Celebrating Sun City champions Van Ettinger & Combrink

2 July 2024 – One of GolfRSA’s primary objectives is to promote junior golf development by providing a strong national competitive platform where our rising talents can gain experience, improve their skills and test themselves at the highest level.

The recent June | July holidays were jam-packed with national events and what a treat to see the blossoming talent rise to the occasion! Let’s celebrate our champions!

Sun City U-13 & U-15 Challenge at Gary Player Country Club

Central Gauteng junior Schalk van Ettinger’s star remains on the rise. The 2024 Nomads Gowrie Farm U-15 Challenge winner delivered another winning performance to claim his third national title with a four-shot victory at The Home of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Van Ettinger fired successive rounds of 70 to triumph on four-under-par 140 in the U-15 division. Remarkably, the 14-year-old Ruimsig junior played the challenging back nine flawlessly in both rounds and was the only player to finish the tournament in red numbers.

“I had a rough start on the final day, but I am proud of the way I managed to stay in the moment and turn things around,” said Van Ettinger.

“I had three three-putts in the first six holes, and I was two over, but I managed to get myself back to level through nine holes. The greens were lightning fast, and if you hit it in the wrong spots, you were most likely to walk off with a bogey.

“On the back nine I just tried to keep the ball in play and the putts started dropping. It means a lot to me to win this, because I’ve been working really hard with my coach on especially my putting, and it paid off here at Sun City.”

His second visit to the winner’s circle boosted Van Ettinger to third in the GolfRSA U-15 Junior Rankings.

SUN CITY U-15 CHALLENGE TOP 10
140 Schalk van Ettinger 70 70
144 Leonard Swart 73 71
148 Thomas Lyon 74 74
149 Alexander Frankel 76 73
149 Arman Patel 73 76; Dandre Karstens 73 76
150 Jude Samuels 74 76
151 Jordan Botha 76 75
152 Leon de Jager 78 74
152 Liam Thompson 72 80

WATCH: Celebrating Sun City champions Schalk & Aiden

In the U-13 Division, it was 12-year-old Aiden Combrinck from Ekurhuleni who rose to the challenge and celebrated a runaway victory at the iconic Gary Player Country Club.

Having grabbed a share of the first-round lead with an opening one-over-par 73, Combrinck kept a cool head under pressure over the final 18 holes.

Showing maturity beyond his years, the Serengeti junior was able to offset a trio of bogeys with a pair of birdies and he secured his first national title with another round of 73, finishing 11 shots clear of runner-up Yieke Ajulu.

“My strategy for the Gary Player was just to play my own game. Hit it in the fairway, hit the green and try box the putt,” Combrink said. “Some of the holes, like 12, 14, 17 and 18 played really tough and if you miss the fairway here you are in trouble.

“It means a lot to me to win this. All the hard work that I’ve put in…getting up early to go to gym, practicing every morning in the dark. It’s finally paid off and it makes me very proud of myself. I couldn’t be happier.”

SUN CITY U-13 CHALLENGE TOP 10
146 Aiden Combrinck 73 73
157 Yieke Ajulu 79 78
158 Lwazi Sikhonde 77 81
159 Dominik Boddington 77 82
160 Hendre de Klerk 79 81; Luke Jacobs 80 80
162 Nico Grove 81 81; Jacques Olivier 73 89
163 Arthur Vorraber Lawson 82 81
164 Josh Moolman 81 83; Revann Botha 82 82