McNab, Stevens in pursuit at Enjoy Jakarta

Caitlyn Mcnab is in hot pursuit after a solid performance at the Ciputra Enjoy Jakarta World Junior Golf Championship in Indonesia while Cole Stevens stayed in touch with the leader on Wednesday.

Ekurhuleni’s Mcnab finished just two off the pace after the first round of the Girls B competition (ages 13-14) at the Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) Course at Damai Inda Golf and although Stevens from Gauteng didn’t have a great day at the office, he remains within striking distance at the 36-hole mark of the Boys B Competition (ages 13-14). Gauteng’s Symone Henriques from Gauteng had a battling start in the Girls A Competition (ages 15-17), but Hilmi Mallick from Western Province made up some ground in round two of the Boys A Competition (ages 15-17).

Mcnab bogeyed both short holes on the back nine – the 12th and 15th – but rallied with birdies at 14 and 16 to turn level par and birdied the first to get to one under.

She overturned a bogey at the fourth with a birdie at the par five sixth to join Arpichaya Yubol from Thailand in a tie for the lead, but a bogey-bogey finish saw the Wanna Be A Champion Academy player slip to second after signing for a one-over-par 73. She finished two behind Yubol.

Stevens followed an opening 77 with an 80 to finish in fourth on 157. The Parkview junior is just five strokes behind pacesetter Dominikus Glenn from Indonesia.

Henriques from Glenvista opened with a 79 to finish 13th and she will start the second round 10 strokes behind the leader Nasa Hataoka from Japan, while Mallick rocketed to a tie for seventh with a much improved 75.

“The weather conditions definitely impacted on Symone, Cole and Hilmi,” said Womens Golf South Africa vice-president Salley Greasley.

“The mercury reached close to 40 degrees Celsius by mid-morning and the humidity was in the nineties. Everyone had bottles of ice water to keep hydrated and wet towels to stay cool, but the heat definitely took its toll.

“Caitlyn played some great golf and was a little unlucky with lip-outs for par at the two par threes. She also finished with thunder and lightning rolling in and bogeyed the two closing holes. After the round, Caitlyn said that she struggled with her nine-iron and wedges and battled to get close to the pins, but her putter saved her many times over in the round.

“Poor Symone had a sandy day. She found bunkers at 11, 13, 14 and 18 on the front nine and again at the fourth and seventh coming home. She turned five over, but did really well to fight her way to 38 on her back nine to finish at seven over. We predicted that the pin positions would be really tough and, like Caitlyn, Symone struggled to get close to the pin. At the ninth hole, Symone’s playing partners lagged a putt to an inch of the hole and it rolled back to her. Anything pass the pin was almost impossible to sink.”

Greasley said Mallick had a much better day, but Stevens was left frustrated.

“Unlike the first round, Hilmi started well and was two under after four holes. Although he dropped three shots and finished with a double bogey at the 18th when he landed in a bunker and thinned it right across into the water, he was happy with his round and said he was starting to find his way around the tricky layout.

“Cole had a poor day with no birdies and, like Symone, the bunkers were his downfall. His putter also went cold and he signed for an 80 to drop down to fourth overall. He was very frustrated after the round, but vowed to redeem himself.”

Greasley said the players dissected their performances and she was delighted with the insight they showed.

“For Caitlyn it’s greens in regulation and for Symone, Cole and Hilmi it’s more fairways in regulation,” she said. “Caitlyn hit only nine greens in regulation to finish one over. The other three have to start finding fairways, because the bunkers cost them a great deal on Wednesday.

“The players are thoroughly enjoying the challenge and they are having a great time making new friends from the large international group playing this year. Being exposed to the traffic and extreme poverty we witness on the way to the course has also opened their eyes to how others live in this world of ours.”

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association and Womens Golf South Africa.

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