Ferreira hopes to make amends in Argentine Amateur

South Africa’s No.2 ranked amateur golfer, according to the latest SAGA Player Rankings, 19 year old Derik Ferreira, will be looking to make amends when he tees up in the 113th Argentine Amateur Championship which starts today at the Jack Nicklaus designed Nordelta Golf Club, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

The talented and quietly spoken Gauteng North player was disqualified for signing for an incorrect score in the second round of the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup on Sunday. This resulted in the South African team, which included 21 year old Adrian Ford, from Western Province, being no longer eligible for the International Team Competition.

“It was very disappointing,” explained Ferreira, speaking from a private home where he has been staying the last week. “I arrived at the course on Sunday, for the final round, to see that the organisers had recorded by second round score as a 72 on the scoreboard. I immediately went to them and informed them I had a 73. On inspection of my scorecard I discovered that I had signed for a 4 on hole 5 when in fact I had recorded a par 5,” is how the Centurion Country Club member explained the events that led to his disqualification. Consequently he did not tee up in the final round.

93 players will be competing in Argentine Amateur Championship 36 hole qualifying competition. 18 holes will be played today and the second 18 holes tomorrow. Thereafter the leading 64 players will go into a match play format to determine the 2008 Argentine Amateur Champion.

Most of the international players who played in the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup will be teeing up. Clear favourites must be the Dutch players Floris de Vries and Reiner Saxton. The former won the 37th Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup on Sunday and the latter is the current British Amateur Champion.

Adrian Ford, who recently won the Eastern Province Stroke Play by eight shots, will also have a point to prove after the disappointments of the weekend.