Greg Sheard will launch his title defence in the South African Mid-Amateur Stroke Play at Ruimsig Country Club on Tuesday, but high stakes and a clutch of in-form champions has increased the pressure on the defending champion.
Mpumalanga teenager Thriston Lawrence followed Open champions Ernie Els and Bobby Locke into the winner’s circle at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club when he became the first South African to lift the Lytham Trophy in the 50th edition of the prestigious amateur championship on Sunday.
South Africa put an exclamation mark on a successful title defence at the All-Africa Junior Golf Championship in Lusaka to claim the country’s 16th consecutive victory in the prestigious team event on Thursday.
The four-man junior squad stretched an almost unassailable 21 shot lead after three rounds at Chainama Hills Golf Club to a 35-stroke victory over Zimbabwe on a winning score of 873.
The South African juniors shifted gears in the third round of the All-Africa Junior Golf Championship in Lusaka and opened up a 21 shot lead on Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
The defending champions combined for a two-under-par 214 at the Chainama Hills Golf Club and top the standings at nine-over-par 657
Overnight leaders South Africa kept their title defence at the All-Africa Junior Golf Challenge on track, but gusting winds and low early morning temperatures caught the foursome off guard on Tuesday.
The defending champions combined for a second round 223 to retain their lead and top the log at 443.
South Africa got their 16th consecutive title hunt underway at the All-Africa Junior Golf Championship but the defending champions came under serious fire from the host nation at Chainama Hills Golf Club in Lusaka on Monday.
Hennie du Plessis fired an opening one-under-par 71, Jovan Rebula contributed a 74 and Kyle McClatchie added a 75 to put the South African team in pole position on four-under-par 220. The fourth member of the side, Altin van der Merwe, closed with a non-counting 78.
Gerlou Roux pulled off a home victory at the Western Province Amateur Championship when he defeated Gauteng North’s James du Preez 2 & 1 in a tightly-contested 36-hole final on Saturday.
The young quartet tasked with keeping South Africa’s winning record alive at the All-Africa Junior Golf Championship at Chainama Hills Golf Club in Lusaka departed in high spirits for Zambia on Saturday.
The 19th edition of the prestigious junior team championship tees off on Monday and will showcase the talent of Southern Africa’s finest junior golfers from countries such as Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Swaziland, Uganda, Namibia and Mauritius.