Claaassen records his best round so far

JG Claassen's 74 was the best round by a South African in the championship so farA two over par 74 in the third round of the NEC Master of the Amateurs Championship played at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club, in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday, was South Africa’s JG Claassens’ best round of the tournament.

The eighteen year old from Orkney Golf Club in the North West Province recorded a 54 hole total of 229, thirteen over par, moving up five places on the leader board for a share of twenty ninth place after the penultimate round in the stroke play competition.

He is well off the pace set by twenty one year old South Australian Jordan Sherratt. Despite the gusting winds, which made play difficult, the championship leader recorded the best round of the day, 70, two under par, for a 54 hole total of 210, six under par.

He is two shots clear of fellow Aussie Kieran Pratt (73).

The only other South African in the field is a struggling Leon Knoll. The nineteen Silver Lakes Country Club golfer from Gauteng Norht recorded a third round of 81, nine over par. Despite it being a two shot improvement on the previous round, it was nonetheless disappointing. He drops further down the field to 36th tied with one other player on 237, twenty one over par.

In the international team competition, NEC Master of the Amateurs World Cup, in which two player from the same country compete, Australia cemented their position at the top of the leader board with the best team score of the day, a 141, three under par. Playing for the host nation are the championship leader and Matt Jager who recorded a 71. Their 54 hole total of 427, five under par, put them eight shots clear of the team from the United States (148) and firm favourites to wrest the team trophy from the nine other participating nations.

South Africa recorded another disappointing round, 155, eleven over par, for a 54 hole total of 466, thirty four over par. They remain in sixth place.

The final round is currently under way.

NEC Master of the Amateurs Championship

Venue: Yarra Yarra Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia

Par: 72 (54 holes: 216)

Third Round Leaders :

210 – Jordan Sherratt (AUS) (66,74,70)

212 – Kieran Pratt (AUS) (67,72,73)

214 – Victor Dubuisson (FRA) (72,70,72)

215 – Bud Cauley (USA) (76,65,74)

217 – Geoffrey Drakeford (AUS) (66,76,75), Matt Jager (AUS) (74,72,71), Tarquin MacManus (AUS) (72,73,72)

218 – Ben Campbell (NZL) (78,69,71)

219 – Ryan Fox (NZL) (75,71,73), Jin Jeong (KOR) (69,71,79), Michael Williams (AUS) (71,72,76)

South African players’ scores:

229 – JG Claassen (76,79,74)

237 – Leon Knoll (73,83,81)

NEC Master of the Amateurs World Cup

Par: 144 (54 holes: 432)

Third Round Leaders:

427 – Australia (140,146,141) (Matt Jager (74,72,71); Jordan Sherratt (66,74,70))

435 – United States (149,138,148) (Morgan Hoffmann (73,73,74); Bud Cauley (76,65,74))

439 – New Zealand (150,141,148) (Ryan Fox (75,71,73); Andrew Stewart (75,70,75))

445 – England (155,144,146) (Matt Haines (72,73,75); Tommy Fleetwood (83,71,71))

453 – Europe (148,145,160) (Victor Dubuisson (FRA) (72,70,72), Alexander Kleszcz (POL) (76,75,88)

466 – South Africa (149,162,155) (JG Claassen (76,79,74); Leon Knoll (73,83,81))

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