Author name: michael

South Africa’s Magda Kruger stayed within striking distance of the lead in the second round of the Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden on Thursday.

On a day when only 10 players in the field of 71 juniors could break par, the Gauteng North golfer followed an opening 70 with a four-over-par 74 to move to eighth on even-par 144. Kruger lags five shots behind 36-hole leader Celia Barquin from Spain, who carded a two under 70 to take the sole lead on five-under-par 139.

It was touch and go for a while, but South Africa’s Nicole Garcia survived the cut at the English Womens Amateur Stroke Play in England and now the Ekurhuleni golfer will use the reprieve to soak up as much experience as possible over the next two days of play at Mannings Heath Golf Club in Sussex.

The 22-year-old from Ekurhuleni said her patience was tested as she waited to hear where the cut to 36 and ties would fall.

“I carded rounds of 81 and 75, so I was sitting on the bubble at 12-over-par 156,” Garcia said. To her delight, she made the cut-off point on the number.

An untimely shot into the drink at the 18^th hole at Landskrona Golf Club cost Gauteng North’s Magda Kruger the outright lead of the Annika Invitational Europe, but South Africa’s number two ranked junior will start the second round just one shot off the pace and full of determination on Thursday.

The 16-year-old Centurion golfer took her double bogey finish on the chin and signed for an opening two-under-par 70 to finish in a group of four golfers chasing first round pacesetters, Martina Edberg from Sweden and Spain’s Celia Barquin.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Michaela Fletcher dropped just one shot in the second round of the RB German Junior to move into third place at the 36-hole mark of the prestigious World Junior Golf Series event in Germany.

The 17-year-old from Maritzburg Fletcher carded a three-under-par 69 to finish just five shots off the pace from Sweden’s Lynn Carlsson.

Fletcher leads SA challenge in Germany

KwaZulu-Natal’s Michaela Fletcher leads the South African challenge at the RB German Junior in Gut Neuzenhof, Germany, while fellow juniors Cara Gorlei and Ji Sun Kang from the Western Province stayed in touch in the first round of the prestigious World Junior Golf Series event.

The 17-year-old from Maritzburg carded an opening even-par 72 and trails German pacesetter, Laura Lorenzen from Hamburg, by five shots. Gorlei signed for a four-over-par 76 to tie for 14th and Kang returned a six over 78 to finish in 20th place. Lara Weinstein claimed a share of 21st with an opening 80.