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 10th and 12th holes, but limited the damage with a birdie at the 13th 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 17th.
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.