The South African junior team got off to a dream start in the first round of the two-day Test at the Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate to claim a 4 1/2 -1 1/2 lead against a top four-man French side on Friday.

The South African Golf Association (SAGA) has named an Open Amateur team and junior side for two international events this February. South African number two Zander Lombard and sixth ranked Louis Taylor will lead the senior team in the country’s title defence at the annual Leopard Trophy against members of the Scottish Golf Union’s Mens National Squad at Leopard Creek in Mpumalanga from 18-19 February.

South Africa’s top amateurs will throw down the gauntlet against a strong foreign invasion in this year’s South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Benoni Country Club from 4-7 February. South African number one Christiaan Bezuidenhout will spearhead the local challenge alongside Zander Lombard, reigning Sanlam SA Amateur champion Thriston Lawrence and NJ Arnoldi, respectively ranked second, third and fourth on the current South African Golf Association’s (SAGA) rankings.

SA number one junior Kyle McClatchie is primed to lead a quartet of talented juniors in a two-day Test against France at his home course, the Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate, at the end of January. McClatchie will be joined by reigning Sanlam SA Amateur champion Thriston Lawrence from Mpumalanga, Nomads SA Boys U-17 champion Jovan Rebula from Southern Cape and reigning Kenya Open Amateur champion Hennie du Plessis from Polokwane in the two-day event.

The R&A, the joint world governing body announced yesterday that they would permit the use of distance measuring devices (D.M.D.s) at all their AMATEUR EVENTS for 2014.

Top South African junior Bianca Theron claimed her first victory of the 2014 season in a thrilling play-off against Cara Gorlei to win the Nomads WGWP Junior Championship title at the first extra hole.

Ekurhuleni’s Kyle McClatchie holed a confident eagle putt to defeat Hennie du Plessis from Limpopo in a play-off for the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit title at Pollak Park Golf Club on Monday.

Gauteng golfer Chiara Contomathios has the early jump on the rest of the field in the first round of the Nomads WGWP Junior Championship at the Metropolitan Golf Club on Saturday.

Top SA junior Jovan Rebula claimed the first Nomads National Order of Merit tournament of new season after edging out Wingate Park junior Juan-Pierre Cooper with a birdie at the first play-off hole on Friday.

Rising star Ji Sun Kang came from behind to claim a comprehensive five shot victory from fellow Western Province junior Cara Gorlei at the Boland Junior Championships on Thursday.

A wet course and a steady downpour at Kuils River Golf Club had little effect on Bryanston’s Kaleigh Telfer, who hit the front at the Boland Junior Championship with an opening two-under-par 70 on Wednesday.

Britain’s Herman Loubser completed his winning march at the Fish River Sun Country Club in superb fashion when he romped to a six-shot victory in the Nomads SA Boys U-15 Championship on Tuesday.

British golfer Herman Loubser took advantage of the sunny conditions at the Fish River Sun Country Club to keep ahead of the chasing pack at the Nomads SA Boys U-15 Championship on Monday.

Herman Loubser from the United Kingdom was the surprise leader after Sunday’s first round of the Nomads SA Boys U-15 Championship at the Fish River Sun Country Club.