JOHANNESBURG, 4 October 2016 – Ekurhuleni’s finest young prospects lined up a hat-trick of wins in the Nomads South African U-13 Championship after they marched to an overwhelming first round lead at Killarney Country Club on Tuesday.
Twelve months after the side powered their way to a successful title defence at Royal Durban Golf Club, the two-time champions picked up where they left off to open up a yawning gap on the field with a first round total of 389.
Central Gauteng took second place, but lag 17 strokes off the pace, while Gauteng North finished a distant third on 413.
Zamokuhle Nxasana – celebrating his third successive appearance for Ekurhuleni – anchored the side with a 75 that featured a double bogey, two bogeys and a brace of birdies on his front nine and a run of pars on the back nine with a final bogey tucked in at the end.
Kiera Floyd came home in 77 strokes. Christopher Bagnall and Nash de Klerk posted a pair of 78s and Hunter Walker added an 81 to their opening score.
Meanwhile Hannes Strooh from Central Gauteng edged out team-mate Amilkar Bhana and Nxasana for the lowest round honours with a two-over-par 74. The Randfontein Golf Club junior mixed birdies at five, seven, nine and 18 with two double bogeys and a pair of bogeys with to take pole position in the Individual Competition.
The rest of the Central Gauteng team’s total of 406 was made up by Jayson Borcher (84), Joshua Hirsch (86) and Cayden Lasarow (87).
Gauteng North’s Ivan Verster carded 77 and Matthew Dennis 79, while Joshua Koekemoer. Henry Juan Human and Fabrizio de Abreu posted rounds of 90 80, 87 and 90 respectively.
The best way to score is to know the rules, so after first round wrapped up, all the competitors were treated to a Rules Clinic on the basic rules of golf, presented by South African Golf Association Assistant Executive Director Neil Homann.
TEAM LEADERBOARD
389 Ekurhuleni Zamokuhle Nxasana 75 Kiera Floyd 77 Christopher Bagnall 78 Nash de Klerk 78 Hunter Walker 81
406 Central Gauteng Hannes Strooh 74 Amilkar Bhana 75 Jayson Borcher 84 Joshua Hirsch 86 Cayden Lasarow 87
413 Gauteng North Ivan Verster 77 Matthew Keagan Dennis 79 Joshua Koekemoer 80 Henry Juan Human 87 Fabrizio de Abreu 90
421 Western Province Caden Chuang 78 Cameron Gray 82 Heinrich Appel 82 Jere Brits 86 Jack Buchanan 93
421 North West Ockert Brits 80 Divan Mostert 84 Stefano Marchetti 84 Corne Pieters 86 Leonard Bevan 87
437 Free State Gabrelle Venter 84 Hughes Agib 86 George Delport 86 Pierre Joubert 88 Thamara Sandys 93
440 Border Jaydon Liddell 83 Tyler Stagg 88 Joshua Osner 89 Ross Anderson 90 Werner Potgieter 90
444 Southern Cape Franco Gericke 78 Tiaan Hugo 88 Dylan Melville 90 Michael Nortje 94 Wafeeq Philander 94
465 Northern Cape Lyle Roche Pedro 84 Jaen-Pierre Fourie 90 Jano Cilliers Malan 92 Johan Kruger 94 Fareez Alexander 105
469 Boland Golf Conrad Loubser 84 Eric Martin Venter 95 Dylan Kayne 96 Ethan Lord 97 Lizzy Thomson 97
499 Mpumalanga Chaturon Buachan 83 Ruan De Villiers 90 Derrick Vincent Howard 96 AJ Oberholzer 105 Sfiso Jele 125
513 Limpopo Golf Anro Kotze 85 Ruan Groenewald 103 Emilio Patricio 108 Ryan Nel 108 Arno Lombard 109
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD (TOP 20)
74 Hannes Strooh
75 Zamokuhle Nxasana; Amilkar Bhana
77 Ivan Verster; Kiera Floyd
78 Franco Gericke; Caden Chuang; Christopher Bagnall; Nash de Klerk
79 Matthew Keagan Dennis
80 Ockert Brits; Joshua Koekemoer
81 Hunter Walker
82 Renier Stefan Van Rooyen; Cameron Gray; Jonathan Wilsenach; Heinrich Appel
83 Delarey van Tonder; Chaturon Buachan; Jaydon Liddell
84 Conrad Loubser; Lyle Roche Pedro; Gabrelle Venter; Jayson Borcher; Divan Mostert; Stefano Marchetti