Krugerpark cruise to lead at Ernie’s Champs
Percy Hawken, Declan Brews and Johanco Welgemoed from Krugerpark Primary School combined for an opening 241 to open up a yawning gap on the field at the sixth Ernie Els Primary Schools Championship in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
Hawken fired a 76 at Port Shepstone Golf Club to lead the team, while Brews returned an 80 and Welgemoed clocked in with an 85 to help secure a 10 shot lead.
The Limpopo team has a comfortable cushion, but they can expect to come under fire from second-placed De Villiers Graaff Primary in the final round.
Alric Rooi carded an 83 and Francois Theron and Danny Wattrus signed for a pair of 84s to secure second place on 251. With the De Villiers Graaff Golf Academy High School team in the lead at SA High School Championship in East London, the young guns will throw everything at Limpopo on Friday to try and secure double victories for De Villiers Graaff.
Meanwhile an 81 from John-William Blomerus, an 82 from Kiera Floyd and 91 from Dylan Miller lifted Curro Serengeti into third place at 254. The side leads by one shot from Hennopspark Primary and is three strokes clear of 2015 champions Durbanville Primary School.
Hawken from Krugerpark tops the individual standings and the Kameeldoring golfer will sleep on a four shot lead over his team-mate Brews.
Blomerus, Max Orgovanvi from Durbanville Primary, Hennopspark’s Nico Booyens and Herman du Plessis from Fairland Primary are five off the pace in joint third. Floyd from Curro Serengeti – the only rose among the thorns in this year’s championship – sits alone in fourth on 82.
After action in the first round wrapped up, this year’s competitors were treated to a golf development clinic, which was hosted Ernie Els business development manager, Nico van Rensburg.
The former international professional, who came through the junior ranks with Els, also shared some of the four-time Major Champion’s secrets to success with the country’s rising stars.
ROUND ONE TEAM STANDINGS – TOP FIVE
241 Laerskool Krugerpark Percy Hawken 76 Declan Brews 80 Johanco Welgemoed 85
251 Laerskool De Villiers Graaff Alric Rooi 83 Francois Theron 84 Danny Wattrus 84
254 Curro Serengeti John-William Blomerus 81 Kiera Floyd 82 Dylan Miller 91
255 Laerskool Hennopspark Nico Booyens 81 Franco Bester 84 Juan-Paul Oosthuizen 90
257 Durbanville Primary School Max Orgovanvi 81 Travis Procter 86 Heinrich Haasbroek 90
ROUND ONE INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – TOP 20
76 Percy Hawken
80 Declan Brews
81 John-William Blomerus; Max Orgovanvi; Nico Booyens; Herman du Plessis
82 Kiera Floyd
83 Alric Rooi; Dylan Melville
84 Francois Theron; Danny Wattrus; Franco Bester; Tiaan Diedericks
85 Nicholas Phipps; George Delport; Johanco Welgemoed; Retief Hoffman
86 Conrad Loubser; Johan Greyling; Jordan Wessels; Ruben Groenewald; Liam Morton; Travis Procter
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association.