SCOTS' EIGHTSOME REEL IN SOUTH AFRICAN MATCH-PLAY
FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
South Africa's top amateur Brandon Stone may have needed just 13 holes eliminate Matt Krause, but it was the visiting Scots who stole the show with a whitewash over their South African contemporaries at the Sanlam South African Amateur Championship at Vaal de Grace on today.
The Scots went eight for eight in their first-round matches with Ross Kellett, pictured right, claiming the biggest scalp when he downed South Africa's second ranked amateur, Ruan de Smidt.
"It was a topsy-turvy match, no doubt, but I managed to get the job done at the 18th and that's all that counts, I guess," said the Scottish No 3.
Kellett was one down after three, but turned the tables on De Smidt with three successive birdies from the fourth. He held the lead but De Smidt cu this advantange to one with a birdie at the ninth. Kellett kept his nose in front and won the 16th, but De Smidt hit back with a birdie at the 17th to force the match to the last hole.
"It was a great match and Ruan was a solid opponent," said Kellett, who faces Burger Heckroodt in the second round. "It was a nice change of pace, too, after all the stroke play rounds the last couple of weeks."
Scottish champion Michael Stewart beat Leon Scheepers 2 and 1, South African Stroke Play Qualifier runner up Kris Nicol scored an easy 4 and 2 win over Richard Crawshay-Hall and former British boys champion Jordan Findlay beat 13th ranked Graham van der Merwe 3 and 2.
Meanwhile Stone, who won the Qualifier by two shots, won his match with the same apparent ease.
All square through the first five holes, the 17-year-old put the screws on Mpumalanga's Krause to win the next four holes. The pair halved the 10th and Stone birdied 11 and 13 to win the match 6 and 5.
"I was a little less confident starting this morning than during the qualifier," admitted Stone.
"I made five straight pars at holes that you could really birdie, but then I just started shifted gears. I hit the ball a little bit better, a little more confident. I started making some birdies to turn up the heat."
Stone added that it was good to get that first match out of the way.
"Sometimes you get hung up on the stroke play, so it's always good when you can win your first match with a convincing win, just to set you up for the matches to come."
South African stroke-play champion David Law was a 3 and 2 winner of N J Arnoldi.
Greg Paterson won on the 18th green against Zander Lombard.
Scott Gibson beat Nasthan Waghorn by 3 and 2.
Paul Shields had to go to the 19th to beat James Elton.
With eight Scots through to the last 32, it was almost inevitable that some paths would cross sooner or later ... there are two all-Scottish ties in Wednesday's round which will decide the last 16.
Scottish champion Michael Stewart plays Kris Nicol and Scott Gibson meets Paul Shields.
South Africa's top amateur Brandon Stone may have needed just 13 holes eliminate Matt Krause, but it was the visiting Scots who stole the show with a whitewash over their South African contemporaries at the Sanlam South African Amateur Championship at Vaal de Grace on today.
"It was a topsy-turvy match, no doubt, but I managed to get the job done at the 18th and that's all that counts, I guess," said the Scottish No 3.
Kellett was one down after three, but turned the tables on De Smidt with three successive birdies from the fourth. He held the lead but De Smidt cu this advantange to one with a birdie at the ninth. Kellett kept his nose in front and won the 16th, but De Smidt hit back with a birdie at the 17th to force the match to the last hole.
"It was a great match and Ruan was a solid opponent," said Kellett, who faces Burger Heckroodt in the second round. "It was a nice change of pace, too, after all the stroke play rounds the last couple of weeks."
Scottish champion Michael Stewart beat Leon Scheepers 2 and 1, South African Stroke Play Qualifier runner up Kris Nicol scored an easy 4 and 2 win over Richard Crawshay-Hall and former British boys champion Jordan Findlay beat 13th ranked Graham van der Merwe 3 and 2.
Meanwhile Stone, who won the Qualifier by two shots, won his match with the same apparent ease.
All square through the first five holes, the 17-year-old put the screws on Mpumalanga's Krause to win the next four holes. The pair halved the 10th and Stone birdied 11 and 13 to win the match 6 and 5.
"I was a little less confident starting this morning than during the qualifier," admitted Stone.
"I made five straight pars at holes that you could really birdie, but then I just started shifted gears. I hit the ball a little bit better, a little more confident. I started making some birdies to turn up the heat."
Stone added that it was good to get that first match out of the way.
"Sometimes you get hung up on the stroke play, so it's always good when you can win your first match with a convincing win, just to set you up for the matches to come."
South African stroke-play champion David Law was a 3 and 2 winner of N J Arnoldi.
Greg Paterson won on the 18th green against Zander Lombard.
Scott Gibson beat Nasthan Waghorn by 3 and 2.
Paul Shields had to go to the 19th to beat James Elton.
With eight Scots through to the last 32, it was almost inevitable that some paths would cross sooner or later ... there are two all-Scottish ties in Wednesday's round which will decide the last 16.
Scottish champion Michael Stewart plays Kris Nicol and Scott Gibson meets Paul Shields.
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, March 01, 2011
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