THE South African qualifier and final of the 22nd World Amateur Golfers Championship united players from around South Africa, as amateurs golfers competed for their chance to represent Team SA in this year’s World Final in Durban, from Saturday 22 to Saturday, 29 October.
The SA qualifier and final took place in Pretoria at the Zwartkop Country Club where players were met with sunny conditions.
On the first qualifying day, players arrived at the tee box determined to win a place on the team, resulting in a highly contested finish, with a number of count-out results making the difference. The field was whittled down with only
the top four from each handicap group, 0 – 5, 6 – 10, 11 -15, 16 – 20, 21 – 25, making it into the South African final. On day two, the final swung into action as players readied themselves for some fierce competition. Familiarity with the playing conditions and course prevailed on the day, where the local golfers from the region took advantage of local knowledge to edge out the competition and filled the five top spots.
Johannes Mnyandu in the 0 – 5 handicap group, started in third place at the beginning of the SA final and charged his way up the field, claiming his team spot on a well deserved 69 net finish. Not to be outdone, Tyrone Armist claimed his team place in the 6 – 10 group on a hard earned 66. In the 11 – 15 handicap group, Marius Jacobs could be seen picking up the tempo as he landed his place in team SA on a 65 net. The last two places in the 16 – 20 handicap group, and 21 – 25 were won by Pierre Heyneke and Lionel Reddy, who each secured their spots finishing on 73 and 67 net respectively.
With the hunt for Team SA having come to a spectacular end, all eyes now look to the 22nd World Amateur Golfers Championship final, where the team will have the opportunity to take home the championship title and trophy for the third time in a row.
