SA team win in Argentina: International Team Competition
Ryan Dreyer and JG Claassen teamed up to win the International Team Competition, a 72 hole stroke play tournament, by three shots from hosts Argentina yesterday. Playing in ideal weather conditions at the Los Lagartos Country Club, just outside Buenos Aires, the South Africans recorded a total score of 567, one under par, the only team to go below regulation.
The International Team Competition, a two man competition in which both players’ scores counted, was played concurrent to the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup, a 72 hole individual stroke play competition, in which eighteen countries participated.
It was JG Claassen’s final round of 67, four under par, that gave the South Africans the winning edge. Dreyer finished on 75, four over par, giving the team a final round of 142, par.
Host Argentina started the final round on the same team score as the South Africans, however they could only muster a team score of 145 and thus dropped down the leader board finishing second.
18 year old Orkney Golf Club amateur, JG Claassen, was in fine form. He recorded four birdies and one bogey going out, in his final round, and came home with another three birdies and two bogeys. He went out in 33 and came home in 34.
Ryan Dreyer, on the other hand, struggled through his final round. The 37 year old Killarney Golf Club member started with three bogeys on the first five holes. He recovered a bit, recording two birdies on holes 6 and 8, to turn in 37, one over par. He disappointingly dropped a shot on hole 10, birdied the 12th hole, and then proceeded to record three more bogeys, two of which were on the last two holes, playing the back nine in 38, three over par.
This is the second time South Africa has won the International Team competition in the event’s fourteen year history, having last done so in 1997.
The Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup was won by Emiliano Grillo, of Argentina, in a 72 hole score of 277, seven under par. He was not part of the Argentina team that competed in the International Team Competition.
The best placed South African was young JG Claassen, 279, five under par. He finished alone in 3rd place.
Dreyer, the current Glacier SA Amateur Champion, finished tied in 11th place on a score of 288, four over par.
Next week sees the start of the Argentina Amateur Championship. This commences on Tuesday with a 36 hole stroke play qualifying competition. The leading 64 players on conclusion then qualify to compete in the match play stages. The Amateur Champion is the player who wins the match play.
An added bonus for the players is that they get to play the Buenos Aires Golf Club layout, one of the two venues that will be used for the 2010 World Amateur Team Championships.
Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup
Los Lagartos Country Club (par 71, 72 holes 284)
Final Result: Leaders
277 – Emiliano Grillo (ARG) (67,71,70,69)
278 – Jose Maria Joia (POR) (67,70,74,67)
279 – JG Claassen (RSA) (74,67,71,67)
282 – Salem Patricio (PERU) (68,70,75,69)
285 – Romain Wattel (FRA) (68,72,76,69), Elias Bertheussen (NOR) (70,72,72,71), Tomas Cocha (ARG) (70,70,74,71), Armando Zarlenga (ARG) (68,71,72,74)
286 – Bryden Macpherson (AUS) (69,73,73,71)
287 – Martin Kim (73,76,72,66)
288 – Juan Francisco Sarasti (ESP) (70,73,76,69), Carlos Pigem (ESP) (67,74,77,70), Ryan Dreyer (RSA) (70,72,71,75), Santiago Bauni (ARG) (71,69,72,76)
International Team Competition
(par 142, 72 holes 568)
Final Results:
567 – South Africa (144,139,142,142)
570 – Argentina (138,141,146,145)
573 – Peru (140,145,148,140)
575 – Portugal (139,147,148,141)
576 – Spain (137,147,153,139)
577 – France (143,140,153,141)
578 – Norway (141,142,148,147)
581 – Germany (145,144,146,146)
584 – New Zealand (148,149,145,142)
586 – Venezuela (142,151,150,143)
587 – Netherlands (150,145,150,142)
589 – Scotland (150,146,150,143)
599 – Italy (147,147,156,149)
600 – Colombia (147,149,150,154)
607 – Finland (157,156,148,146)
617 – Uruguay (149,159,156,153)
623 – Mexico (154,157,155,157)