 66 69 71 72
282 (-6) Mone Inami JAP 68 75 71 68
283 (-5) Alyaa Abdulghany USA 71 74 68 70; Riri Sadoyama JAP 67 71 74 71
284 (-4) Angelica Moresco ITA 68 70 76 70; Ana Pelaez ESP 69 72 73 70;
285 (-3) Jung Ahram KOR 73 71 72 69; Isabella Fiero MEX 75 71 70 69
289 (+1) Kaitlyn Papp USA 71 76 73 69
290 (+2) Ivanna Samu RSA 71 72 74 73
299 (+11) Kaleigh Telfer RSA 77 70 78 74
311 (+23) Danielle du Toit RSA 77 75 76 83

BOYS DIVISION
The United States posted a fourth consecutive sub-par round to sweep to an eighth victory in the Boys Competition of the prestigious international teams event at Chukyo Golf Club. Norman Xiong (66), Will Thompson (70) and Austin Eckroat (70) combined for a final round seven-under-par 206 at the Ishino Course that helped the United States to a nine shot victory on 36 under 816 over second placed Germany.

Thailand took third place at 22 under, finishing two shots clear of South Africa and Korea.

Boland golfer Herman Loubser and Marco Steyn from Central Gauteng produced a pair of 68s and Central Gauteng’s Dylan Naidoo added a 73 for a final round 206. Ekurhuleni’s Dylan Mostert returned a non-counting 75.

“I think that if you gave us fourth place at the start of the week, we would have taken our chances with playing for a better finish,” said South African Golf Association Golf Integration Manager Eden Thompson. “As it worked out, it was not meant to be, but I’ll say this for the team: they gave it their all and knuckled down when times were tough. They gave it everything they had and a bit more. They may be disappointed, but they can leave Japan with their heads held high and proud.”

Naidoo came within striking distance of clinching South Africa’s second victory in the Boys Individual Competition. The Modderfontein player led through the second and third rounds, but was pipped for the Medallist Honours by Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, the runner-up in 2015.

The Chilean closed with a tournament record nine-under-par 62 to finish on 17 under, still a shot shy of the winning total posted by former top SA amateur Matthew Kent in 2004.

However, Naidoo’s runner-up finish is the second best achievement by a South African junior since Thriston Lawrence finished third in 2013. Other notable South African performances Charl Schwartzel, who took fourth in 2001 and Brandon Stone, who finished sixth in 2010.

Meanwhile Niemann’s 62 helped Chile to the low round of the day – a 12-under-par 201 – that vaulted the country past Sweden into sixth on 15 under.

The Swedes took seventh on 11 under, while defending champions Japan finished at four under in eighth place. New Zealand and Norway tied for ninth at one under, while Canada (+1), Mexico (+11), the Netherlands (+22), Zimbabwe (+23) and Brazil (+37) rounded out the boys’ field.

BOYS DIVISION TEAM RESULT

816 (-36) United States 206 202 202 206
825 (-27) Germany 204 211 209 201
830 (-22) Thailand 206 202 213 209
832 (-20) South Africa 210 207 206 209; Korea 211 215 200 206
837 (-15) Chile 214 214 208 201
841 (-11) Sweden 205 212 214 210
848 (-4) Japan 206 219 210 213
851 (-1) New Zealand 222 215 211 203; Norway 212 216 214 209
853 (+1) Canada 210 216 210 217
863 (+11) Mexico 216 221 214 212
874 (+22) Netherlands 220 214 221 219
875 (+23) Zimbabwe 220 221 216 218
889 (+37) Brazil 223 223 222 221

BOYS DIVISION INDIVIDUAL RESULT (top 10 plus SA)
267 (-17) Joaquin Niemann CHL 68 71 66 62
272 (-12) Dylan Naidoo RSA 66 68 65 73
275 (-9) Marc Hammer GER 66 72 69 68; Max Schmitt GER 71 70 71 63; Takumi Kanaya JAP 67 71 69 68; Sadom Kaewkajana THA 71 65 70 69; Norman Xiong USA 69 73 67 66
276 (-8) Kang Taeyoung KOR 71 76 66 63; Will Thomson USA 69 71 66 70; Kousuke Hamamoto THA 67 69 68 72; Austin Eckroat USA 72 65 69 70
277 (-7) Herman Loubser RSA 69 70 70 68
286 (+2) Marco Steyn RSA 75 72 71 68
303 (+19) Dylan Mostert RSA 86 69 73 75

PHOTO: Marco Steyn (Central Gauteng), Ivanna Samu (Gauteng), Herman Loubser (Boland), Kaleigh Telfer (Gauteng), Dylan Naidoo (Central Gauteng), Danielle du Toit (Gauteng North) and Dylan Mostert (Ekurhuleni) sign off from the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, supported by JAL, in Japan; credit WGSA.