SA pair cross first hurdle at Argentine Amateur Championship
South Africa’s Jared Harvey and Graham van der Merwe crossed the first hurdle to advance to the second round of the 116th Argentine Amateur Championship on Thursday.
Having rallied to a third place finish in the 16th staging of the international Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup on Sunday, the South African pair easily negotiated the 36-hole qualifier on Tuesday and Wednesday to make the top 64 who will compete for the Amateur Championship title.
Van der Merwe, who squared off against Argentina’s Mariano Guiraldes in the first round of match play, claimed victory at the 18th hole of the San Isidro Golf Club in Buenos Aires.
However, it took reigning SA Amateur champion Jared Harvey 21 holes to dispense of Paul Lockwood of England.
In today’s second round, Harvey takes on one of the local favourites, Martin Soria, while Van der Merwe goes up against Robin Kind of Holland, who partnered compatriot Daniel Huizing to victory in the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup on Sunday.
NOTE:
Considered one of the world’s premiere amateur golf events, the Argentine Amateur Championship is also one the oldest national amateur golf championships. The only amateur championships to supersede the Argentine Amateur Championship in longevity are the British Amateur Championship (1885), Irish Amateur Open Championship (1892), Irish Amateur Closed Championship (1893), U.S. Amateur (1894) and the New Zealand Amateur Championship (1893). Following the 36 holes stroke play qualifier, the leading sixty four players go through to play in the match play stages, which will determine the 2011 champion. The Championship concludes on Sunday, 20 November 2011.