Claassen wins SA Amateur Stroke Play Championship

JG Claassen exceeded his own expectations in winning the 72 South African Stroke Play Championship which was decided at Pearl Valley Golf Estates today.

“I came here with the goal of finishing in the top ten,” said an elated 17 year old North West Province amateur golfer who plays his golf at Orkney Golf Club. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet, I cannot believe it,” a rather bemused looking junior player said after his round. He fired a final round of 71, one under par, to finish with a 72 hole total of 287, also one under par, two shots clear of the field.

It was an intriguing final round. Yubin Jung, also 17 years of age and playing out of Wanderers Golf Club in Johannesburg, started the round on level par, as did Claassen. Jung played very steadily turning two under, made up of two birdies and rest regulation golf. He enjoyed a one stroke lead over Claassen at this point.

Claassen bogeyed hole 11 while Jung birdied the same hole. The Central Gauteng golfer was starting to look very comfortable three shots clear of his playing partner.

But things changed rapidly. Claassen birdied the next hole to pull one back. On hole 13 Jung hit a five iron to the green, attacking the flag. His ball spun back into the water. He dropped out only to hit his next shot into the same water hazard. He walked off the green with an 8, three over par for the hole. Claassen seized the moment, recorded a birdie on the par 5 hole to enjoy a four shot swing and put him two shots clear of Jung.

“I really felt then that I had a chance to win this event,” is how Claassen explained his thoughts as he walked off the 13th green.

Jung birdied 14 but dropped a shot on the next hole while Claassen played regulation golf.

With a two shot lead, JG Claassen pulled his drive into the trees on the left on hole 16. He was forced to chip out and ended dropping a shot on the hole to see his lead reduced to one shot.

“On 17 I hit a 3 iron and a wedge to the safe side of the green, it was at that point that I knew the course really had no more that could bite me,” he laughed. He was referring to the finishing holes of the beautifully manicured Jack Nicklaus designed golf course that tested the professionals during the South African Open Championship last year.

On the final hole, Claassen played it in regulation while Jung dropped a shot to finish two shots back.

Jung had a final round of 73 and a 72 hole total of 289, one over par.

The player that did a lot of the front running in the earlier rounds, Westlake Golf Club member from Western Province, Aaron Russell carded a 71 to finish with a 72 hole total of 289 for a share of second place.

Technically the Western Province player edged ahead, on a count out conducted by the South African Golf Association, of Jung to take the silver medal and Jung got the bronze. The count out was done on the best final round score.

The best round of the day went to 19 year old Ruan de Smidt. He fired a five under par 67 which was made up of four birdies, an eagle and one drop shot.
“I really hit the ball nicely today, hitting the ball close to the flag on all the holes I got birdies on,” said the Krugersdorp Golf Club player with a broad smile. He ended up 14th tie on 299, eleven over par.

Final Round Scores
Pearl Valley Golf Estates (Par 72; 72 holes 288)
(South African unless stated otherwise)

287 – JG Claassen 72 75 69 71
289 – Aaron Russell 70 73 75 71 Yubin Jung 71 75 70 73
292 – Robbie Oosthuizen 73 74 74 71 Michael Palmer 73 74 73 72
295 – Alexandre Kaleka (FRA) 76 75 73 71
296 – Johan Bekker 78 74 73 71 Adrian Ford 77 75 72 72 Leon Knoll 74 77 76 69
297 – Mark Fensham 76 79 70 72 Le Riche Ehlers 71 78 70 78
298 – Derik Ferreira 72 73 78 75 Ryan Dreyer 78 78 71 71
299 – Dean O’Riley 84 74 69 72 Ruan de Smidt 79 84 69 67
300 – Steven Ferreira 75 78 71 76 Nicol van Wyk 77 79 70 74
301 – Jake Redman 74 79 75 73 Daniel Greene 77 76 73 75 Coenie Bester 78 80 67 76
302 – Herman Minnie 85 75 69 73
303 – Bryn Flanagan 75 78 74 76 Jacques van Tonder 79 73 80 71
304 – Norman Raad 76 72 77 79 Coenie Stoop 76 80 74 74 Christiaan van der Merwe 75 79 73 77 Karl Ochse 78 76 76 74
305 – Erik van Rooyen 78 82 72 73 Drikus van der Walt 79 78 74 74 David Antonelli (FRA) 76 84 71 74
306 – Jayce Aldrich 84 76 74 72 Riekus Nortje 75 79 76 76 Ruan Bornman 80 84 69 73
307 – Chris Erasmus 82 82 70 73 Trevor Mahoney 85 76 71 75
308 – EJ Viljoen 81 82 71 74 Steve Swanepoel 80 79 75 74 Gregg Upton 79 81 70 78 Taymen Erasmus 86 70 79 73
309 – Divan du Piesanie 81 80 76 72 Andre de Decker 83 77 73 76 Stephen Holder 83 80 73 73 Trevor Muggeridge 82 80 75 72
310 – Ryan Strauss 78 81 72 79
311 – Steven Williams 82 80 76 73 Reghard Neethling 85 78 70 78 Desne van der Bergh 76 81 76 78
312 – Justin Turner 79 79 74 80 Pieter Moolman 83 81 71 77 Ruan Oberholster 83 78 77 74
313 – Heinrich Erasmus 82 79 79 73
314 – Ryan Clarke 80 84 73 77 Dean Burmester 76 88 77 73 Wehmeyer Ferreira 75 88 74 77
315 – Darren van Zyl 85 79 71 80 Ryan Ciapparelli 80 80 82 73
317 – David Gerhardi 83 79 76 79
318 – Rowan du Preez 83 79 77 79 Dawie van Wyk 81 79 84 74
319 – Nicholas Mitchell 88 76 73 82 Christo Roos 78 81 79 81 Mark Lipman 79 81 75 84 Andre van Zyl 81 82 75 81 JJ Senekal 78 85 78 78
320 – Hugo Delport 79 83 79 79 Jared Harvey 81 81 76 82
324 – David McMinn 79 83 85 77 Ivan Williams 77 85 81 81

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