BRAUNTON, ENGLAND | It was the bush telegraph – well, its modern equivalent – that alerted Ernie Els to news that his fellow countryman Christiaan Maas had won the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, better known as the Brabazon Trophy, on Sunday. The victory completed back-to-back successes after Maas claimed the Altron Blue Valley event on Els’ own Big Easy professional mini-tour last week.
The 18-year-old’s latest victory arrived in emphatic style on the East Course at Saunton Golf Club, as he carded a final round 3-under-par 68 for a 14-under 270 total that left him five shots clear of England’s Arron Edwards-Hill.
As the admiring Devon gallery followed the Pretoria-based golfer’s progress through the dunes, one of them, a fellow South African, was busy on Whatsapp, contacting Maas’ coach Nico Van Rensburg, who was then, in turn, forwarding the latest information to his close friend, the four-time major winner Els.
“In terms of ball-striking, it was definitely my best.”
Christiaan Maas
It was quickly apparent to all that the young tyro had the bit between his teeth. He’d entered the week as the field’s top-ranked player (31st in the World Amateur Golf Ranking) and started the final round with only two players – Edwards-Hill and defending champion Sam Bairstow – within five shots of him on the leaderboard.
By the time he walked onto the sixth tee, he was five clear of everyone, courtesy of three early birdies and errors from his closest pursuers. Maas gave them the merest sniff of hope with an errant approach to the sixth which failed to hold the green, but promptly drained the putt for yet another par-breaker.
There were a few nerves on the back nine, but he stood firm to close out the victory, becoming the third South African to lift the trophy this century, after Charl Schwartzel in 2002 and Kyle McClatchie five years ago.
The winner of last year’s South African Amateur Championship and a member of the team which claimed the African Amateur Championship earlier this year, Maas rated this international triumph his best yet.
“In terms of ball-striking, it was definitely my best,” he said. “And it was also my first week of golf in the United Kingdom, so I’m pretty excited to have started in style. My win last week came on a straightforward course, so this one feels a real step up, and I think this field was little deeper too.”
After a night of celebration, the South African team heads north to Cruden Bay Golf Club for the Scottish Amateur Championship, where Maas will take aim at a hat trick of wins.
RESULTS
Matt Cooper