Myeki gets Spieth, Koepka joint into the leaders at British Open swing of it at SA Amateurs
BORDER’S top ranked amateur golfer Zethu Myeki put in a strong performance to claim a third place finish in the Sanlam South African Women’s Amateur Championship held at Stellenbosch Golf Club earlier this week.
The competition, which ended on Wednesday afternoon, saw Cara Gorlei take the win ahead of Jessica Dreesbeimdieke, while Zethu Myeki then beat Sarah Bouch in the third/fourth place playoff of the matchplay event.
Myeki had lost to Dreesbeimdieke in the semifinals after sailing confidently through her previous rounds.
“I was happy that I came back and beat Sarah in the third place playoff,” said Myeki.
“I didn’t play well in the first few holes (of the semifinal) on Wednesday morning, but I then came back but couldn’t catch Jessica, so to pick myself up and beat Sarah in the afternoon was great.”
In the playoff Myeki defeated fellow GolfRSA national squad player Bouch 3 and 2 for third place. This was after she slipped up in the morning’s semifinal, starting with a double bogey, and handed the lead to the University of Denver student, Dreesbeimdieke, who had took a 4-up lead after the first seven holes.
Myeki won the eighth with a birdie, but it just staved off the inevitable as Dreesbeimdieke parred the 15th to win 4 and 3.
In the Strokeplay seeding round on Sunday, Myeki struggled and finished outside of the top 14, which meant that she had to do it the hard way, playing in the first round of the matchplay, while the top 14 from the Strokeplay took a bye into the second round.
Myeki, however, comfortably dispatched Petrone Rudolph 7 and 6 on Monday morning and then followed that up by beating Gabrielle Venter 1up in the afternoon’s second round to pick up some good momentum.
“I played very well after playing so badly in the strokeplay on Sunday and was really happy with the way I then played in the matchplay,” said Myeki.
“I knew that I could play better than I had, so after winning both my matches on Monday I was confident and back to my best.”
Tuesday’s third round then saw Myeki eliminate Western Province junior Kaylah Williams 3 and 2 to reach the quarterfinals, where she had a much tougher time getting past Lindi Coetzee.
She started the quarterfinal strongly and led 4-up through 12 holes, but then three successive poor holes saw her open the door for Coetzee to come back.
Coetzee, however, didn’t make the most of her chances, which allowed Myeki to go 2-up with a par at 16 and then sealed the 2 and 1 win after the pair halved the 17th hole.
This put her into the semifinal against Dreesbeimdieke, where Myeki came up short.
“There is plenty to work on, but a third place finish is a good result,” said Myeki.
Myeki will next be in action in August when she takes part in the Gauteng Strokeplay champs. JORDAN Spieth produced one of his best major championship efforts and Brooks Koepka underlined his credentials as the American duo both shot first-round 65s to share the British Open clubhouse lead on five under par.
Spieth, the world number three, avoided the grim early-morning weather at Royal Birkdale yesterd as he went out with reigning champion Henrik Stenson and promptly fired a flawless round featuring five birdies and not a single dropped shot.
“I couldn’t have done much better today,” admitted the Texan, even if he agonisingly failed to convert a putt for birdie at 18.
“Everything was strong. I thought I’d give it a nine across the board for everything – tee balls, ball-striking, short game and putting. So things are in check. It’s just about keeping it consistent.”
Winner of both the Masters and US Open in 2015, Spieth had failed to break par in his last five opening rounds at a major before coming to the north-west English coast this week.
He is now hoping to have set himself up to survive what are expected to be gruelling wet and windy conditions today, although plenty other leading players will be thinking likewise.
Koepka, fresh from a month off after winning his first major at the recent US Open, was one-under at the turn before a rollercoaster ride on the way home.
That saw the 27-year-old birdie three holes in a row from the 11th, bogey 16 and then eagle the par-five 17th in sensational fashion as he holed out from a bunker.
A victory for either man this week would end the recent run of seven consecutive majors going to first-time major winners. But plenty potential new champions are putting duo.
Royal Birkdale brought the best out in Ian Poulter as the Englishman fired a three-under-par 67.
It was a fine return to the big stage for Poulter, who had not appeared at a major since the Masters last year and had to settle for a role as a television commentator at the Open 12 months ago while sidelined through injury.
He came through qualifying at his home course Woburn to make it to Birkdale, where he finished runner-up to Padraig Harrington in 2008 in what remains his best performance at a major.
Stenson, looking to become the first man since Harrington nine years ago to retain the Claret Jug, was one under par.
World number one Dustin Johnson and 2014 Open champion Rory McIlroy were starting their rounds later in the day. — AFP pressure on the leading