De Melo, who has played golf for the past 13 years, finished third in the 21-25 handicap group on a nett score of 78.
With the first round secured, his sights are now set on the SA National Final to be played at Selborne Hotel, Spa and Golf Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast from 3 to 5 November.
It promises to be a nail-biting two-day challenge when he battles it out against the regional winners from Durban and Cape Town. The competition will be fierce to claim the one winning spot in each handicap group in order to qualify for the Team SA blazer – and win an all expenses paid trip of a lifetime to the 21st World Amateur Golfers Championship, the World Finals in Turkey next month.
World Golf Events SA and Team SA Captain, Arthur Mzimela said, “The Johannesburg qualifier has set the ball in motion for an exciting elimination process for this year’s Team SA selection. This is a fantastic opportunity for amateur golfers to showcase their talent in the world’s largest amateur golf tournament.”
Mzimela added that they were looking forward to the SA National Final to see who will represent South Africa as the defending champions at the 21st World Finals from 27 November to 5 December.
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