Setback for Juniors in Japan

The South African Junior amateur team were down to three men after Andre De Decker was disqualified in the third round of the Toyota World Junior Team Championships, being played at Chuyko Golf Club over the Ishino course outside the town of Nagoya in Japan.

To score well in this 72 hole team competition, in which there are four players to a team and the best three scores count for each round, all players in a team must record scores otherwise it can be a severe disadvantage, and it proved for South Africa today.

The South Africans recorded a third round total of 219, six over par, nineteen shots behind best team score today and their worst team score in the three rounds. This gives them a 54 hole aggregate of 644, five over par, twenty seven shots off the lead and dropping down to 11th place, one position worse than yesterday, on the overall team leader board.

“Unfortunately De Decker was disqualified today,” said Ann Rycraft, South African Junior Golf Foundation President and team manager. “Fortunately the competition rules determine that the disqualification applies to the 3rd round only so he can participate in the final round tomorrow,” she concluded in a telephone interview from Japan. De Decker is, as consequence of his disqualification, out of the individual competition.

Team captain Dylan Frittelli has been a pillar of strength for the team, recording a level par 71 today. He is the only player in the team to have recorded level par as his worst round in three. The other two South African scores today were 72, one over par, for Leon-Brink Knoll and 76, five over par, for JG Claasen.

In the individual competition, Ben Cauley, of the United States, continues to dominate the top of the leader board, for the third day running, he recorded a 67 today giving him a 54 hole total of 202, eleven under par, two shots clear of the next player.

Best round of the day and the competition so far went to Elias Bertheussen of Norway, a 65, six under par.

Frittelli is currently tied 12th on the individual leader board with a 54 hole total of 211, two under par.

Scores:
Team Competition (par 213 – 3 scores to count)

Third Round Scores
618 – Norway (213,205,200)
625 – England (212,202,211)
627 – Korea (214,210,203), Australia (213,209,205), Sweden (206,211,210)
628 – United States (211,209,208)
631 – Argentina (207,215,209), Denmark (207,210,214)
639 – Japan (214,207,218)
642 – India (213,218,211)
644 – South Africa (214,211,219)
645 – New Zealand (211,216,218)
655 – Colombia (216,224,215)
666 – Mexico (223,221,222)
668 – Guatemala (223,226,219)
681 – Kenya (234,222,225)

Individual Competition: Maruyama Cup (par 71)

Third Round Scores
202 – Bud Cauley (US) (68,67,67)
204 – Elias Bertheussen (NOR) (71,68,65)
206 – Daniel Nisbet (AUS) (70,70,66), Anders Kristiansen (NOR) (69,69,68)

South African Scores (overall position in brackets)
211 – Dylan Frittelli (70,70,71) (12T)
218 – Leon-Brink Knoll (72,74,72) (42T)
227 – JG Claasen (78,73,76) (54T)

DQ – Andre De Decker (72,68,DQ)