Top SA Golfers Struggle in Amatuer Championship

Playing in perfect weather conditions did not help any of the fourteen South African Amateur golfers make an impression on the leader board after the first round of the Amateur Championship being played over both the Royal Lytham and St Annes and St Annes Old Links Golf Clubs in England. The championship attracts 288 of the world’s top amateurs, half play Royal Lytham and the other St Annes, for the first round.

At Royal Lytham, David Horsey fired a 64, seven under par, to take the outright lead in this prestigious championship. On the same course, the leading South African was seven shots adrift, Wynand Dingle, on 71, level par. Dingle is placed 94th overall.

While at St Annes Old Links Golf Club, David Corsby fired a 65, also seven under par, for a share of the lead. The leading South African was PH McIntyre on 69, three under par. Two shots adrift of him were Tyrone Ferreira and Prinavin Nelson, on 71, one under par. McIntyre is placed 41st overall while the other two are lying 94th in the championship.

For the second and final round of the stroke play, which is played tomorrow (Tuesday), players who played Royal Lytham take on St Annes and visa versa. The 288 players are playing for a spot in the Match Play which commences on the 20th June 2007 at Royal Lytham and St Annes. The leading 64 players and ties, on conclusion of the second round go through.

Only four South Africans appear to have a realistic chance of advancing to the Match Play. They are McIntyre, Ferreira and Nelson, who all play at Royal Lytham tomorrow, and Dingle who takes on the shorter St Annes Old Links. They will all have to go well under par in their second round to secure a spot for the next stage of the championship.

SA Amateur Champion, Louis de Jager, played Royal Lytham today, shot a 75, three over par, is currently lying 202nd overall. He really has his work cut out for him tomorrow if he is to participate in the Match Play.

The overall positions of the South African players on conclusion of the first round are as follows (the course played is in brackets): 41T – 69 PH Mcintyre (St Annes); 94T – 71 Wynand Dingle (Royal Lytham); Tyrone Ferreira (St Annes); Prinavin Nelson (St Annes); 126T – 72 Chris Erasmus (St Annes); Alpheus Kelapile (St Annes); 178T – 74 Louis Moolman (St Annes); 202T – 75 Louis de Jager (Royal Lytham), Ruan Botha (Royal Lytham), Nicol van Wyk (St Annes), Louis Calitz (Royal Lytham); 248T- 77 Chris Durnian (Royal Lytham); 257T – 78 Reginald Adams (St Annes), JC Nel (Royal Lytham) 282T – 82 Nico van Rensburg (Royal Lytham)

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