Jarvis in pursuit at Nomads SA Boys U-15

MODIMOLLE, 5 January 2017 – Casey Jarvis from State Mines threw everything except the kitchen sink at Martin Vorster, but the tenacious Southern Cape junior held on to his overnight lead on day two of the Nomads South African Boys U-15 Championship on Thursday.

Jarvis notched seven birdies at Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate, but Vorster responded with five birdies of his own and eagled the par five fifth to match Jarvis’s brilliant six-under-par 66.

Vorster leads the prestigious national championship on 11 under 133, with Jarvis tucked into second at 10 under.

“It looks like we are heading into a two-horse race for the title and if the final round is anything like the second round, we are in for a treat with Martin and Casey playing exceptional golf,” said David Younge from the South African Golf Association.

“The conditions were still pretty fresh this the morning after the still two-club wind on Wednesday, and the wind pushed the 15 to 20 km per hour mark. We mixed up the tee boxes, using club, senior and ladies tees, but it didn’t make much difference to Martin.

“He took full advantage of the pristine conditions at Koro Creek and his magnificent ball striking, pumping drives over 300 metres and positioning his ball really well around the course to set up birdie opportunities with great irons into the green. It’s hard to believe he can hammer the ball that far when he is not yet 15.

“It must be said that 13-year-old Casey played extraordinarily well. Although he hits it miles shorter than Martin, he doesn’t give an inch and he birdied two of the toughest holes – the 195 meter par three seventh, which is their stroke one and the ninth, his final hole.

“The battle between them resulted in a hugely entertaining and exciting tussle for the crowd that followed this group and we look forward to more of the same in the final round.”

Kieron van Wyk from Ruimsig moved into third with successive 72s, while Glendower’s Yurav Premlall sits in fourth place at one over after posting rounds of 72 and 73.

SECOND ROUND SCORES (Top 20)
133 Martin Vorster 67 66
134 Casey Jarvis 68 66
144 Kieron van Wyk 72 72
145 Yurav Premlall 72 73
146 Liam van Deventer 72 74
147 Emerson Bam 75 72; Luka Stanisavljevic 72 75
149 Christopher Bagnall 75 74
150 Gheran Hattingh 76 74; Malan Potgieter 75 75; Jordan Duminy 73 77
153 Neil Retief 80 73; James Murray 78 75; Declan Brews 78 75; Nash de Klerk 77 76; Carl Mwale 76 77
154 Du Toit Fourie 80 74; Christiaan Kieser 78 76; Christiaan Maas 76 78; Matthew Dennis 75 79; Zander Lombard 75 79

Jarvis in pursuit at Nomads SA Boys U-15

Eagle sends Smit soaring at Huddle Park

Lali Stander – JOHANNESBURG, 5 January 2017 – It was a case of South African delight and British cheer in equal measure as local favourite Monique Smit took control of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, while Kim Williams and England’s Kiran Matharu moved within striking distance in Thursday’s second round at Huddle Park.

Monique Smit; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour

A tidy four-under-par 68 moved Smit – the winner of the inaugural event in 2014 – into pole position at seven under 137. She will start the final round with a three shot lead over fellow Sunshine Ladies Tour winner Kim Williams and she has four shots on the Englishwomen.

The co-leaders both parred the opening hole, but Smit left Strauss behind with successive birdies at the second and third holes.

The Southern Cape golfer overturned a bogey at nine with a birdie at the next and dipped to seven under when she holed her approach at the par four 11th. After covering a second blemish at the short 13th with a birdie at 16, she was visibly delighted to put some daylight between herself and the chasing pack.

“I had no expectations coming into the event because so much has changed for me since last season and I didn’t put in the practice I did in previous years,” said Smit. “The changes were positive and it’s reflecting in my game.

“Of course winning would set me up wonderfully for the two national championships (SA Women’s Masters and SA Women’s Open) in the next couple of weeks, but there is still work to do and I am not getting ahead of myself,” Smit said.

Williams is handily placed after a 70, while Matharu rocketed into third place with a best round of the day five-under-par 67.

“Both of them are experienced and could go low if the wind doesn’t blow on Friday,” Smit said. “They will keep me on my toes, for sure.”

Matharu was delighted to post the low round of the day and the Ladies European Tour campaigner hopes the 67 is a sign of things to come.

“It’s the first time that I’ve come out to play the Sunshine Ladies Tour and to get into contention in the first event is just fantastic,” said the Leeds native. “I didn’t play well in the first round, but we spend 22 hours in the air to come here and I think I was still tired.

“This was a much better reflection of my game, although I left at least three birdies there. I played better than my scores show and hopefully it all comes together on Friday.”

