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With a stellar performance at the South African Open, Jayden Trey Schaper signaled that he is an up-and-coming player to watch.
The 18-year-old South African amateur capped a memorable week by chipping in for a birdie on the 72nd hole at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg, a stroke that propelled him into a tie for sixth place at 13-under par after rounds of 65-67-69-70.
Though Schaper (above) finished eight strokes behind winner Branden Grace, he finished tied with the likes of Englishman Andy Sullivan, a three-time European Tour winner, and outpaced fellow South African Erik van Rooyen, who won on the circuit last year.
Schaper played the first two rounds with Louis Oosthuizen and beat the major winner by two strokes over the first 36 holes.
“It’s just special to be near the top of the leaderboard and having played with one of my idols, Louis Oosthuizen, over the past two days,” Schaper said after the second round.
“Jayden’s got this wonderful ball flight off the tee with a little cut,” said Oosthuizen, the defending champion, who eventually finished second behind Grace. “A lot of the guys hit high draws for more distance but what Jayden has is pure class. We’ll be seeing him right at the top in the future.”
Schaper arrived at the South African Open ranked No. 85 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, thanks in large part to his outstanding junior résumé, which includes a victory last September at the American Junior Golf Association’s Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Staff and Wire Reports