Report by COLIN FARQUHARSON Scottish amateur champion Michael Stewart finished third in the Gauteng North Open amateur golf championship after leading at halfway in the 72-hole tournament at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club, north of Johannesburg.
The Troon Welbeck man, pictured, shot rounds of 69, 66, 70 and 72 for an 11-under-par total of 277. He was overtaken over the third and fourth rounds by two South Africans, Jaco Mouton and Danie Van Tonder.
Mouton scored 68, 70, 71 and 65, coming home in 31 in the last round to Stewart's 34), to win with a 14-under-par total of 274, one shot ahead of Van Tonder (70-69-70-66).
A third South African, Armandt Scholtz, took over the third-round lead from Stewart with a 68 to Stewart's 70 to lead the Scot with a 54-hole total of 204 to Stewart's 205 with 18 holes to go.
Scholtz blew up with 43 shots to the turn in his final round, finishing with a 77 for 281 and fifth place but Stewart could not hold the strong-finishing Mouton and Van Tonder at bay over the final round and his closing outward half of 38 to Mouton's 34 and Van Tonder's 33 opened the door for the South African pair to finish first and second.
Final positions apart, Stewart's 11-under-par total over a Jack Nicklaus-designed course which is rated one of the best in South Africa was a credit to the young man from Ayrshire. Same applies to Law and Findlay who were four-under-par for the 72 holes.
David Law (Hazlehead) and Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) tied for 11th place on four-under 284. Law scored 69, 70, 73 and 72, Findlay 73, 64, 73 and 74. Findlay's second round was the lowest of the tournament.
Other placings by the Scottish Golf Union squad who are in South Africa for an eight-week spell were: Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 291 (T29), Philip McLean (Peterhead) 296 (T44), Paul Shields (Kirkhill) and Scott Gibson (Southerness) 298 (T48) and James White (Lundin) 301 (T55).
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) missed the halfway cut, Kellett by one shot with rounds of 75 and 76 for 151, Nicol by two with 75 and 77.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
(Players from S Africa unless stated)
274 Jaco Mouton 68 70 71 65.
275 Danie Van Tonder 70 69 70 66.
277 Michael Stewart (Sco) 69 66 70 72.
278 Brandon Stone 69 71 67 71.
281 Armandt Scholtz 69 67 68 77.
Other Scottish totals:
284 David Law 69 70 73 72, Jordan Findlay 73 64 73 74 (T11).
291 Greg Paterson 72 76 70 74 (T29).
296 Philip McLean 75 71 75 75 (T44).
298 Paul Shields 73 74 79 72, Scott Gibson 72 72 78 76 (T48).
301 James White 75 75 74 79 (T55).
MISSED THE CUT (150 or better qualified)
151 Ross Kellett 75 76.
152 Kris Nicol 75 77.
No comments:
Post a Comment