SA players well placed to qualify in Argentina

Ryan Dreyer's 71, one under par, was the leading South African after the first round.The two South African amateur golfers, in the field for the 115th Argentine Amateur Championship, Ryan Dreyer and Daniel Hammond, look well placed to qualify for the match play stages after the first round of the thirty six hole qualifying.

The match play starts on Thursday.

Ryan Dreyer carded a one under par 71, over the Highland Park Country Club layout, just outside the capital city of Buenos Aires. He is in sixteenth tied with three other players.

Daniel Hammond recorded a first round score of two over par 74. He is tied in thirty third place.

The top sixty four players, on conclusion of the qualifying go through to the match play.

The qualifying will be decided on Wednesday.

Leading the field is Martin Kim, from the host nation, who dominated last week’s Tailhade Cup, that was until he triple bogeyed the penultimate hole to give up the lead he had held for 53 holes.

Kim recorded an eight under par 64, eight birdies, to take a three stroke lead from fellow country man Manuel Arzuaga.

Dreyer was satisfied with his round, especially as he had to endure wind and rain on the last five holes he played. “I started with a bogey, which was frustrating,” said the thirty eight year old Killarney Country Club member, speaking in a telephonic interview from Argentina. “That was the only blemish on my scorecard. Two birdies on par fives, where I two putted both greens, got me back to one under and held it there during the storm.”

Dreyer went out went out in par 36, made up of a bogey and birdie, and came home in 35 for his round of 71.

Daniel Hammond had a more up and down round, for his 74. Starting on the tenth hole, he went out in three over par 39, made up of two birdies and five bogeys. The Wanderers Golf Club member battled gamely to try and claw his way back on his back nine, where he recorded a one under par 35, with two birdies and a bogey.

115th Argentine Amateur Championship

36 hole Qualifying

Highlands Park Country Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina

(Par: 72)

First Round Results: Leading Scores

64 – Martin Kim (ARG)

67 – Manuel Arzuaga (ARG)

68 – Juan Amaya (COL), Andrew Sullivan (ENG), Thomas Baik (ARG), Federico Torresagasti (ARG)

69 – Miro Veijalainen (FIN), Julian Lerda (ARG), Nicolas Palazzo (ARG), Mariano Rossi (ARG)

70 – Daniel Ocampo (COL), Joaquin Grassi (ARG), Ryan McCarthy (AUS), Mathew Perry (NZL), Martin Lazdin (ARG)

71 – Ary Rodriguez (ARG), Elias Bertheussen (NOR), Ryan Dreyer (RSA), Santiago Bauni (ARG)

Other scores:

74 – Daniel Hammond (RSA)

Posted in