The South African Universities team took fourth in the World Universities Golf Championship in France, South Africa’s top ranked Jovan Rebula led the SA pack at the Brabazon Trophy in England and Southern Cape junior Caylum Boon made a great recovery to finish 33rd in Switzerland on Sunday.
South African students Rupert Kaminski, Andrew van der Knaap and Luke Jerling produced rounds of 151, 152, 149 and 149 to secure fourth on 601, while France beat Ireland by six strokes to record a popular home victory in the World Universities Golf Championship at Golf de Planchetorte in Brive-la-Gaillarde.
Oklahoma City University student Kaminski from Gauteng returned rounds of 76, 82, 75 and 72 and Van der Knaap from the University of Pretoria posted rounds of 80, 73, 74 and 78 to tie for 13th on 17 over in the Individual Competition.
Jerling, a post graduate student at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, registered rounds of 79 and successive 77s to finish on 20-over-par.
‘The guys had had high expectations coming into the championship and were obviously disappointed, but they really gave a great account of themselves on a very tight and tough track,’ said the team manager, Emile Steinmann from TuksGolf Club & Academies.
‘They made a good start and stayed within striking distance of the lead through the first three rounds and I have to commend their fighting spirit. None of them really got any momentum going but they just never gave up and they fought for every shot until the last putt dropped.
‘The event was very well organised and it was great to witness the camaraderie between all the competitors. I didn’t attend the last three events, and I was pleased to see how much the championship has grown. The number of countries that competed and the high standard of golf has raised this event to one of the premier stops on the world university circuit.’
Southern Cape’s Jovan Rebula was the highest-placed finisher in the weather-interupted Brabazon Trophy with a tie for 35th.
The 19-year-old Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation player reached the weekend at the London Golf Club with fellow South Africans Albert Venter and Tristen Strydom. Rebula carded rounds of 74, 71, 72 and 74 to finish on three-over-par 291.
Strydom from Ekurhuleni finished joint 40th on four over with rounds of 71, 74, 76 and 71, while Gauteng North’s Venter closed out his campaign in Kent with a joint 56th finish after posting rounds of 76, 69, 72 and 80.
England’s Jamie Bower, who won the Gauteng North Open and Southern Cape Open during a two-month stint in South Africa earlier this season, held off Cameron Davis from Australia to claim the prestigious title by one shot on a winning total of 12-under-par 276.
Meanwhile George junior Caylum Boon finishes at eight-over-par 224 to tie for 33rd in the Swiss International Amateur Championship at the Golf & Country Club Schönenberg near Bern.
Coming off an 11th place finish in the Global Junior Golf Tour’s RB German Junior, the KeNako Academy player powered to his way into a share of the lead on 69, but he slipped out of contention after a second round 81. After two double bogeys early in the final round, the Southern Cape golfer rallied with four birdies at the last five holes to post a 74.
Fellow KeNako Academy member Loris Schupbach from Switzerland tied for 27th on five-over-par 221 with rounds of 71, 76 and 74.
World Universities Golf Championship Results
583 France
589 Ireland
591 Chinese Taipei
601 South Africa
602 Italy
By Lali Stander
Photo credit SAGA
