Son strikes early at Nomads SA Girls

24 June 2018 – South Africa’s leading junior Woo-Ju Son was in a class of her own as she made a roaring start in her title defence at the Nomads SA Girls Championship at Orkney Golf Club on Monday.

Twelve months ago, the 17-year-old Country Club Johannesburg golfer claimed one of the most sought-after titles on the local junior circuit with a runaway seven stroke victory.

Her reward was a spot in the starting line-up of the prestigious Duke of York Young Champions at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, but before Son left for Britain, she boosted her silverware haul for 2017 to eight with another triumph the Southern Cape Open.

Trophies have proven elusive in 2018, but after seven top five finishes this season, Son is starting to show signs of the form that saw her dominate the circuit last year.

The pintsized Gauteng golfer reeled in three birdies on the bounce from the second hole, had another brace of gains at nine and 10 to cancel a lone bogey at eight and left her nearest competitors trailing in her wake with a final birdie at 17 for a five-under-par 67.

Former Nomads SA Girls Rose Bowl champion Kaiyuree Moodley got the closest to Son’s clubhouse target when she posted a one-under 71 that featured an eagle at par five 17th.

Kiera Floyd from Ekurhuleni and Western Province’s Jordan Rothman – fresh from top five finishes in the Himbara World Junior Golf Championships in Indonesia – both carded 73s.

The pair tied for third with Samantha Whateley from Gauteng and Espirito Trophy-bound Caitlyn Macnab from Ekurhuleni.

Catherine Lau from Gauteng North, another former Nomads SA Girls Rose Bowl winner, finished a further stroke back, while Simone Henriques from Gauteng, Mpumalanga’s Nicola Schoeman and Kaylah Williams from Western Province rounded out the top 10 on three over.

Port Shepstone junior Simone Ferreira set the pace in the B-Division.

The KwaZulu-Natal golfer fired birdies at 16 and 18 for a 10-over 82 to finish one shot clear of Cameron Seboa from Western Province and Luca Mhlabane from Mpumalanga.

Western Province’s Isabella Crafford, making her debut in the biggest junior event of the season, shot an impressive 88 to finish in fourth, one shot clear of four players tied for fifth, including Lene Kruger from Limpopo, Free State junior Ellandri van Heerden, Western Province’s Jordan India Pillay and Lelanie Weber from Mpumalanga.

Click HERE for the A-Division Scores
Click HERE for the B-Division Scores

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of GolfRSA.