Meanwhile rookie Ivanna Samu cracked the top five in her debut and a second round 70 will see the 18-year-old former top ranked amateur start in joint fourth at two under.

Swaziland’s Nobuhle Dlamini grabbed a share of sixth with South Africans Tijana Kraljevic and Lejan Lewthwaite, but a second round 75 put a damper on joint first round leader Bertine Strauss’ birthday celebrations.

The defending champion just managed to edge inside the top 10 and is tied at even-par 144 with Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies winner Nicole Garcia. 

Second Round Scores

All players RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as (AMA)

137 – Monique Smit 69 68

140 – Kim Williams 70 70

141 – Kiran Matharu ENG 74 67

142 – Melissa Eaton 73 69, Ivanna Samu 72 70

143 – Tijana Kraljevic 73 70, Lejan Lewthwaite 71 72, Nobuhle Dlamini SWZ 71 72

144 – Nicole Garcia 70 74, Bertine Strauss 69 75

145 – Michaela Fletcher (AMA) 73 72

146 – Catherine Lau (AMA) 73 73, Carrie Park KOR 73 73

147 – Eleonora Galletti (AMA) 74 73

149 – Alexandra Lennartsson SWe 73 76, Lindi Coetzee (AMA) 73 76

150 – Lara Weinstein (AMA) 74 76, Crizelda van Niekerk 74 76, Lora Assad (AMA) 76 74, Morgana Robbertze 72 78, Bonita Bredenhann NAM 71 79

151 – Hanna Roos SWE 75 76, Flavia Namakula UGA 75 76, Tandi von Ruben 77 74, Laila Hrindova SVK (AMA) 72 79

152 – Mae Cornforth 74 78, Mandy Adamson 76 76

153 – Monja Richards 77 76, Lynette Fourie (AMA) 73 80

155 – Francesca Cuturi 75 80, Casandra Hall (AMA) 78 77, Natasha Carlsson (AMA) 78 77, Nicole Becker 79 76

156 – Alana van Greuning 77 79

157 – Siviwe Duma 77 80

158 – Yolanda Duma 79 79

159 – Caitlyn Macnab (AMA) 77 82, Maria Roos SWE 79 80

162 – Shawnelle de Lange (AMA) 84 78

164 – Wilna Bredenhann NAM (AMA) 80 84, Michelle de Vries 81 83

165 – Sarah Bouch (AMA) 84 81

166 – Leslie Grandet MAD 86 80, Michelle Leigh 87 79

167 – Nina Grey (AMA) 84 83

169 – Kim de Klerk (AMA) 86 83

Eagle sends Smit soaring at Huddle Park

Eagle sends Smit soaring at Huddle Park

Lali Stander – JOHANNESBURG, 5 January 2017 – It was a case of South African delight and British cheer in equal measure as local favourite Monique Smit took control of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, while Kim Williams and England’s Kiran Matharu moved within striking distance in Thursday’s second round at Huddle Park.

Monique Smit; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour

A tidy four-under-par 68 moved Smit – the winner of the inaugural event in 2014 – into pole position at seven under 137. She will start the final round with a three shot lead over fellow Sunshine Ladies Tour winner Kim Williams and she has four shots on the Englishwomen.

The co-leaders both parred the opening hole, but Smit left Strauss behind with successive birdies at the second and third holes.

The Southern Cape golfer overturned a bogey at nine with a birdie at the next and dipped to seven under when she holed her approach at the par four 11th. After covering a second blemish at the short 13th with a birdie at 16, she was visibly delighted to put some daylight between herself and the chasing pack.

“I had no expectations coming into the event because so much has changed for me since last season and I didn’t put in the practice I did in previous years,” said Smit. “The changes were positive and it’s reflecting in my game.

“Of course winning would set me up wonderfully for the two national championships (SA Women’s Masters and SA Women’s Open) in the next couple of weeks, but there is still work to do and I am not getting ahead of myself,” Smit said.

Williams is handily placed after a 70, while Matharu rocketed into third place with a best round of the day five-under-par 67.

“Both of them are experienced and could go low if the wind doesn’t blow on Friday,” Smit said. “They will keep me on my toes, for sure.”

Matharu was delighted to post the low round of the day and the Ladies European Tour campaigner hopes the 67 is a sign of things to come.

“It’s the first time that I’ve come out to play the Sunshine Ladies Tour and to get into contention in the first event is just fantastic,” said the Leeds native. “I didn’t play well in the first round, but we spend 22 hours in the air to come here and I think I was still tired.

“This was a much better reflection of my game, although I left at least three birdies there. I played better than my scores show and hopefully it all comes together on Friday.”

