27 July 2015 – An exciting fortnight awaits Gauteng North’s Danielle du Toit and three other leading South African juniors Ivanna Samu, Kaleigh Telfer and Woo-Ju Son, who will make their debut in prestigious international championships in Europe this August.

Samu, the country’s leading junior, and number two ranked Telfer will compete in the annual Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden and the Girls’ British Amateur Open Championship in Scotland.

Son and Du Toit, respectively ranked third and seventh in the Womens Golf South Africa’s Junior Rankings, will line up in the Global Junior Golf Tour’s RB German Junior in Germany. Continue reading →

TSHWANE, 17 July 2015 – Otto van Buynder defeated fellow Gauteng North player Keegan McLachlan at the first play-off hole to lift the inaugural Tshwane Junior Open title on Friday.

The pair ended regulation play tied at four-over-par 148 after Van Buynder signed for a 78 and McLachlan carded a 77 at Pretoria Country Club.

Van Buynder produced a superb four at the par-four 10^th to seal his first national junior victory in extra time.

“I am absolutely thrilled that I got the job done,” said the elated TuksSport Golf Academy player.

McLachlan reached 18with a two shot lead over Van Buynder in regulation play, but squandered the advantage with a double-bogey.

Van Buynder responded with a well-timed six-iron into the green at the par-five and two-putted for birdie to force the play-off. Continue reading →

Tiaan Richter, Match-Play Champion

The annual GNGU Match-play championship has been won by Tiaan Richter. In the B-division Cleo Jordaan has been crowned winner.

The championship is started off by a thirty six hole Stroke-play championship. The top 8 eight finishers contest the in the A division, whilst the B division consists of the remaining best placed B division participants.

This year Duan Denner and Ruben Bakker entered the Championship in the B division, but played so well in the Stroke-play leg that they found themselves competing in the A division Match-play section. A phenomenal achievement in its own right. The Juniors contested on an Akasia CC track that was in a foul mood. With hard and fast greens and strong winds on the day only four scores under 80 were recorded. Two of these scores belong to Hawk Wolf who comfortably won the Stroke-play event.

After Tuesday’s Stroke-play event the top eight of each division congregated on Akasia CC’s 1^st and 10^th T’s at 06h57 on Wednesday. In the A division the results followed the form of the players, with the top 4 ranked players all beating the bottom 4 ranked players. In the B division Divan de Beer was responsible for the only upset by narrowly beating the top ranked Stephan Geyser 1up.

In the A division, Hawk Wolf after an easy 1^st round 7 and 6 win walked into an inspired Koketso Mokumo. Hawk eventually lost to the SAGDB member, but was particularly gracious in defeat and was full of praise for the Klipgat settlement resident. Tiaan Richter beat Braam Roux, who some believe may have been sporting a little school holiday “rust”.

Cleo Jordaan, B Div Match-Play winner

The B division was fiercely contested with the “friendly assassin” Cleo Jordaan beating Divan de Beer and Janco Breedt beating Jean Bodenstein.

The final of the Match-play would be contested over 36 holes on Thursday and by 07h02 the four finalists were on the 1^st putting green. Tiaan Richter kept his composure and his methodical approach to his game to eventually triumph over Koketso. He enlisted the help of his sister Jo-Lindie to do duty on the bag and it proved to be an inspired move.

Janco Breedt in the B division (who had an epic battle with Hannah Venter over 21 holes) squared up against Cleo who is sporting a rich vein of form. Janco’s birthday some two months ago forced him to move from the forward T’s to the normal men’s T’s. This distance difference was overcome by sheer willpower to make it into the final. Cleo would however not be deterred. Placing second in the recent NOMADS Girls tournament held at Orkney in her division and sporting a win in the GNGU Women’s Open Match-play B division, the Akasia CC member made it two from two.

An honourable mention has to go to Ivan Verster. This 11 year old made it to the final sixteen. He had to give away 5 strokes, did it with a spring in his step and conducted himself as a true gentleman. A great addition to our junior ranks. To all the parents who assisted, supported and encouraged, thank you. To Akasia CC for being such gracious hosts, its management and members, congratulations on a great event.

Tiaan, Koketso, Janco and Cleo

TSHWANE, 16 July 2015 – Dawid Opperman took a leaf out of Tshwane Open champion George Coetzee’s book and employed his home course knowledge to take control in the first round of the Tshwane Junior Open at Pretoria Country Club on Thursday.

This was Opperman’s first event since a tie for fourth in the Dimension Data Junior Open at Fancourt in early July and the 17-year-old Gauteng North golfer didn’t have the most auspicious start with a bogey at the par-four first.

However, Opperman reeled in seven birdies with exceptional ball striking at the heavily bunkered championship layout and a hot putter on the firm greens to wipe out his mistakes and signed for a three-under-par 69. Continue reading →

KLOOF, KwaZulu-Natal (15 July 2015) – Gauteng North’s Carrie Park claimed her first Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur title in a thrilling final with Ivanna Samu at Kloof Country Club on Wednesday.

Park, who in 2014 won the Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur Stroke Play title but had never made it to the match play final before this, beat Samu with a birdie on the 23rd hole.

“I am thrilled. I never expected to beat Ivanna on a par five because she hits it so much further than me,” said Park.

Park made it into the final with a 5&4 victory over Mae Cornforth in the morning, while Samu went through with a 4&3 win over Kloof’s Brittney-Fay Berger.

It was an incredible final in which both golfers had chances to win. Continue reading →

JOHANNESBURG, 13 July 2015 – Aneurin Gounden tops a jam-packed leaderboard in the first round of the Nomads National Order of Merit at Bryanston Country Club on Monday, but Gauteng North’s Werner Deyzel and Cliffie Thompson are within striking distance of the lead.

Just three weeks after Matt Saulez lifted the Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal title at St Francis Links, Gounden has a chance to emulate his 2014 SA Under-19 Inter-Provincial team-mate and claim his first national title. Continue reading →

GWANGJU, Korea (11 July 2015) – Andrew van der Knaap and Jason Smith produced a solid final round 140 to lift South Africa to ninth overall in the 20-team Men’s Golf Competition at the Summer Universiade in Gwangju, Korea on Saturday.

Van der Knaap, inspired by long-time friend Brandon Stone’s six-under-par 66 on the Challenge Tour, toured the Naju Gold Lake Country Club layout in 69 strokes.

Fellow Gauteng North golfers Jason Smith contributed a 71 and Teaghan Gauche a non-counting 76.

The strong finish from Van der Knap and Smith took South Africa’s 72-hole tally to 581. Continue reading →