Lara wins KeNako World Juniors, carding seven birdies in the final round
Going into the final round of the KeKako World Juniors, played at Kingswood Golf Estate his week, top SA junior Lara Weinstein was one behind the leader Boland’s Olivia le Roux. Seven birdies later, she lifted the winner’s trophy and also the girls’ team trophy with team member Bianca Theron.
The second KeNako SA Junior Series was played this week – with a field including 35 girls and 80 boys from all parts of the world and South Africa. With live scoring on the WJGS website and in the clubhouse, spectators and parents at home were treated to exciting final rounds with some great scoring.
In the girls’ championship, Potchefstroom’s Mae Cornforth returned the best score on day one with a two-over par 74. In round two Olivia le Roux from Devonvale took the lead with scores of 76 and 75 and went into the final round on +7.
But the experienced Lara Weinstein having carded 78 and 74, was waiting in the wings. Drawn in the second last group, she started the final round with a birdie but immediately dropped at the second hole. She dropped shots again on the sixth and seventh holes but came back with birdies at eight and nine to turn level par. With Olivia dropping shots, Lara, now in her ‘zone’, stepped up the tempo and never looked back . She holed birdies at 11, 12, 15 and 16 and with pars on the final two holes, signed for 68 to win the event on 220 – +4, eight strokes ahead of Olivia le Roux on 228. Kelly Erasmus finished in third place after a good final round of 73.
There were a number of good final rounds from the local girls, notably a 72 from Carrie Park , 76 from 11-year-old Woo-Ju Son and Ji Sun Kang (all representing South Korea) and Bianca Lohbauer from Paarl. Kim Daniels, Magda Krüger and Lauren Sobotker all carded 77.
South Africa’s Lara Weinstein and Bianca Theron won the girls’ team prize, with South Korea’s Carrie Park and Ji Sun Kang runners-up.
The boys’ championship provided the spectators with a great final round. South Africa’s Zander Lombard led the field for the first two rounds, one stroke ahead of Hannes Ronneblad from Sweden.
After the lead had see-sawed a couple of times, Lombard was still one stroke ahead on -5 going to 17. But the Swede’s birdie at 17 almost ensured that a play-off was on the cards. However, on the par three final hole, the South African’s shot landed on the upper-tier, leaving himself a difficult down-hill putt which went three meters past the pin. Ronneblad safely two-putted up the hill for a par and Lombard missed his putt to finish runner-up.
Sweden’s Hannes Ronneblad teamed with Hampus Bergman to win the men’s team prize and South Africa’s Zander Lombard and Haydn Porteus were runners-up.
The best boy’s round of the day was returned by Zander Gous with a great 68.
The Tournament Director was South Africa’s Erica Lefson.