Impressive amateur line-up for BMW SA Open

EKURHULENI golfer Kyle McClatchie is one of the amateur players selected to play at the BMW South African Open Championship at Glendower Golf Club from January 11-14.

The South African Open Championship has always enjoyed a rich history of amateur participation and the 2018 edition will once again feature the cream of South Africa’s amateur ranks.

“The reigning Sanlam SA Amateur champion automatically qualifies and the South African Golf Association (SAGA) awards four further amateur exemptions each year,” said SAGA president Geoff Taylor.

Christo Lamprecht from the Southern Cape received the automatic exemption. The other four exemptions have been allocated to McClatchie, Jovan Rebula from Southern Cape, Boland’s Garrick Higgo and Malcolm Mitchell from KwaZulu-Natal.

McClatchie, Rebula, Higgo and Lamprecht are the country’s top four ranked amateurs in the world, having risen to 126th, 158th, 202nd and 239th respectively in the official world amateur rankings.

Higgo heads the SAGA Open amateur rankings, followed by McClatchie and Mitchell. Lamprecht, who is still only 16 years old, has climbed to fifth place.

McClatchie won twice at home, lifted the English Men’s Stroke Play Championship title and qualified for the US Amateur, where he reached the match play stage. He once again wore the coveted green South African blazer when the South African national side took on the India nationals at Leopard Creek in the Fellowship Trophy test match.

The amateur’s incentive will not be a share of the R15-million purse on offer, but instead they will be battling it out for the Freddie Tait Trophy, which is awarded to the leading amateur who advances past the 36-hole cut.

Thirteen Freddie Tait cup winners have gone on to win the SA Open.