Van der Merwe leads Nomads SA Boys

Altin van der Merwe carded an opening two-under-par 69 at Umhlali Country Club to hit the front at the Nomads SA Boys U-19 Championship in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.

The Western Province number one birdied the first and fifth holes, but slipped to one over par after bogeys at the third, eighth and 12th holes.

He rallied with birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th to dip under par and finish one shot clear of fellow Province golfer, Luca Filippi, and German junior, Michael Pfeifer.

Ekurhuleni’s Tristen Strydom and Matt Saulez from Gowrie Farm Golf Club tied for fourth on even-par.

Meanwhile Kyle McClatchie and Dylan Mostert from Ekurhuleni carded 72s to share sixth spot on the first round leaderboard with Hennie du Plessis from Limpopo, Allen Lones from Border, Kenya’s Adel Balala and Western Province pair, Luke Trocado and Hayden Garcia.

South Africa’s top ranked junior, Jovan Rebula, is chasing a hat-trick of Nomads SA Boys titles, but left himself with some work to do after an opening 73.

The 16-year-old Southern Cape amateur is tied for 13th with local favourite, Keagan Thomas, from Zimbali Country Club and Boland’s Herman Loubser, who romped to a six-shot victory in the Nomads SA Boys U-15 Championship in January.

FIRST ROUND SCORES (Top 20)

69 – Altin van der Merwe (69)

70 – Luca Filippi (70), Michael Pfeifer (GER) (70)

71 – Matt Saulez (71), Tristen Strydom (71)

72 – Kyle McClatchie (72), Luke Trocado (72), Dylan Mostert (72), Hayden Garcia (72), Allan Lones (72), Hendrik du Plessis (72), Adel Balala (KEN) (72)

73 – Keagan Thomas (73), Herman Loubser (73), Jovan Rebula (73)

74 – Ryan Dantu (74), Keelan van Wyk (74), Chris van Tonder (74), Marco Steyn(MH) (74), Franco Froneman (74), Gregory Mckay (74)

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