Golfer swings to success in Linksfield

Astin Arthur swung to success when he took victory in the men’s category of the GolfRSA International Amateur Championship.

Held at Linksfield’s Royal Johannesburg Golf Club’s Eastern Course, the final of the championship was played on January 31.

Arthur claimed victory with a birdie on the first extra-hole of a sudden-death play-off. He overcame the challenge of Charl Barnard.

ALSO READ: Two players claims victory for Ekurhuleni Senior Women’s Golf tournament

In the final round, the pair had gone toe-to-toe and Arthur’s bogey-free 68 had trumped Barnard’s three-under-par 69.

Barnard was left ruing the lone bogey he made on the par-five seventh.

“Coming down 18, I was one ahead,” Arthur said, as he and Barnard made their way up the reachable par-five which closes out Royal Johannesburg East.

“I hit a good tee shot and I had four-iron in. The wind gusted and changed as I played it, and I double-crossed it. I missed it in a terrible spot.

“To be honest, I though Charl was going to make the eagle putt because he was putting great coming down the stretch.

“My heart-rate was definitely up but I just kept focussed on my own game and played the 18th exactly the same in the play-off.

ALSO READ: Local golfer swings for success at championships

“I just didn’t miss the shot. I hit it on the green and put the pressure on Charl and just lagged the eagle putt up.”

The pair had left Jordan Burnand two strokes back in third place on 15-under-par after his closing five-under 67 had brought the reigning South African Stroke Play champion close, but not close enough.

South African Golf Development Board elite squad player Johndre Ludick and Frenchman Octave Bailo shared fourth a further four strokes back on 11-under after closing rounds of 70 and 72 respectively.

“This victory is right up there among my wins; probably right at the top,” Arthur said.

“It’s obviously one of the big three in the GolfRSA Summer Swing, so you want to play well and get the world ranking points, and I had a lot of points to defend from last year.

“Personally, this win means a lot this off-season was long, but I didn’t take a day off since playing the Afred Dunhill in December.

“I haven’t played great, and I wasn’t happy with the way I finished the season, so to see some results is definitely a step in the right direction, and I’m just going to keep going from there.”

Setting off to Leopard Creek for the African Amateur Championship and securing a place in The Open at Royal Portrush Arthur didn’t have long to savour how he achieved things.

ALSO READ: Edenvale golfer takes championship title

“I said to myself I was just going to stay in my own lane. I didn’t want to get too involved in what everyone else was doing because I didn’t do that for the last three days.

“I knew what I had to do, where I needed to hit the ball to score and fortunately, I was able to do that today
“I handled the pressure pretty well. I’ve been in this kind of situation a few times now, so I was able to call on previous experiences. I was very present and aware of my surroundings and what I needed to do.”