SA schools colours for Umdoni Park golfer Jack
Looking ahead, Jack realises he'll have to focus on his end of year exams now, and then matric next year.
JACK Cubitt put together four of the best rounds under pressure of his life to earn a spot in the South African Schools golf team.
The Westville Boys’ High pupil, who is currently in grade 11, had scores of 74, 75, 74 and 77 at the 2019 South African Schools Championships at Southdowns Country Club in Johannesburg last week.
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The hard work has paid off and his four-round tally of +5 was good enough for him to qualify seventh in a team of eight.
Jack was thrilled with his efforts and also surprised as, by his own admission, he had not been in the best of form coming into the big event.
“I had been struggling with a few things in my swing, but I found the course very much to my liking, it suited my style,” he said.
By that he meant he could tee it high and give it an all-out whack.
“There were only a few holes where you had to really think about strategy and probably laying up, but nowhere near as many as in KZN,” he laughed.
The long, tough course seemed to free him up and he found the kind of form he displayed last year and earlier this year.
The tournament was won by Nikhil Gopal of Victoria CC, who was chosen as the team’s number one.
A third KZN player, Cade Cryer (Mount Edgecombe CC and Clifton) is also in the team.
A fourth KZN player, Sean Paxton (Victoria CC and Maritzburg College) was named as reserve.
But while Jack is pleased his golf has shown an upward curve, his fishing seems to have taken a dive.
After the tournament, he enjoyed a family holiday fishing in Port St Johns. At the time of talking to him (Friday) he had caught nothing.
His twin brother Luke, who didn’t have the kind of tournament he’d been hoping for at Southdowns, at least had a bit more luck with the rod, having landed a 3kg garrick.
The twins picked up their love of golf from their father Simon, who is a member at Scottburgh and currently trading off an erratic 10 handicap.
“He’s either really good or really bad,” joked Jack.
Looking ahead, Jack realises he’ll have to focus on his end of year exams now, and then matric next year.
He misses playing cricket, something he did fairly well in his lower grades, but is now committed to golf.
Before matric starts he will in all likelihood have a taste of Interprovincial golf when the KZN junior side is announced this week.
The junior IPT take place at Ou Baai in the Southern Cape from December 9 to 13, so the players can expect some wind.
There’s every chance Luke (who’s higher in these rankings) will make the team, with Jack ironically not a definite at this stage.
Their Umdoni Park teammate, Mitch Hampson, who is also at Westville Boys’ High, currently tops the rankings, with Jono Broomhead (Durban CC) and Nikhil Gopal too old by the time the tournament comes around, and Kyle Kistensamy (Prince’s Grant) unavailable for selection.
Pre-September tournament rankings are as follows: Mitch Hampson (Umdoni Park), Nathan Trodd (Maritzburg GC), Matt Brown (Mount Edgecombe CC), Cade Cryer (Mount Edgecombe CC), Luke Cubitt (Umdoni Park), Sean Paxton (Victoria CC), Jack Cubitt (Umdoni Park) and George van Vuuren (Royal Durban).
Those just outside of the top eight include Ethan Gough (Kloof CC), Hayden de Kock (Cotswold), Luke Truter (Victoria) and James Barnard (Maritzburg GC), who played in the team last year.
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