Daniel Bennett shattered three South African golfing records as he marched to a wire-to-wire 21-stroke victory in the Nomads SA Boys U19 Stroke Play Championship at Pecanwood Golf and Country Estate on Wednesday.
Thirty-six years since Mark McNulty won the Royal Swazi Sun Classic with a 72-hole tournament record of 29 under par, Bennett penned his name in the history books as the new record holder with a 34-under-par 254 victory.
Moreover, the GolfRSA National Squad member’s victory over Milnerton’s Matthew Lotz was a new winning margin record, one better than the 20-stroke record set by reigning Amateur champion Aldrich Potgieter at Royal Cape Golf Club just 12 months ago.
“It’s something special for me to win this way,” said the beaming champion. “As soon as I teed off on the first day, I never looked back.
“There are some great names on this trophy, like Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Dylan Frittelli, Thriston Lawrence and Jayden Schaper. I’m thrilled that I get to add my name to the list. If I can continue playing some good golf, hopefully I can reach the levels they have reached in the game.”
Bennett came into the week on the back of his Cobra/Puma Northern Amateur Match Play victory and immediately fired a shot across the bows of all the players as he reeled in 10 birdies for a flawless opening round of 10 under par.
The 17-year-old Silver Lakes golfer was even more clinical in his second trip around the Jack Nicklaus signature course. He fired nine birdies and eagled the par-five 10th for a 36-hole total of 21-under-par 128, beating the previous record set by Hennie Otto in the 2010 Vodacom Championship at Pretoria Country Club by three shots.
Bennett dropped his first – and only shot – of the tournament in the third round, but immediately expunged the solitary bogey at the par-four 4th with a birdie on the 5th and racked up four more and he was the man to catch as a round of 68 gave him a 13-stroke lead on 25 under.
With Albert Kruger’s record 30-under-par 258 in the 2002 Eastern Gauteng Open at ERPM Golf Club in his sights, the Gauteng North junior was relentless, and it took him only 10 holes to match the magic number.
He fired three birdies on the trot from the first and racked up further gains on the 5th, 7th and 10th holes. Further birdies on 12, 15 and 16, for a final round 63, saw him put an exclamation mark behind a feat unmatched in South African golfing history.
✅ 21-under 128 – new SA 36-hole record
✅ 34-under 254 – new SA 72-hole record
✅ 21 stroke win – new SA winning margin record
And just 1️⃣ bogey in 72 holes 🎯#impressive from @GolfRSA squad member Dan Bennett – the 2023 #nomadssaboysu19 Stroke Play champion at @PecanwoodGolf pic.twitter.com/GBK7eNFNYX— GolfRSA (@GolfRSA) March 29, 2023
The new record may have been set in an amateur event, but Bennett was delighted to learn that he matched the PGA Tour record of Cameron Smith, who outduelled Jon Rahm to win the 2022 PGA Tournament of Champions on 34-under 258 at the par-73 Plantation Course at Hawaii.
“Wow, Cameron is such big name and to know that I matched his record, it pretty amazing,” said an elated Bennett. “It feels really cool to match someone of that calibre.”
Even before the match play victory at Country Club Johannesburg, Bennett had shown signs of a player whose form was trending in the right direction with a seventh-place finish in the African Amateur Stroke Play at Leopard Creek, a top 10 in the SA Stroke Play Championship and a quarter-final spot in the SA Amateur Championship.
“I think my game has been heading in the right direction,” he added. “I changed my grip just before I went to the Northern Amateur and this week, just before the tournament teed off, I changed my putter. I am really happy with the changes I made because I can now see the results.
“I’ve been working really hard with my coach Nico van Rensburg at Silver Lakes; just grinding and working hard every week. So, this win is very special. This is a satisfying win for me.”
Bennett will be looking to carry the winning form into the Match Play Championship, which tees off on Thursday.
So, too will runner-up Lotz, who signed for rounds of 70, 67, 71 and 67.
GolfRSA National Squad member Dylan Kayne from Pearl Valley Golf Club and Pecanwood’s Luc Gavagnin, who shared third on 10 under par, will also be among the 30 players will contest the Match Play Championship over the next three days.
