Tristen shares SA lead

Cream of country’s top amateurs and leading Scottish players battling it out at Silver Lakes

IN A FIELD of South African golf ’s most talented teenagers, the handful of over 40-year-olds who decided to try qualifying for this week’s Sanlam SA Amateur Championship at Silver Lakes Country Club felt like Senior Tour campaigners.

But they did bring a unique perspective to a national championship featuring the cream of the next generation of South African golf talent.

The 36-hole stroke play qualifying was completed yesterday, with South African No1 Tristen Strydom going through comfortably and signalling his intent to win one of the most prestigious titles in South African amateur golf with rounds of 72 and 66 for an impressive two-round total of six under par 138.

That put on top of the leaderboard alongside Greig Marchbank from Scotland, with Johan Germishuys from De Zalze and Daniel Young, another Scot, one shot further back on 139.

Five players – Johan Rossiter, Matt Saulez, Tom Watson and Kyle McClatchie all of South Africa and Ewen Ferguson from Scotland were bracketed on 140.

The top 64 players in the stroke play progress to the all-imortnat match play, which starts with 32 matches today.

But as the youngsters prepare for the business end of this tournament, 45-year-old farmer Roedu du Plessis was one of those who climbed in his car and headed for home.

And in his case, back to his farm in the Free State.

“This was my first attempt at the Sanlam SA Amateur, and I’m glad I gave it a shot,” said the scratch golfer.

“I’m really only a weekend golfer, but I always wanted to have a bash at playing in the Sanlam SA Amateur.”

While he cannot match them in skill, Du Plessis does feel the experience of an over 40-year-old golfer is worth something.

And while he may be more than twice most of their ages, he was the one asking them to speed up play. “They take a very long time and could benefit from playing faster. They think way too much about every shot. They look at a putt from every single angle instead of just getting on with it. And they need more patience in their games. Just because you’ve started with two bogeys doesn’t mean the round is over for you,” he said.

Henk Geldenhuys, another 45year-old from George and also a scratch golfer, says he was astounded by the high standard of golf. “It’s my second time playing in the SA Amateur, and the talent here is unbelievable. I also find the youngsters fearless. They take on every single shot, where us older golfers tend to be a bit more careful.

“But they need to have more patience with their games. As older players we’ve learnt to be patient in this game. You can’t force anything. But overall I found the younger players have great talent and very good etiquette as well.”