Golf the Biggest Champion at 2024 All Africa Junior Teams

28 April 2024 – South Africa’s rich legacy at the All Africa Junior Teams Championships continued when both the boys and girls defended their respective titles in April, but golf was the biggest champion in the junior African flagship event at Benoni Country Club.

The 17th edition was a groundbreaking one for the African continent with a record number of 16 nations participating in the battle for gold. In all, 15 boys teams and 11 girls sides took part in one of the most anticipated events on the amateur golf calendar.

The South African boys team cruised to the title – their 17th in a row – thanks to a consolidated team effort across the four days.

Team South Africa ended as the runaway leaders on 22 under par and, as the only nation to finish under par, showed just how good the upcoming talent in the country is. It was an impressive display from Charl Barnard, Pearce Lewin, Dylan Kayne and Janko van der Merwe, which was capped off with a team score of seven under par in the closing round.

Not to be outdone, the South African girls side reeled in their eighth title in a row and remain unbeaten since the Girls Competition was added in 2017. Matching their male counterparts shot for shot, Zané Kleynhans, Gia Raad and Kesha Louw were also the only combination to end the campaign in red figures after ending on six under par.

In the Individual Competitions it was a South Africa one, two and three for the SA Boys and one, two and four for the Girls.

Barnard claimed top spot thanks to an impressive score of eight under par across the four rounds. The Gauteng North junior closed his tournament in style to take the victory with a 68 in the final round. Teammates Lewin five-under) and Kayne (four-under) were next in line while Janko van der Merwe (two-over) ended in solo fifth as the home nation flexed their strength.

Kleynhans took the Girls crown after posting a brilliant total of four under for her week’s effort. Raad finished second on level par, while Louw ended in fourth on 15 over, having produced a good round of 75 on the last day.

It was more than enough to showcase what lies ahead for the budding amateurs in the country.

By virtue of their success, both South African sides have now gained an invite to the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup later in the year where they will test their games against the very best from around the globe.

Kudos to the Zimbabwe’s Boys team, who finished second on +20 and who were on track to finish well under par in the final round before a late slip saw their team score finish at level for the day. Keegan Shutt also finished a credible fourth in the individual competition with a tournament score of one over par.

The Kenyan and Moroccan Girls teams were embroiled in a closely-fought tussle for second place. In the end, Chanelle Mwangi, Miriam Masiya and Audrey Gachora pulled it through for Kenya, finishing three shots clear on 37-over.

“We are incredibly proud of our teams, and their individual performances throughout the week,” said GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn. “There was a lot of pressure on them with GolfRSA hosting the event, but they punched well above their weight. We were pleased with the attitudes of the team. They pulled together nicely. While they all had exceptional moments, it was how they bounced back that was truly impressive.

“This championship fulfils a very important role in golf development in the continent and, taking nothing away from the South African teams, we were so impressed by the visiting nations and the standard of golf they produced. The amount of talent on the rise was hugely encouraging and it was an honour as hosts to see them embrace this opportunity to gain experience. We are excited to see how they kick on.”