Mistry and Son conquer in Western Province
The ongoing rivalry between South Africa’s top ranked Kajal Mistry and Woo Ju Son ensued in an exciting battle at the Western Province Women’s Amateur Championship this week. In a fitting outcome, both juniors collected some hard-earned silverware.
Son, ranked second Womens Golf South Africa junior standings, was a clear favourite ahead of the event.
Having already collected a trio of victories on the junior circuit, including a successful title defence in the Curro SA Juniors International at Durbanville Golf Club earlier this month, the 15-year-old Country Club Johannesburg golfer lived up to her star billing and opened with a three-under-par 69 to set the first round target.
GolfRSA Elite Squad member Mistry – who holds the number one spot on the senior and junior rankings – carded a 72 to slip into second while South Africa’s number two ranked senior Zethu Myeki finished a further stroke back in third.
In the final round, Son stretched her advantage with four successive birdies but immediately cancelled two of her gains with bogeys at the fifth and sixth holes.
She double bogeyed the 11th and dropped further shots at 12, 13 and 14, but four straight pars down the home stretch steadied the ship. A final round 75 was good enough to edge out Mistry for a one stroke victory on even-par 144.
Having bagged her first victory on the senior circuit, Son packed her trophy and headed home.
Sixteen-year-old Mistry birdied the second hole, but spoiled her chances of catching Son with a triple bogey at the par four third. She racked up more bogeys at five, eight and 10, but rallied with a trio of birdies over the last five holes for a 73.
Myeki from Border closed with a 78 to tie for third with Ethel Ruthenberg from Southern Cape, who fired an even-par 72 to record the lowest round.
Determined not to leave empty-handed, Mistry shifted into high gear on Monday when the Match Play stage got underway.
The first round saw the top eight available players from the Stroke Play competition battle it out for top honours in the Championship Division. Mistry eliminated Vicki Traut 4 &, local favourite Katia Shaff defeated Bianca Wernich from Boland 1-up, Crystal Beukes from Boland took down Ruthenberg 6 & 5 and 15-year-old Kaiyuree Moodley from Gauteng scored a huge scalp when she downed Myeki 1-up.
On Tuesday morning, Mistry knocked out Shaff 2 & 1 and Beukes eliminated Moodley at the 20th hole to reach the final.
A few hours later, Shaff defeated Moodley 1-up to clinch third and fourth place decider, while Mistry and Beukes went toe-to-toe in a tight contest for the Western Province Women’s Amateur Match Play title.
In the end, Mistry prevailed 1-up and followed Son into the winner’s circle at Rondebosch – also celebrating her first senior circuit success of the season.
STROKE PLAY – CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION FINAL RESULT (top 10)
144 Woo-Ju Son (Country Club Johannesburg) 69 75
145 Kajal Mistry (Randpark Golf Club) 72 73
151 Ethel Ruthenberg (Kingswood Golf Estate) 79 72; Zethu Myeki (East London Golf Club) 73 78
152 Bianca Wernich (Stellenbosch Golf Club) 77 75
154 Katia Shaff (Clovelly Country Club) 75 79
155 Chloe Royston (Cotswold Downs) 74 81; Crystal Beukes (Stellenbosch Golf Club) 75 80; Kaiyuree Moodley (Bryanston Country Club) 80 75
157 Vicki Traut (Erinvale Golf Club) 82 75; Tara Griebenow (Bellville Golf Club) 79 78
MATCH PLAY – CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION FINAL RESULT
Final Round
Kajal Mistry beat Crystal Beukes 1Up;
Katia Shaff beat Kaiyuree Moodley 1Up;
Round 2
Kajal Mistry beat Katia Shaff 2 & 1;
Crystal Beukes beat Kaiyuree Moodley 1 up on 20th Hole;
Round 1
Kajal Mistry beat Vicki Traut 4 & 3;
Katia Shaff beat Bianca Wernich 1Up;
Crystal Beukes beat Ethel Ruthenberg 6 & 5;
Kaiyuree Moodley beat Zethu Myeki 1Up;
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of Golf RSA, a SAGA and WGSA Not-For-Profit company.