Duminy second in Junior Challenge
Mossel Bay’s Jordan Duminy was the runner-up in the inaugural Nedbank Junior Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club last week Wednesday.
Glendower’s Yurav Premlall walked in the footsteps of giants when he held on for a wire-to-wire win on a score of three-underpar.
Premlall, a 17-year-old GolfRSA National Squad member, led by two strokes after the first round and carried a single shot lead into the final round, which soon became a two-horse race between Premlall and nearest challenger Duminy, the 2021 Boland Amateur champion and a fellow member of the national squad. He got off to a fast start and drew level with Premlall after seven holes.
“I was playing really solidly to begin with, hitting fairways and greens and not making too many mistakes,” said Premlall. “Then came the blunder of a three-putt on the seventh hole. It threw the tournament wide open, because Jordy hit it to about three feet and tapped in for a birdie.”
Double bogey
A blocked tee shot on the difficult eighth hole saw Duminy sign for an unfortunate double bogey and Premlall carried a twoshot lead into the closing nine.
Duminy trimmed the gap to one shot again, with a birdie on the par-five 10th, but the Louis Oosthuizen Academy member made costly bogeys on 12 and 13 to hand the advantage back to Premlall. As they reached the closing stretch, Premlall looked to have the tournament sewn up.
“I knew that, with a one-shot lead, pars on the last three holes would give me a great chance at winning,” he said. “I really put a lot of effort into my iron shots and although I didn’t make the putts, it was good enough at the end.”
Maas puts in late charge
Reigning South African Amateur champion Christiaan Maas put in a late charge, firing birdies at the 16th and 17th holes, but his hat-trick birdie attempt on the closing hole rolled past and the GolfRSA No 1-ranked junior finished two back, tied with Duminy in second on one under.
Premlall, who is ranked third in the SAGA Junior Ranking - behind Maas and Duminy - was happy to make amends for his last outing at the Gary Player Country Club layout, where he missed the cut in the South African Open in December.
“To get the win at a golf course like this means so much,” said Premlall. “In the SA Open I hit a couple of loose tee shots and paid the price, so it feels good to get a little bit of sweet revenge on the course.” Premlall not only got to take home the replica of the famous Nedbank Golf Challenge trophy, but the Glendower golfer landed a once-ina-lifetime, behind-the-scenes experience at the next Nedbank Golf Challenge with his victory.
‘I was playing really solidly to begin with, hitting fairways and greens and not making too many mistakes.’