2026 Strand Open

The Strand Open unfolded under classic coastal conditions. The opening holes were played in a beautiful, cool summer morning – calm, inviting, and deceptively gentle – before the wind made its presence known. As the round progressed, gusts swept across the course, demanding sharper decision-making and turning an already testing layout into a far sterner examination as the championship reached its climax.

Men’s Division – After an opening round that saw the leaderboard tightly packed, Cole Cruickshank (Royal Cape) laid down a marker with a composed 71 in Round 1, placing himself firmly among the contenders. Fresh off a victory the previous weekend at Durbanville Golf Club, Cruickshank arrived with momentum – and carried it seamlessly into this championship. When the pressure intensified in the final round and the wind began to bite, he showed remarkable control, backing up his opening effort with another flawless 71 in Round 2 to claim the Strand Open title outright on 142 (-2). The win completed back-to-back victories, underlining a player in outstanding form and total command of his game.

Behind him, the drama was relentless. Ian Jacobs (Stellenbosch) rebounded emphatically from a 77 in Round 1, firing a scintillating 68 in the final round – the lowest score of the tournament – to surge into a share of second place on 145 (+1). Joining him were Mitch Phigeland (Atlantic Beach), whose consistency across 73-72 kept him firmly in the hunt, Christian Basson (Atlantic Beach) (71-74) who remained in contention until late, and Evan Marais (Clovelly), who set the early pace with a superb 70 in Round 1 before battling valiantly with a 75 in Round 2 as conditions toughened to finish tied for second. With just three shots separating first from fifth, the men’s championship became a true test of nerve – and Cruickshank never blinked.

Women’s Division –  The women’s title was shaped early, as Zayaan Hendricks (Atlantic Beach) produced a commanding 75 in Round 1, taking advantage of the calmer conditions to establish herself at the top of the leaderboard. As the wind strengthened in the final round, her resolve was tested, but her 82 in Round 2 was enough to hold off the challenge and secure victory on 157 (+13). Pushing her all the way was Zoey Rhoda (King David Mowbray) , whose consistency stood out across both days. Matching rounds of 80 and 80 kept her firmly in contention, and she closed the championship in second place on 160 (+16) after applying steady pressure throughout the demanding final round. Adding intrigue to the title race was Chloé Utterson (Steenberg) , who opened with a strong 77 in Round 1 and spent much of Round 2 dancing around the top of the leaderboard. As conditions toughened, her aggressive approach kept the outcome uncertain deep into the round before an 84 ultimately saw her edged back from the summit.