The early tournament favourites lived up to their billing in the first round of knockout matches at the South African Amateur Championship, with GolfRSA No 1 Astin Arthur, first-seed JP van der Watt and top international talents Gregor Tait, Kartik Singh, Emilio Meijer and Louka Morin through to the top 32 at Humewood Golf Club on Tuesday.
Arthur made quick work of his duel with Arin Ahuja, ending the Indian at the 14th hole with his sixth birdie of the day for a 5/4 win. The Mount Edgecombe golfer will go up against Maccauvlei’s Keegan du Plessis, who edged Logan Leisher 4/3.
“It was a good result,” said Arthur. “The conditions, with the wind and rain, were challenging but I felt I dealt with it pretty well.
“The golf course changes with the weather conditions, so you can’t go into the round with a set game plan. You must adjust to the elements, especially hitting into the greens, but if you can execute, you’re giving yourself a change.”
Van der Watt, who added his name to the illustrious list of Proudfoot Trophy winners with his one-stroke victory in the 36-hole stroke play qualifier on Tuesday, ended 64th seed Nicholas Schrieder’s title hopes with a 4/3 win. The home course favourite takes on Ahuja’s countryman Kartik Singh in the second round.
Singh, who edged Australian-based South African Dujuan Snyman 4/3, plans to stick to what works.
“I am not going to change much, because I’ve learned how to manage my game in the wind in the last three days. It was especially windy today, and I was happy with the way I played,” he said.
India’s Sukhman Singh also advanced after defeating Boland’s Jeré Brits 2/1, and he plays South African Golf Development Board standout Johndre Ludick. The Graaff-Reinet golfer won his opener against fellow GolfRSA National Squad member Pieter Coetzee 6/4.
The Scottish National Squad will also have two representatives in Tait and Cameron Mukherjee.
Tait made the match play stage with just a shot to spare after rounds of 76 and 71, but he was back to the kind of form that netted him joint fourth in the SA Stroke Play Championship at Mossel Bay Golf Club last week.
Having won the first two holes, Tait turned 3-up and won three holes on the trot to close the door on 2024 Nomads SA U-15 champion Minjun Heo.
“It was tough out; the weather was brutal at times, but with links golf, you have to be prepared for whatever’s going to come,” said the 27-year-old Aldeburgh golfer after his 5/3 win. “I must give my caddie Jack (McDonald) a shout-out because he did a great job in the nasty weather.
“It’s one of those golf courses that can play so different, depending on where you’re sitting, where the wind is coming from, what the weather is doing and where they’ve tucked the pins. It’s a beautiful golf course. The whole Scotland team have enjoyed it. But it’s definitely a beast if the wind blows, and you just have to stay out of bushes; there are plenty of them out there.
“Match play is slightly different in that you’re playing one golf ball, instead of the field. But you are still going to go out there and try to post the best score that you can.”
TALENT COMING THROUGH
Tait was full of praise for his first-round opponent.
“We had a great match, and Minjun is a great player. For such a young kid, he is going to be a seriously good golfer in a few years. Really nice to see this kind of talent coming through in South Africa.”
Tait will face Frenchman Morin in the top 32, whose tenacity won out in a 19-hole contest against South Africa’s Fabrizio de Abreu, while Mukherjee goes up against East London Golf Club’s Kyle van der Bergh.
The East Lothian golfer had to dig deep to get past another of East London’s talents, Luke Moore, in the first round. “I was 3-down to Luke through the turn, but I realised I was too impatient,” said Mukherjee.
“I had a mental switch on 10. I realised that I could only control my game, and I started to be more patient. I won 16, 17 and 18 to square the match, and made some good putts on the first and second extra holes to extend the match. And I won with a birdie on the 21st hole.”
Dian Kruger, who finished just one shot behind Van der Watt in the qualifier, dispatched Zambia’s Gilbert Chalwe 7/6, but he will need to keep his wits about him when he goes up against Eastern Province IPT standout, Naldo Claassen.
Third-placed Juan Coetzee downed Umhlali’s Thobelan Blessing 6/5. The 15-year-old Irene golfer will take on another home course favourite, Michael Holden, in the second round.
Meijer from the Netherlands, who on 7/5, was probably the only player in the field of 64 who enjoyed the sweeping rain and gusting South-Westerly. “It was actually quite a nice day because it felt like home; rain and wind and it wasn’t too warm out there, so I enjoyed it,” said Meijer, who plays Arron Louw from East London Golf Club in the top 32.
“It was nice and steady. It’s a tough course, and you must stay patient. I have been very patient here. If you stay patient, your chances will come.”
The second round of knock-out matches tees off at 7am with the top 16 going into battle in the afternoon. The quarterfinals and semifinals follow on Thursday, and the final over 36 holes will be played on Friday.
© GolfRSA