MOSSEL BAY GOLF NEWS - Local favourite Casey Jarvis gave the Ekurhuleni golf fans plenty to cheer about as he moved into the outright lead at Glendower Golf Club on day two of the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship yesterday, Tuesday 9 February.
Defending champion and last week’s SA Stroke Play champion Martin Vorster of Mossel Bay is in a tie for sixth place with Altin van der Mewe and Simon du Plooy.
Jarvis, the reigning SA Amateur champion was composure personified as he bettered his opening round 71 with a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead yesterday.
The 17-year-old has struggled to find the form that won him the rare SA Amateur double last year and netted him the Freddie Tait Cup as the leading amateur in the SA Open in December.
Wayward drives and iron shots and a cold putter highlight his title defence at Randpark, but the tenacious Jarvis scrambled unbelievably well to tie for fourth and he is turning things around here at Glendower.
“I found something in my golf swing during the practice round. I hit the ball incredibly well in the first round, but I just made nothing. Today I hit it even closer, and the putts began to drop,” Jarvis explained.
Reigning SA Amateur champion Casey Jarvis fired a seven-under-par 65 to open up a one-shot lead.
Jarvis gained momentum early with an eagle on his third hole of the day – the par-5 13th.
Nipping at his heels are fellow GolfRSA National Squad members Kieron van Wyk, Kyle de Beer and Christiaan Burke.
Ruimsig’s Van Wyk, who shot 67 in the final round at Randpark last week to seal a runner-up finish in the SA Stroke Play Championship, is back in the title hunt.
The South African Golf Development Board graduate racked up eight birdies for a six-under 66 and card was marred by a single soft bogey on his 10th hole.
De Beer turned in three-under with birdies on 10, 11 and 15 and he overturned a bogey on the second with his fourth gain on the sixth.
North West golfer Christiaan Burke made five birdies on the bounce down the home stretch to finish on five-under.
The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation member had another drop on the par-4 seventh, but an eagle on the par-5 eighth got De Beer back to four-under for the day. The Port Elizabeth golfer signed for 68 and sole third on six-under.
After some hiccups on his outward nine, Burke steadied the ship with five birdies on the bounce from the 11th. A birdie finish for 66 left the Potchefstroom golfer three off the pace in fourth.
GolfRSA National Squad member Kieron van Wyk is in the title hunt for a second successive week.
Meanwhile reigning Amateur Champion Joe Long described his day as “really sloppy”.
The Englishman said the lengthy break since his last competitive starts in December shows, and he is still struggling to adjust to the altitude change.
Port Elizabeth’s Kyle de Beer moved within two shots of the lead with a second round. Photos: Ernest Blignault / GolfRSA
LEADING SCORES (top 20)
- 136 Casey Jarvis 71 65
- 137 Kieron van Wyk 71 66
- 138 Kyle de Beer 70 68
- 139 Christiaan Burke 73 66
- 140 Judd Sundelson 70 70
- 141 Zandre Labuschagne 72 69; Yurav Premlall 72 69; Joseph Long ENG 70 71
- 142 Simon du Plooy 72 70; Martin Vorster 70 72; Altin van der Merwe 70 72
- 143 Jonathan Broomhead 72 71; Daniel Nduva 72 71; Constantin Unger GER 71 72; Slade Pickering 70 73
- 144 Christopher Dyer ENG 75 69; Jean de Wouter d’oplinter BEL 75 69; Adel Balala KEN 71 73; Zachary Chegwidden ENG 70 74; Francois van der Walt 69 75.
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