Meanwhile rookie Ivanna Samu cracked the top five in her debut and a second round 70 will see the 18-year-old former top ranked amateur start in joint fourth at two under.

Swaziland’s Nobuhle Dlamini grabbed a share of sixth with South Africans Tijana Kraljevic and Lejan Lewthwaite, but a second round 75 put a damper on joint first round leader Bertine Strauss’ birthday celebrations.

The defending champion just managed to edge inside the top 10 and is tied at even-par 144 with Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies winner Nicole Garcia. 

Second Round Scores

All players RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as (AMA)

137 – Monique Smit 69 68

140 – Kim Williams 70 70

141 – Kiran Matharu ENG 74 67

142 – Melissa Eaton 73 69, Ivanna Samu 72 70

143 – Tijana Kraljevic 73 70, Lejan Lewthwaite 71 72, Nobuhle Dlamini SWZ 71 72

144 – Nicole Garcia 70 74, Bertine Strauss 69 75

145 – Michaela Fletcher (AMA) 73 72

146 – Catherine Lau (AMA) 73 73, Carrie Park KOR 73 73

147 – Eleonora Galletti (AMA) 74 73

149 – Alexandra Lennartsson SWe 73 76, Lindi Coetzee (AMA) 73 76

150 – Lara Weinstein (AMA) 74 76, Crizelda van Niekerk 74 76, Lora Assad (AMA) 76 74, Morgana Robbertze 72 78, Bonita Bredenhann NAM 71 79

151 – Hanna Roos SWE 75 76, Flavia Namakula UGA 75 76, Tandi von Ruben 77 74, Laila Hrindova SVK (AMA) 72 79

152 – Mae Cornforth 74 78, Mandy Adamson 76 76

153 – Monja Richards 77 76, Lynette Fourie (AMA) 73 80

155 – Francesca Cuturi 75 80, Casandra Hall (AMA) 78 77, Natasha Carlsson (AMA) 78 77, Nicole Becker 79 76

156 – Alana van Greuning 77 79

157 – Siviwe Duma 77 80

158 – Yolanda Duma 79 79

159 – Caitlyn Macnab (AMA) 77 82, Maria Roos SWE 79 80

162 – Shawnelle de Lange (AMA) 84 78

164 – Wilna Bredenhann NAM (AMA) 80 84, Michelle de Vries 81 83

165 – Sarah Bouch (AMA) 84 81

166 – Leslie Grandet MAD 86 80, Michelle Leigh 87 79

167 – Nina Grey (AMA) 84 83

169 – Kim de Klerk (AMA) 86 83

Eagle sends Smit soaring at Huddle Park

Thursday Morning Edition

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Thursday Morning Edition

Voster flies into SA Boys U-15 lead

MODIMOLLE, 4 January 2017 – Southern Cape’s Martin Vorster made a flying start with a five-under-par 67 to grab the first round lead in the Nomads South African Boys U-15 Championship on Wednesday.

Martin Vorster; credit SAGA

The 14-year-old from Pinnacle Point made light work of the windy conditions at Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate to notch an eagle and a trio of birdies after dropping just one shot at the par three seventh.

“I was a little annoyed, but considering the conditions, I really can’t complain with just the one bogey on the card,” Vorster said.

Casey Jarvis from State Mines, who won the South African U-15 Challenge last year, made a strong case for another national under-15 title with an opening 68.

The 13-year-old Jarvis overturned a lone bogey at the second with a birdie at the fifth and four more gains saw him pull within a shot of Vorster.

“To be honest, we didn’t expect anyone to break 70 given the overcast and very windy conditions, so all credit to Martin and Casey for setting the benchmark so high,” said David Younge from the South African Golf Association.

“The players had to negotiate a stiff two-club wind that raged for the full 18 holes around a course that places a premium on accuracy off the tee. On the plus side, though, the course is in immaculate condition and the greens are running at a fair pace and very true.

“It was great to watch Martin and Casey peppering the flags from great positions in the fairways – they definitely had the measure of the course and it looked like the wind had no effect on them.”

Luka Stanisavljevic, Yurav Premlall, Liam van Deventer and Kieron van Wyk were left with some work to do to catch up to the leading duo after the quartet produced rounds of even-par 72 to tie for third.

FIRST ROUND SCORES (top 10)
67 Martin Vorster
68 Casey Jarvis
72 Luka Stanisavljevic; Yurav Premlall; Liam van Deventer; Kieron van Wyk
73 Jordan Duminy
75 Emerson Bam; Malan Potgieter; Matthew Dennis; Zander Lombard; Francois van Rensburg; Christopher Bagnall

Voster flies into SA Boys U-15 lead