First win for Swart at Prince’s Grant Amateur shoot-out
Others tried to make a late push on day four, including George's Ivan Verster who shot a tournament low 65 (-7) to finish fourth, but Swart had done enough to outlast them all.
Pretoria’s Stals Swart joined an elite list of former winners when he claimed the 22nd Prince’s Grant National Amateur Invitational title last week.
Facing off against 53 other players, 10 of whom were ranked within the top 50 amateurs in the country, the Silver Lakes member showed strong scoring consistency to win by one stroke.
Swart (23) carded a final round 70 (-2) to ward off the chasing pack of Astin Arthur and Jordan Wessels who finished tied second on -1 after 72 holes. He shot 73 in tricky weather conditions on day one, before adding scores of 69, 74 and his closing 70 to ensure victory.
Clutch birdies on holes 12, 14 and 17 were perfect momentum builders in the final round for the fluid-swinging youngster, who entered the tournament ranked as South Africa’s 35th best amateur golfer.
“Thank you to Prince’s Grant for hosting, the course was in great condition and I enjoyed playing out here,” said Swart.
The event saw a back and forth battle for most of the golfers who finished in the top 10, all of whom were chasing Cape Town’s Travis Procter (45th ranked amateur) after three rounds. Procter was the only player under par on day one and entered the final round at -2, unfortunately carding a disappointing final round of 80 to finish 8th.
Others tried to make a late push on day four, including George’s Ivan Verster who shot a tournament low 65 (-7) to finish fourth, but Swart had done enough to outlast them all.
A tournament steeped in history, the Prince’s Grant Invitational boasts some South African greats among its past winners, including Masters winner Charl Schwartzel (2002) and professionals Haydn Porteous (2013) and Brandon Stone (2011/12).
“We have a long record of supporting amateur golf in South Africa here at Prince’s Grant. We had a five year hiatus in hosting the tournament, but were glad to reinstate it last year and with a bigger field this year too,” said men’s captain, Brian Kelley.
“The tournament was played in exactly the spirit we look for, congratulations to all of the golfers. We look forward to welcoming you back next year.”
Kelley thanked the South African Turf Academy members who had spent months working on the course to ensure it was in peak condition for the past week of competition.
Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news
Telegram Broadcast Service: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
