South Africa’s leading four juniors will have the auspicious task of keeping the country’s undefeated record alive at the All-Africa Junior Golf Championships, in Zambia, next month.
The South African u-19 junior golfers who will come to South Africa’s title defence include Ekurhuleni’s Kyle McClatchie, who holds the number one spot in the South African Golf Association’s junior rankings, as well as Jovan Rebula, Hennie du Plessis and Altin van der Merwe, ranked second to fourth, respectively.
South African Golf Association president André Pieterse believes the team is definitely up for the challenge at Chainama Hills Golf Club, in Lusaka, from April 28 to May1.
“The team is well prepared to charge down South Africa’s 16th consecutive title in this championship,” said Pieterse.
“Individually, they have all performed well this season; McClatchie, Rebula and du Plessis served on the victorious South African junior team that handed a French junior side a comprehensive drubbing in a two-day test, in early February.
“Van der Merwe joined the trio and four other leading juniors in the South African junior team who defeated a junior Scottish Golf Union side and a team of elite squad players from the South African Golf Development Board, in the annual Triangular, at Randpark, also in February.
“They are a feisty bunch and certainly keen to emulate last year’s champions, who claimed a 58-shot victory over Zimbabwe, at Le Touessrok, on Mauritius, with a winning total of 20-over-par 884. We believe they are definitely up for the task at hand.”
While the team records speak for themselves, McClatchie also defeated du Plessis, in a play-off for the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit title, in January.
Reigning Nomads SA u-17 boys champion, Rebula, won the Nomads National Order of Merit event at Royal Durban, in January, and the Southern Cape golfer recently claimed the Proudfoot Trophy as the winner of the strokeplay qualifier, at the Sanlam South African Amateur Championships.
Limpopo’s du Plessis, who claimed a runaway victory in the Kenya Open Amateur, last year, notched a number of top five finishes in 2013 and was a major contributor to South Africa’s victories against the French and at the Triangular.
Other countries expected to compete in the 19th edition of the prestigious junior team championship include the host nation, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Swaziland, Uganda, Namibia and Mauritius.
The South African Junior Team:
- Kyle McClatchie (16-Ekurhuleni).
- Jovan Rebula (16 -Southern Cape).
- Hennie du Plessis (17 -Limpopo).
- Altin van der Merwe (17 -Western Province).
