Estiaan Conradie claimed an eighth place finish in the first Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal event, while three more Gauteng North juniors claimed top 20 finishes on a very windy final day at Durban Country Club.

Conradie carded rounds of 75 and 73 and lagged just five strokes behind pacesetter Wilco Nienaber from Bloemfontein.

However, the strong north-westerly wind that whipped around the layout at 40 km per hour in the final round derailed the young gun’s goal of improving on his tie for fifth.

The Wingate Park Country Club player double bogeyed the first and fourth holes, but he stemmed the bleeding with five consecutive pars. He dropped a shot at the 10^th but once again followed with four pars on the trot as the wind continued to pick up speed.

A bogey-bogey-double bogey- birdie finish saw him signed for an 80 and a share of eighth on 228 with local golfers Aneurin Gounden and Matt Saulez.

Keegan McLachlan (79-71-80) from Silver Lakes Country Club took 12^th on his own at 230, while club-mate Dino Capazario (80-74-79) shared 16^th spot on 233 with Wingate Park’s JP Cooper (78-73-82).

Meawhile Free State junior Wilco Nienaber chipped in for an eagle at the 18^th to claim his third title in six days in a three-way play-off.

The 14-year-old defeated former number one junior Kyle McClatchie from Ekurhuleni and Western Province rising star Luca Filippi at the first extra hole of a sudden-death play-off after the trio tied on four-over-par 220 in regulation play.

TOP 20 RESULTS

220 Wilco Nienaber 74 68 78 *

220 Luca Filippi 74 70 76; Kyle McClatchie 70 74 76

224 Dylan Naidoo 76 74 74; Eric Wowor 75 73 76

226 Sentanio Minnie 76 72 78

227 Luke Mayo 74 72 81

228 Anuerin Gounden 80 77 71; Matt Saulez 75 79 74; Estiaan Conradie 75 73 80

229 Tristan Hamilton 77 72 80

230 Keegan Mclachlan 79 71 80

231 Gregory Mckay 75 74 82; Cameron Moralee 74 79 78

232 Deon Germishuys 75 73 84

233 Dino Capazario 80 74 79; Juan-Pierre Cooper 78 73 82

234 Garrick Higgo 77 79 78; Jason Broomhead 75 78 81

235 Ruben Coetzer 83 77 75; Dylan Mostert 81 75 79; Allan Lones 79 82 74; Emilio Pera 77 74 84

PHOTO – Estiaan Conradie from Wingate Park; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA

JOHANNESBURG (12 January 2015) – Keegan de Lange and JP Cooper will make their debut for South Africa in  two-day Test against a French Team Links this month.

The Gauteng North juniors have been named alongside Herman Loubser from Boland, Marco Steyn and Dylan Naidoo from Central Gauteng and Southern Cape’s Jovan Rebula to fly the flag for South Africa at St Francis 27 to 28 January.

The inaugural Test last year pitted four-man teams from France and South Africa against each other at Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate. Continue reading →

There wasn’t a player in the 156-strong field that finished the first round of the 104^th South African Open Championship without leveling a strong opinion about the brutal rough at Glendower Golf Club on Thursday.

The thick, long grass that hug the fairways and greens was simply too tough on a day when only 40 players managed to break par and you have to page down to two-over-par 74 to find amateurs Hendrikus Stoop and Tristen Strydom.

Tied for 79^th, the pair and the rest of the amateur contingent will have their work cut out to make the cut on Friday.

Seven-time Sunshine Tour winner Keith Horne had a message for the younger, inexperienced players that failed the first round test.

“The course this year demands respect and accuracy,” said Horne, who finished five shots behind co-leaders Jbe’ Kruger and England’s Andy Sullivan after carding a one under 71. Continue reading →

A blend of seven past champions, five-time winner Ernie Els, a slew of top European challengers and prime real estate at Glendower Golf Club will serve up an intoxicating cocktail at the 104^th South African Golf Championship and it’s little wonder that five of the country’s top amateurs are champing at the bit to get started.

However, while most players will want to make the most of this stage to shine, reigning SA Stroke Play champion Jason Smith is quite happy to fly under the radar this week.

“The SA Open is the Holy Grail for almost every South African amateur, but I don’t care about winning; I only want to get the most out of this experience,” Smith explained.

As the custodian of the world’s second oldest Open, the South African Golf Association (SAGA) annually name five top amateurs to compete in the championship.

Smith made the grade alongside Tristen Strydom, Gerlou Roux, Hendrikus Stoop and Matthew Spacey.

“This week represents the chance of the lifetime to watch South Africa’s top golfers and the European players in action and learn as much as possible by just watching how the pros execute their shots and their course management,” Smith said.
The Irene golfer learned the value of international competition during the 2014 season. Continue reading →

Keegan de Lange romped to a three-shot victory in the season-opening Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit at Pollak Park Golf Club on Monday and the 17-year-old Pretoria golfer is ready for another fast finish in the SA Open qualifier at Irene Golf Club on Tuesday.

