JOHANNESBURG, 16 February 2015 – South Africa’s top ranked senior Mellette Hendrikse rambled to another play-off victory over Lawrence Franklin in the Central Gauteng Golf Union’s Senior Open to claim his second win of the season on Sunday.

The 54-year-old Akasia player was slow off the mark with an opening 75 and lagged four strokes behind Franklin, but he hauled himself into contention with a solid final round 73 to tie the first round pacesetter for the lead on four-over-par 148 in regulation play.

Par at the first extra hole was enough to secure the victory for Hendrikse, who won the Gauteng North Senior Open in similar fashion last month.

While the victory at Bryanston Golf Club also took the sting out of a recent runner-up finish in the Players Championship, the win lifted Hendrikse to an all-time high point’s record in the South African Golf Association’s Senior Rankings.

Hendrikse vaulted to 97.10 points and broke the previous record of 94.25, set by Francois le Roux from De Zalze in 2013. Continue reading →

SUN CITY, 8 February 2015 – KwaZulu-Natal’s Morgan Phillips delivered a splendid final round performance at the Gary Player Country Club to romp to victory and deny South African number one Mellette Hendrikse at the prestigious Players Championship at Sun City on Sunday.

Fanus van Niekerk, who played with Phillips over the first two rounds, predicted that the Maritzburg golfer’s course management would carry him to a podium finish and the 53-year-old senior did not disappoint.

Phillips caught SA number one Mellette Hendrikse and overhauled overnight leader Basil Naidoo with a carefully constructed one-over-par 73 for a three stroke victory on eight-over-par 224. Continue reading →

SUN CITY, 7 February 2015 – Basil Naidoo hung on to his overnight lead at the Gary Player Country Club, but the KwaZulu-Natal player expects to come under major pressure in the final round of the Players Championship at Sun City on Sunday.

A three-over-par 75 kept the 57-year-old Greater Durban golfer in pole position at five-over-par 149 and he will carry a slender one shot lead over South African number one, Mellette Hendrikse from Gauteng North, into the final 18 holes.

However, as if having the reigning Indwe Risk Services SA Senior Amateur Stroke Play champion breathing down your neck is not pressure enough, Naidoo also has three-time Stroke Play champion Jock Wellington and fellow KZN golfer Morgan Phillips in his rear view mirror. Continue reading →

PORT ELIZABETH, 6 February 2015 – Ugo Coussaud claimed the South African Stroke Play Championship title on Friday, but the first French champion in the history of the prestigious event had to show some real French flair at the final hole to triumph at Port Elizabeth Golf Club.

Coussaud carded a final round four-under-par 68 to clinch a three stroke victory over South Africa’s Rupert Kaminski on a winning score of 15-under-par 273.

Overnight leader Kaminski eagled the par-four 16^th and boxed a 12-footer for birdie at the 18^th for a 72 to finish in second, one stroke ahead of South Africa’s Armandt Scholtz (71) and Romain Langasque from France, who registered rounds. Continue reading →

SUN CITY, 6 February 2015 – KwaZulu-Natal’s Basil Naidoo said he felt confident about his game ahead of the prestigious Player’s Championship and not surprisingly, the Greater Durban golfer leads the first round at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City on Friday.

Fresh from a victory in the Free State Senior Open, Naidoo carded an opening two-over-par 74 to finish one stroke clear of Ekurhuleni’s Mark O’Brien.

Reigning Indwe Risk Services SA Senior Amateur Stroke Play champion Mellette Hendrikse is two off the pace in joint third alongside former champions Gavin van Aswegen and Jock Wellington, and Lynton Beckett from KwaZulu-Natal. Continue reading →

PORT ELIZABETH, 5 February 2015 – TuksSport Golf Academy player Andrew van der Knaap braved a robust Westerly wind to vault into the top 10 in Thursday’s third round of the South African Stroke Play Championship at Port Elizabeth Golf Club.

The 21-year-old Centurion golfer was well off the pace after an opening 70 and second round 74, but dipped five strokes below to finish on five-under-par 211.

Van der Knaap lags seven strokes off the pace and shares eighth spot with Frenchman Jeong Weon Ko, Central Gauteng’s Darin de Smidt and Dylan Naidoo, Luke Trocado from Western Province and Boland’s Johan Germishuys. Continue reading →

PORT ELIZABETH, 4 February 2015 – South Africans Luke Trocado and Rupert Kaminsky powered their way past overnight leader Ewen Ferguson from Scotland, while Rosswell Sinclair and Ruan Conradie lead the way for Gauteng North after two rounds at the South African Stroke Play Championship.

Trocado from Western Province clocked in with a five-under-par 67, while Kaminski from Parkview closed with a flawless 66 to claim a share of pole position at nine-under-par 135.

The pair finished a stroke clear of Ferguson and two ahead of Frenchman Ugo Coussard after both foreigners signed for 71s.

Sinclair followed an opening 70 with an even-par 72 to tie at two under alongside Wingate Park’s Conradie, who signed for successive 71s. Continue reading →