SA quartet primed for Southern Cross

Four of South Africa’s leading amateurs are primed for battle in the Southern Cross Invitational that tees off in Tigre on Thursday.

Tristen Strydom, Jason Smith, Gerlou Roux and Hendrikus Stoop will line up in the prestigious 54-hole international teams event at the Nordelta Golf Club against teams from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Ireland and Portugal.

The par-72 Jack Nicklaus-designed course measures 7,278 yards and is characterised by wide fairways, generous greens and bountiful bunkering, which should suit the South African quartet.

The South Africans will have a few practice rounds after a solid warm-up in last week’s Argentine Stroke Play Championship.

Local hero Nicolas Lezcano claimed a three stroke victory at the Tortugas Country Club on Sunday with a winning total of four-under-par 276 after rounds of 69, 68, 72 and 67.

South Africa’s number one ranked Strydom carded rounds of 71, 69, 71 and 74 to finish alone in 12th on five-over-par 285, while Roux grabbed a share of 15th on seven over 287 with rounds of 69, 75, 70 and 73.

Gauteng North pair Smith and Stoop tied for 30th and 38th respectively.

Smith was well-placed after rounds of 70 and 73, but a third round 82 derailed his campaign. The former SA Stroke Play champion rallied with a final round 74, though, to finish on 19 over 299. Stoop registered rounds of 73, 74, 79 and 78 to sign off on 24-over-par 304.

A large contingent of French and Irish players travelled to South Africa in February to compete in the South African Stroke Play Championship and there were a few familiar faces in the mix at the Argentine Stroke Play, including Ugo Coussard, who became the first French player to lift the prestigious title.

The Frenchman tied for eighth on two-over 282 in the Argentine curtain-raiser alongside world number 20, Gary Hurley from Ireland, another title contender at Port Elizabeth Golf Club.

Argentina will be represented by Matías Simaski, Matías Lezcano, Andrés Schonbaum and Andrew Gallegos.

Lezcano lifted the 30th Youth Championship title, while Gallegos is the reigning Argentine Amateur champion. Simaski was a member of the Argentine team that won the last edition of the Andes Cup, while Schonbaum represented his country in the Guillermo Armas Cup in Uruguay.

Brett Colletta, who claimed a runner-up finish in the individual competition at the 2014 Toyota World Junior World Cup, will lead Australia into battle, while the Irish will also field world number 22 Gavin Moynihan.

Each country will be represented by four players, with the best three scores from each round counting toward the overall team total. All the participants will earn World Amateur Golf Rankings points.

TOP 20 RESULTS
276 (-4) Nicolas Lezcano (ARG) 69 68 72 67
277 (-3) Jarryd Felton (AUS) 68 68 71 70
278 (-2) Jeremy Gandon (FRA) 67 71 75 65
280 (E) Matias Simaski (ARG) 68 72 69 71; Edgar Catherine (FRA) 68 69 69 74
281 (+1) Jack Hume (IRE) 70 70 71 70, Leandro Correa (ARG) 68 70 70 73
282 (+2) Gary Hurley (IRE) 72 71 69 70; Ugo Coussaud (FRA) 69 69 71 73
284 (+4) Mateo Rojas (ARG) 69 69 77 69; Cory Crawford (AUS) 65 72 75 72
285 (+5) Tristen Strydom (RSA) 71 69 71 74
286 (+6) Romain Langasque (FRA) 69 76 70 71; Cameron Davis (AUS) 68 69 74 75
287 (+7) Gerlou Roux (RSA) 69 75 70 73; Brett Coletta (AUS) 71 70 77 69
289 (+9) Jose Chon (ARG) 67 70 79 73; Lisandro Eyherabide (ARG) 68 71 74 76
292 (+12) Miguel Sancholuz (ARG) 72 73 77 70; Julian Fedele (ARG) 70 73 78 71; Eduardo Carbonetti (ARG) 74 70 76 72; John Galbraith (IRE) 71 74 74 73; Luciano Palazzo (ARG) 74 68 74 76

Other South African Results
299 (+19) Jason Smith (RSA) 70 73 82 74
304 (+24) Hendrikus Stoop (RSA) 73 74 79 78

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

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