Sublime win for Schaper in USA
Exhibiting the same cool and composed demeanour that saw him triumph under great pressure in the South African Stroke Play Championship earlier this year, Schaper was the picture of calm on the final day.
Third time’s the charm for Benoni’s Jayden Schaper, who muscled his way to victory at the AJGA Junior Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in the United States at the weekend.
“It really feels amazing on my third go, to finally get the win,” the country’s leading amateur said after he holed a clutch six-foot putt at the final hole to cement a one-shot victory on six-under-par 210.
With Hurricane Dorian closing in on the coast of Florida, the invitation-only junior event at the iconic TPC Sawgrass was condensed into two days.
The field teed off the first round in driving rain that swept across the Stadium Course in the morning, but 18-year-old Schaper, a product of the Grant Veenstra Golf Academy at Ebotse Links, wasted no time in living up to his billing.
He broke into the top four with an opening three-under-par 69 and, in the afternoon, braved the elements to card a 70 that earned him a share of the lead with American Brett Robert on four-under.
“In a lot of our tournaments back home, we play 36 holes on the first day and 18 on the last, so the change in format didn’t really faze me,” he said. “It’s one of my favourite courses and it was such a big goal of mine. It hasn’t really sunk in, but I’m just over the moon to call myself a Junior Players champion.”
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He got off to a birdie start at the par-four first and parred the next four holes before a birdie at the par-four sixth took him clear of the chasing pack on six-under. Once he got his nose in front, Schaper never relinquished the lead.
“After the wobble on the front nine, I kept it simple. I hit fairways and greens and I was able to keep myself in it,” said Schaper.
Schaper became just the fifth international winner in the 13-year history of the event.
“The thought of winning was there in the back of my mind when we arrived, but I didn’t think it could really happen. To get a win over here in the US in this kind of field is amazing. I had some trouble during the tournament, but I backed it up with some good golf,” Schaper added.
Schaper’s victory at TPC Sawgrass also came with two major pay-offs. Not only has he comfortably made the International Team for the 2019 Junior Presidents Cup, but the junior has earned himself an invitation to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, courtesy of businessman and GolfRSA patron Johann Rupert.
