Western Province Boys well placed in India
The Windies might still be struggling to come to terms with the pitch in Kanpur, but South Africa’s Altin van der Merwe and Tristin Galant are definitely gaining the measure of the greens at the Jaypee Greens Golf Club in Delhi.
Van der Merwe from Bellville will start the final round just two shots off the pace in the Boys U-18 Division of the 5th Albatross International Junior Golf Championship in India, while Galant is fifth on the Boys U-13 leaderboard.
In-form Van der Merwe, who recently won the Durbanville Open and ranks second on the Western Province Golf Union’s Order of Merit, embarked for India straight after the South African Open Championship qualifying round.
The 17-year-old Bellville golfer took little time to adjust to the pace, rhythm, heat and humidity in Greater Noida and carded an opening 74 to finish within striking distance of Indian pacesetter, Natchapol Srinoon, The Western Province golfer took his tally to 147 with a second round 73 to close the gap to just two shots on the local favourite.
Meanwhile Nomads SA Boys U-13 champion Galant opened with a 77 in his first international appearance but the 11-year-old from Belhar lost a little footing with a second round 80.
Galant is still well placed at 157, trailing by just five shots from joint leaders, Aadil Bedi and Harshjeet Singh Sethi.
Cara Gorlei from Milnerton Golf Club also improved on her opening 79 with a 77 to climb to fifth at the 36-hole mark, while compatriot Bianca Theron from Boland remedied her opening 80 with a second round 72.
The 13-shot swing vaulted the country’s number one ranked junior to sixth place, just one behind Gorlei, but the South African pair are still well off the mark set by the Girls U-18 Division leader, Jiwon Jeon, who tops the leaderboard at 141.