17th September – After the high winds and rain from the previous day, players participating in the DURBANVILLE Junior Championship were greeted with totally benign weather conditions. Although wet underfoot, greens running at double digits, this was a day to score well.

Form and self-confidence go hand in hand. Therefore, it was no surprise to see players that have tasted recent success perform particularly well.

Local member Josh Daniels started well with 3 birdies on the first 8 holes followed by a few bogeys, but a decisive eagle 3 at the par 5 15th saw him edge ahead of the field. In the end a fine gross 70 saw Josh add another junior to his 2023 season.

During July Josh captured the Somerset West Junior Championship title and was runner up in the WP Junior Boys Matchplay Championship.

Rounding off the top 4 at Durbanville was Oliver Scriven (Pearl Valley) on 71, with Jaydon Galant (KD Mowbray) and Junkai Zhu (Bellville) both recording level par 72s. Jaydon has had success of late – a fine win in the Prentice Memorial Trophy in July as well as capturing the WP Junior Boys Strokeplay title after firing rounds of 67 and 69 around Somerset West Golf Club.

Other notable scores were Andries van der Vyver (Strand) on 73 with twin brother Nicolas, and Divan Linde (Westlake) posting 74s.The 405-meter par 4 16th proved to be the most difficult hole on the day – not giving up a single birdie – but having nearly half the field recording double bogey or worse. Sadly, some good scores were ravaged by this difficult hole.

The B division was comfortably won by local member Juan Smit on a gross 80 with Ithandile Dlutu (Clovelly) and Kaitlyn Rix (Durbanville) finishing with 83s. Toufeeq Abrahams (Kuils River) secured the C division with 25 stableford points.

The Under 13s saw the in-form Luke Jacobs (Royal Cape) the runaway winner on 79 – the highlight being the birdie 4 at the par 5 5th! 8-year-old MC (Max) Fourie (Kuils River) won a tightly contested U13B division on 30 stableford points off his 18 handicap.

The next WP Junior Golf event is the STRAND Junior Championship on Sunday the 24th of September.

The DURBANVILLE Junior Championship was the 11th event in a series of 16 local junior opens, forming part of the “Junior Championship Tour 2023” in which the qualifiers compete in a final in October at Royal Cape Golf Club.

Results (25)DURBANVILLE Junior Championship 2023

Qualifiers thus far for the “Junior Championship Tour Final” are as follows, namely.

1. Divan Linde – Parow Junior Championship
2. Taahir Mallick – Kuils River Junior Championship
3. Henru Walters – KD Mowbray Junior Championship
4. Jack Buchanan – Bellville Junior Championship
5. Jungwi Lee – Rondebosch Junior Championship
6. Josh Daniels – Somerset West Junior Championship
7. Jaydon Galant – Prentice Memorial Trophy
8. Boston Franks – Milnerton Junior Championship
9. Andries van der Vyver – Erinvale Junior Championship
10. Bjorn Nord – Atlantic Beach Junior Championship
11. Junkai Zhu – Durbanville Junior Championship

Report by Peter Little