RUSTENBURG, 4 August 2017 – Curro Aurora had a simple credo for the SA High School Championship: the tournament is never won or lost until the last putt drops.
It was this conviction and a strong team spirit that steered Woo-Ju Son, Kieron van Wyk, Cole Stevens and Carl Mwale into the winner’s circle at Rustenburg Golf Club on a winning score of even-par 432.
Two-time Curro SA Juniors International Girls champion Son guided the team into the early attack with a three-under-par 69 in the first round.
Kieron van Wyk carded a 71 and fellow GolfRSA National Squad player Cole Stevens added a 73 for a three-under-par 213 to lay the foundation for their success.
The side headed into the final round with a narrow one shot lead over Glenwood House and a five shot lead over Grey College Secondary.
Under pressure from the charging pack, Son, Van Wyk and Carl Mwale – another member of the GolfRSA National Squad – produced three superb rounds of 73 for a total of 219 that sealed their victory.
Meanwhile, Jean Pierre van der Watt (69), Bradley de Beer (74) and Alex van Wyk (76) from Glenwood House also combined for 219 to finish a close second on 433.
Samual Mckenzie fired a seven-under-par 65 to rocketed TuksSport High School into contention and Nicholas Souranis (71) and Francois Janse van Rensburg (77) sealed third place for the two-time former champions on 441.
However, none the 12 competitors in the leading three teams could match the brilliance of Wilco Nienaber from Grey College Secondary in the Individual Competition.
The reigning Curro SA Juniors International Boys champion blistered the par 72 layout with two successive rounds of 65 to claim the individual honour on 14-under-par 130. The GolfRSA National Squad player finished eight shots clear of Mckenzie, while Van der Watt took third at thee under and 2017 Nomads SA Girls champion Son finished fourth at two under.
Recent Dimension Data Junior Open U-15 challenge winner Nash de Klerk from the GED Academy signed off with a 72 to grab a share of fifth at even-par 144 with Van Wyk and Stals Swart from the Afrikaans Hoerskool vir Seuns, who closed with a 74.
TEAM RESULT
(Best 3 scores of 4 to count)
432 Curro Aurora
433 Glenwood House
441 TuksSport High School
442 Grey College Secondary
451 Afrikaans Hoerskool vir Seuns
451 Curro Durbanville
452 Paarl Boys High
452 Hoerskool Rustenburg
453 GED Academy
456 De Villiers Graaff High School
459 Paul Roos Gymnasium
467 Hoer Tegniese Skool Middelburg
467 Woodlands College
470 Daniel Pienaar Tegniese Hoerskool
475 Klerksdorp Hoerskool
483 Curro Bankenveld
484 Piet Potgieter High School
493 Marais Viljoen Hoerskool
509 Framesby High School
520 Hoerskool Duineveld
INDIVIDUAL RESULT (top 10)
130 Wilco Nienaber 65 65
138 Samual Mckenzie 73 65
141 Jean Pierre van der Watt 72 69
142 Woo-Ju Son 69 73
144 Nash de Klerk 72 72; Kieron van Wyk 71 73; Stals Swart 70 74
145 Nicholas Souranis 74 71
146 Ray Janse van Rensburg 73 73; Bradley de Beer 72 74; Daniel Cronje 71 75
