The Proteas Men and Women scooped both Team Competition titles at the GolfRSA International Amateur Championships, Charl Barnard fired a career-best 63 to top the men’s leaderboard and Bobbi Brown extended her lead in the women’s tournament, all at Royal Johannesburg’s East Course.
Team South Africa Men posted a nine-under 207 to put an exclamation mark behind a 19-shot wire-to-wire triumph. Jordan Burnand led the way with a 67, Astin Arthur kicked in a 68 while Ivan Verster and new cap Dian Kruger both contributed 72s.
The GolfRSA President Men’s Team made up a three-shot deficit and eclipsed Team South Africa Juniors Men for second place. Vuyisani Makama anchored the side with a 67 at his home course, while Devon Valentine and Timothy Daniels chipped in with rounds of 71 and 75.
Team South Africa Juniors placed third on seven-under, Team Scotland was fourth on 10-over and Team Réunion Men brought up the rear on 40-over.
Their women’s side led the Women’s Competition by a shot after the opening round, but the visitors put up little resistance as Team South Africa Women rallied to move 10 shots clear in the second round. Kesha Louw, Lisa Coetzer and Zané Kleynhans kept the pressure up in the final round to cruise to a victory on eight-over 440. Coetzer birdied the 18th for a closing 74, while her partners signed off with rounds of 75.
Barnard will start the final round of the men’s tournament one shot clear of first round leader Arthur, and two ahead of second round pacesetter Octave Bailo from Réunion, who returned a level par round.
Recent Eastern Province Border Women’s Stroke Play champion Brown is still firmly in the driver’s seat after a third round 69. The 20-year-old Western Province golfer is nine-under, and four strokes clear of Olivia Wood (71) from KwaZulu-Natal.
Fifteen-year-old Lourenda Steyn held on the third place with a 74, and is five shots clear of Melliyal Schmitt from Réunion, and six ahead of Team South Africa Women’s Louw.