South African teenager Casey Jarvis became the first golfer to claim all three of his country’s flagship amateur championships when he strolled to victory in the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship over his home course at Glendower.
The 17-year-old won last year’s South African Stroke Play and Amateur titles, and he completed a unique triple crown with a dominant display that left his nearest challengers trailing in his wake.
Jarvis started the final round with a two-shot lead after opening rounds of 71, 65 and 66, and he extended the gap at the top of the leaderboard to eight shots ahead of countryman Yurav Premlall with a closing 65. His 21-under-par winning aggregate shaved seven shots off the championship record set at 14 under by Albert Kruger at Leopard Creek in 2016 and equalled two years later by James du Preez at Glendower.
“I was really proud to win the SA Stroke Play and SA Amateur last year but to be the first to win all three flagship events is massive,†said the new champion. “This was my first goal for the 2021 season. It means the world to me. It’s up there with my best days, that’s for sure.â€
It proved to be a championship to forget for reigning British Amateur champion Joe Long who posted a third-round 74 but then returned to the scoring area to disqualify himself when he realised he had signed for a par at the fifth when in fact he had dropped a shot on that hole.
RESULTS
Colin Callander
