WP Amateur Championships – Westlake Golf Club 24-29 April

Twenty-year old, B.Com marketing student, Nicholaus Frade came from behind to win the WP Amateur Strokeplay Championship.

A thunder and lightning storm reduced play at the Westlake golf Club. Players were forced off the course as Cape Town experienced unusual thunder and lightning activity, which eventually resulted in the abandonment of the fourth round. The third, and final round was completed late in the afternoon.

After a 71 in his first round, Gauteng North’s Frade put himself into contention with a 5-under-par 67, and came from behind with a final round 69 to snatch the win and his first provincial title.

“It was my solid putting in the second round which set me up, the greens were tricky to read in the beginning, but after the second round I was reading them well and managed to hole some good putts”, said Frade.

There were some jitters on the par 4, 18^th when Frade hooked his tee shot into the trees. He reached the greenside bunker with his second shot. A great up and down gave him a solid par and he held onto his two-shot lead.

SA’s number five ranked player, Matt Saulez, the halfway mark leader, opened his third round with a birdie and by the 6^th hole was sitting on 11-under-par.  The break in play seemed to upset his rhythm and a lapse in concentration cost him five shots in as many holes, and slipped out of the lead. An eagle on the par 4 14^th gave him a chance but a further bogey on the par 5, 16^th meant he would have to settle for third position and wait another day for his first major win.

Results:

207 Nicholaus Frade 71 67 69

209 Marco Steyn 70 71 68

210 Matt Saulez 69 67 74; Kyle McClatchie 66 73 71

211 Samuel Simpson 74 69 68; Malcolm Mitchell 72 71 68; Christo (Jnr) Lamprecht 68 70 73

212 Luca Filippi 77 68 67; Christian Basson 69 73 70; Siyanda Mwandla 69 73 70

213 Elton James 72 71 70; Louis Albertse 70 70 73; Gerlou Roux 68 69 76; Caylum Boon 66 72 75

214 Pietie Loubser 71 72 71

215 Hans-Jurie Human 73 68 74

216 Elmo Barnard 75 71 70; Philip Kruse 72 73 71; Deon Germishuys 72 72 72; Andre van Heerden (Jnr) 72 71 73; Steven le Roux 68 75 73

217 Luan Boshoff 77 71 69; Dawid Opperman 75 73 69; Franklin Manchest 74 68 75; Clayton Mansfield 73 72 72; Therion Nel 73 70 74; Burt Gildenhuys 72 73 72; Erhard Lambrechts 72 71 74

218 Theunie Bezuidenhout 73 72 73; James Pennington 72 76 70; Albert Venter 69 76 73

219 Karabo Mokoena 77 72 70; Hennie O’Kennedy 76 70 73; Dean Martin 74 75 70; Kyle de Beer 74 69 76; Hayden Griffiths 73 73 73

220 Keelan Africa 76 72 72; David Mcintyre 72 74 74; Bruce McMullen 71 76 73

221 Dave Watson 78 70 73; Aidan Boon 76 71 74; Keelan van Wyk 75 74 72; Eric Wowor 74 74 73; Aneurin Gounden 72 77 72

222 Adam Botha 77 74 71; Martin Vorster 74 73 75; Keagan Thomas 72 77 73; Tom Watson 71 77 74; Bruce Pritchard 71 77 74

223 Tyron Davidowitz 74 75 74; Darin de Smidt 73 76 74

224 Gregory Mckay 75 73 76; Dan Copeman 75 73 76; Jason Shaun Hale 74 74 76; Luke Pienaar 72 73 79

225 Jordan Burnand 77 74 74; Emilio Pera 76 75 74

226 Angus Ellis-Cole 75 74 77; Philip Taberer 72 79 75

227 Blain Sansom 76 75 76; Liam Cloete 74 75 78

230 Andre Loots 71 75 84

233 Calvin Ferreira 75 75 83