Telfer & Rebula triumph at Curro World Junior
Top South African juniors Jovan Rebula and Kaleigh Telfer lived up to the star billing as tournament favourites when they both claimed victories at the Curro SA Junior International on the West Coast.
Telfer clinched the Girls Division with a two shot victory from Bianca Theron, while reigning Nomads SA Boys U-17 champion Rebula defeated Altin van der Merwe by one shot for the Boys Division title at Langebaan Country Estate
Ivanna Samu from Gauteng took the early lead with an opening 72 and held a two shot cushion on Carrie Park from Gauteng North and fellow Gauteng golfer, Shawnelle de Lange.
Telfer lagged seven shots off the pace after an opening 79, but rallied with a 69 in the second round.
The 10-shot swing vaulted the Bryanston golfer into the lead and handed her a three shot advantage over Park, who returned a 77 and edged into second ahead of Australian Jessica Lasky.
In the final round, Telfer picked up two birdies, a bogey and double bogey for a 73, taking her 54-hole winning total to five-over-par 221.
Theron from Boland, who aced the 140 meter par-three 16th in the second round, carded a 74 to edge out Park for the runner-up spot at seven over 223.
Meanwhile Western Province’s Van der Merwe, a finalist at the recent Sanlam SA Amateur Championship, blistered the course in 67 strokes to open up a four shot lead on Peter Bohbro from Denmark.
Like Telfer, Rebula was well back in eighth place after an opening 73.
However, Van der Merwe was forced to share the drivers’ seat with Rebula after he signed for a second round 72 while the 16-year-old George golfer took advantage of the windless conditions to reel in eight birdies on his way to a superb 66 and a 36-hole total of five-under-par 139.
While the co-leaders will partner with SA number one and three, Kyle McClatchie and Hennie du Plessis, in South Africa’s title defence at the All-Africa Junior Golf Championship in Zambia in just a few weeks, it was every man for himself in Thursday’s final round.
Van der Merwe cancelled three bogeys with an equal number of birdies, but a double bogey at the par-three 16th put the brakes on his run.
Ironically, Rebula dropped two shots at the same hole, but he had one less bogey on his card and his closing 73 took him on the podium with a winning score of four-under-par 212.