Cameron Olivant won the matchplay championship at Port Shepstone CC in a hard-fought final against Gavin van Wyk last Sunday.
The final score was 2/1, which looks comfortable enough, but it was anything but as the wily veteran Gavin produced some superb golf.
It meant Cameron, who turned 15 in April, also had to play well, especially so after he found himself two down after eight holes.
From there, he turned it on – hitting a driver and 5-iron onto the green on the 9th for a birdie.
He won the 10th to level things and the 11th to edge ahead.
Gavin holed a long putt on the 13th for birdie to get back to all square.
On the 15th, Cameron ripped arguably his best tee shot of the golf, a few metres short of the stream near the green.
He didn’t make birdie but still won the hole, consolidating his lead by winning the 16th as well.
The 17th was halved after Cameron holed a six-foot putt to avoid having to go down the last. And that was that; Cameron was the winner.
He is most likely the youngest champion (but definitely not the shortest) of the matchplay.
His father, Gareth, also won the title back in 2006 when he beat Ryno van Niekerk in the final after defeating Piet Steyn in the semi-finals.
Gareth has also won the strokeplay – in 2005 – and Cameron can’t be far off winning this title at some point.
Cameron’s win comes after some good golf during the holidays.
He won a junior tournament at Umdoni Park and also received the Southern Natal Nomads trophy South Coast Swing – best aggregate over the three South Coast tournaments.
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