Solid start for SA in Olympic Team’s Event
The South African team are well placed after the first round of the Mixed Gender Team Event at the Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.
Notwithstanding the very wet conditions at the Zhongshan International Golf Club, Kyle McClatchie and Kaleigh Telfer combined for an opening seven-under-par 65 to finish in sixth place.
The South Africans are four shots behind pacesetters, Korea, who set the target at 11-under-par 61.
“Kaleigh and Kyle really dovetailed well and managed to put us in a solid position at the start of the teams event,” said golf code manager, Gavin Reynolds.
“We played with Hong Kong and set off from the 10th tee. They reeled in birdies at the fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth, but Kyle had a four-putt for six and Kaleigh a three-putt for five at the sixth.
“Fortunately, that was their only bogey on their way to the turn. Kyle made a total of eight birdies and Kaleigh nailed some impressive clutch putts for par on the holes where Kyle dropped.”
Reynolds said that the conditions were trying and the team did well to cope.
“We played most of the round in pouring rain and the last five holes in a very strong wind,” he said.
The storm hit just 10 minutes after we finished.”
Organisers were eventually forced to call off play due to the heavy rain and lightning and the final group will return to complete the round on Monday.
“The practice round was also besieged with heavy rain and a storm warning was issued for Monday,” Reynolds said. “As a precaution, in case we needed a shortened day, the organisers decided to swap the Foursomes and Fourballs and it proved to be a good call.
“Unfortunately the forecast calls for more heavy weather on Tuesday. We will tee off in the Foursomes alongside Hong Kong again.”
For the Boys and Girls Competition scores, click HERE
For more on Team SA or the Summer Youth Olympics, please visit:
http://www.sascoc.co.za/category/team-south-africa/youth-olympics/
http://www.nanjing2014.org/en/
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association and Womens Golf South Africa.