Jordan Duminy was pushed to the last hole, but prevailed in his semi-final clash to advance to meet Wilco Nienaber in the final of the South African Amateur at King David Mowbray.
Duminy saw off Ireland’s Caolon Rafferty in a tense battle on Thursday afternoon as Nienaber, who bagged the Gauteng North Open title earlier in the year, waited to see who would join him for Friday morning’s showpiece tee-time.
Nienaber was fast out of the blocks against defending champion Deon Germishuys in an all-South African final, roaring to a four-up lead. Germishuys, playing out of Strand GC, was handed the early lead after his opponent’s bogey on the second, before the Free State teen rattled off five birdies in his next six holes.
To his credit, Germishuys held his nerve and worked his way back into the contest over the next four holes with two birdies to reduce the margin.
A birdie on 16 gave the defending champion a hint of a way back in, but Nienaber responded with a birdie 2 on the 17th before closing out a 1-up win with a par on the last in difficult windy conditions.
That victory puts SA’s top-ranked amateur within touching distance of the famed trophy, with Duminy now his final hurdle.
The Pinnacle Point 16-year-old will need to find an extra gear as his match against Ireland’s Rafferty featured considerably fewer birdies.
Both players made just three gains, as neither player could find enough to open up a significant advantage.
All square through 13, it was the visitor who went 1-up with a birdie on the par-5 14th, but was back level after Duminy showed his class with a birdie on the tough 15th hole.
A par on the last was enough to send Duminy into the final.
