Golfers do SA proud at Youth Olympics
SOUTH Africa’s 17-year-old junior pair, Kaiyuree Moodley and Cole Stevens, teed off on a high note in the golf competition at the 2018 Youth Olympics under way in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bryanston, Sandton, golfer Moodley opened with a seven-over-par 77, finishing in the top 15, while Stevens, from Parkview, Joburg, grabbed a share of 20th on Tuesday.
Moodley started yesterday’s second round in a tie for 15th alongside Spanish golfer Blanca Fernandez Garcia-Poggio and Juliana Hung from New Zealand. Moodley said the course was different to anything she has played at home.
“The whole experience since we arrived here in Argentina has been phenomenal. I really enjoyed the first day. The girls I played with were great and it was nice meeting new people. I hope I can draw on what I’ve learnt in the first round to get closer to the leader in round two,” she said.
“It was a tough first day with six bogeys and a double at 17, but I was so pleased with the 25-footer I sank on the seventh for birdie. It’s a short par-3 and it was playing about 140 yards downwind. I hit a 9-iron with a slight draw and it pitched and rolled towards the back of the green. It felt incredibly good to box the putt, my longest on the day.”
Each national Olympic committee could enter a team of two athletes (one male and one female), with a total of 64 juniors competing in the boys and girls strokeplay competitions, which will be decided over 54 holes.
Thereafter, the countries will compete in the teams competition from Saturday to Monday.
Stevens turned three-over after bogeys at one, four and nine, tied for 20th with Ryou Hisatsune from Japan on five-over.
The pair will start the second round six strokes adrift of American Akshay Bhatia, Vanchai Luangnitikul from Thailand and Andrea Romano from Italy, who share the top spot in the boys competition. |