De Lange shared the overnight lead on five under with fellow Pretoria junior Rosswell Sinclair.

He reeled in seven birdies for a final round five-under-par 67 to triumph on 10 under 206, while Centurion’s Sinclair eagled the 18^th for a two under 70 to ensure a one-two finish for Gauteng North Golf Union.

Southern Cape’s Cameron Moralee and Dylan Naidoo from Central Gauteng both registered 69s to share third at six under.

Julien Sale from Reunion carded a 69 to take sole fifth on 214 and first round leader Sentanio Minnie from Ekurhuleni finished a further stroke back after a closing 72.

De Lange came agonisingly close to podium finishes in the final two junior events of 2014 and was thrilled to convert the runner-up finishes into victory ahead of the SA Open qualifying.

“I played really well in the Nomads National Order of Merit at Silver Lakes and the Joburg Junior Open in December, but both times someone else just put together a better final round,” the Pretoria Country Club golfer said.

“I decided to change my approach and get more aggressive. Although I made a few mistakes, I managed to make a lot of birdies to limit the damage. Continue reading →

Gauteng North pair Keegan de Lange and Rosswell Sinclair share the 36-hole lead in the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit event at Pollak Park Golf Club after matching each other round for round on Sunday.

De Lange and Rosswell both opened with two-under-par 70s and dipped three under par in the second round to open up a two shot gap at five under 139.

Central Gauteng’s Eric Wowor posted the low round of the day and his four under 68 lifted him to joint third alongside Southern Cape’s Cameron Moralee and reigning Nomads SA Boys U-17 Stroke Play champion Dylan Naidoo, also from Central Gauteng.

KwaZulu-Natal pair Jason Broomhead and Gregory McKay share sixth on two under, while first round leader Sentanio Minnie slipped to a tie for eighth with fellow Ekurhuleni junior Kyle McClatchie and Matt Saulez from Gowrie Farm in KwaZulu-Natal.

The frontrunners took pretty alternative routes to arrive in pole position together.

Pretoria Country Club’s De Lange was pretty solid over the 36 holes, mixing three bogeys with eight birdies.

The 2014 Gauteng North Stroke Play champion overcame a bogey start in the first round with birdies at the third, ninth and 17^th and countered bogeys at the sixth and 10^th holes with gains at the third, seventh, ninth, 12^th and 18^th holes.

Sinclair’s first trip around the par-72 layout included three bogeys and he started strong in the second round with birdies at the first and third, but lost the advantage almost immediately with a bogey at the par-three fourth and a double bogey at the par-four fifth.

The 17-year-old Centurion player got back into red numbers with a brace of birdies before the turn and an eagle at the 11^th. Although he dropped at the 14^th, Sinclair was able to erase the damage with a final birdie at the 15^th.

“I had a really long break, so I guess I still need to get some of the rust off, but it’s nice to come out so early in the season and start well,” Sinclair said.

“I made a few bad decisions, like when I tried to go for it at the sixth and hit a bad shot out of bounds and I missed a few up-and-downs, but I putted really well and that made a huge difference.”

The 54-hole season-opener, sponsored by the Nomads Golf Club of South Africa, concludes on Monday.

PHOTO: Keegan de Lange shares the 36-hole lead in the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit at Pollak Park Golf Club with Gauteng North stable mate, Rosswell Sinclair; credit Rogan Ward.

Gauteng North’s Keegan de Lange and Rosswell Sinclair finished within striking distance of Ekurhuleni junior Sentanio Minnie, who took a one stroke lead in the first round of the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit event at Pollak Park Golf Club on Sunday.

Minnie notched four birdies against a lone bogey for an opening three-under-par 69 to edge clear of De Lange, Sinclair and Gregory McKay from KwaZulu-Natal.

Sinclair sandwiched a bogey between birdies at the third and fifth and enjoyed two more gains at the seventh and ninth before the turn.

He dropped shots at the 10^th and 12^th holes, but limited the damage with a birdie at the 13^th before he parred his way to a two under 70 and a share of second with De Lange and McKay.

Pretoria Country Club’s De Lange stumbled out of the blocks with a bogey at the first, but recovered quickly with a birdie at the par-five third.

The 2014 Gauteng North Stroke Play champion dipped one under par with a birdie just before the turn made six successive pars before he collected his third birdie at the par-three 17^th.

De Lange closed with a par to sign off on his 70.

Reigning Nomads SA Boys U-17 champion Dylan Naidoo from Central Gauteng lurks just two off the pace in the company of Southern Cape juniors Cameron Moralee and Allan Lones.

Reunion’s Julien Sale and Dylan Mostert from Ekurhuleni complete the top 10 at even-par 72.

PHOTO: Rosswell Sinclair shares second with Gauteng North stable-mate Keegan de Lange after the first round of the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit at Pollak Park Golf Club; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA.