JOHANNESBURG, 6 October 2016 – Ekurhuleni clinched their third successive Nomads SA Under-13 Championship title in formidable fashion at Killarney Country Club on Thursday, while Gauteng North narrowly lost the runner-up spot to North West.

Ekurhuleni claimed a roaring 53 stroke victory on 1161, while Gauteng North combined for 1214 to finish in third, just two shots shy of North West.

Congratulations are also in order for Delarey van Tonder from Waterkloof Golf Club, who achieved a hole-in-one at the Nomads SA Under-13 Championship! The Gauteng North junior aced the par-three sixth hole during the first round at Killarney Country Club.

Ekurhuleni sounded an ominous warning to the field when they opened with 389. Having slept on a 17 shot lead, the defending champions combined for 393 in the second round to stretch their overnight advantage to 43 strokes.

Serengeti’s Christopher Bagnall carded 76 to put Ekurhuleni on the attack in the final round. His effort was brilliantly supported by a 77 from Zamokuhle Nxasana and an 81 from Kiera Floyd and rookies Nash de Klerk and Hunter Walker made it three-in-a-row for the side when they added respective rounds of 78 and 81 for a final round total of 379. The team’s third rookie, Jonathan Wilsenach, signed for a non-counting 84.

Gauteng North followed a first round 413 with 403 in round two, and combined for 400 in the final round.

Matthew Dennis led the way with 78, Ignatius Ferreira added 79, while Henry Human, Ivan Verster and Joshua Koekemoer supplemented their total with rounds of 80, 81 and 82.

While Ekurhuleni celebrated their hat-trick in the Team Competition, Central Gauteng’s Amilkar Bhana denied the team a third double celebration as he powered to victory in the Individual Competition.

The 11-year-old from Sandton, who won the Malaysian Junior Open two years ago and took third in the 10-11 age category at the US Kids European Championship in Scotland last year, showed his mettle when he hit the front with a 69 in the second round.

Bhana held his nerve in the final round to close with an even-par 72 to beat Nxasana by six strokes on a winning total of even-par 216. Verster was the top performer for Gauteng North, sharing seventh on 234 with Floyd from Ekurhuleni and Central Gauteng’s Hannes Strooh.

INDIVIDUAL RESULT – TOP 20
216 Amilkar Bhana 75 69 72
224 Zamokuhle Nxasana 75 72 77
227 Christopher Bagnall 78 73 76
228 Rorisang Nkosi 87 71 70
231 Nash de Klerk 78 75 78
233 Franco Gericke 78 75 80
234 Ivan Verster 77 76 81; Kiera Floyd 77 76 81; Hannes Strooh 74 75 85
235 Lyle Roche Pedro 84 76 75
236 Matthew Keagan Dennis 79 79 78
239 Corne Pieters 86 79 74; Gabrielle Venter 84 71 84
240 George Delport 86 77 77
241 Jaydon Liddell 83 80 78
242 Cameron Gray 82 78 82; Ockert Brits 80 83 79
243 Nehan Robbetze 85 81 77
244 Jere Brits 86 80 78; Divan Mostert 84 81 79

PHOTO – Delarey van Tonder and Killarney Country Club Director of Golf Kevin Rakow.