Strydom, Boshoff in touch in Scotland
Ekurhuleni juniors Tristen Strydom and Paul Boshoff are within striking distance of the lead after superb performances in the first round of the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in Scotland on Tuesday.
Playing off the Blue Tees, Strydom fired a one-under-par 70 at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club to finish one shot off pacesetter, Gisli Sveinbergsson from Iceland.
The reigning Nomads SA Boys U-19 Stroke Play champion shares second place in the exclusive 54-hole stroke play championship with Italy’s Carlotta Ricolfi, Ewen Fergunson from Scotland and Ren Okazaki from Japan.
Boshoff, meanwhile, toured the 6,279 yard (5,741 meter) layout in 71 strokes.
His even-par effort handed the reigning Nomads SA Boys U-19 Match Play champion a share of sixth with Roos Haarman from the Netherlands, Austria’s Leonie Bettel and Eduardo Carrete from Mexico.
Nomads SA Girls champion Cara Gorlei had loops of 42 and 39 for an 81 that saw the Western Province junior claim a share of 41st in the 54 strong field.
Strydom eagled the par-five second, birdie the fifth and sixth holes and dropped a shot at the par-four ninth to complete the outward loop in three under.
He dropped more shots at the 12th and 14th holes and double bogeyed the 16th, but rallied with back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th to finish the back nine in 37 strokes.
Boshoff turned in even-par after a birdie at the second and bogey at the fifth.
The Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate golfer reversed the damage of bogeys at the 13th and 18th with a pair of birdies at the 15th and 16th to finish level for the round.
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association and Womens Golf South Africa.