Mossel Bay Golf Club is famous for two reasons.  It is the course where a young Louis Oosthuizen once shot an amazing round of 57 and it is also a course where one can see the sea from each one of the 18 holes.  This past weekend the Mossel Bay Golf Club hosted the Louis Oosthuizen Junior Club Championships.  This is the first time that this tournament has been hosted in the Southern Cape.  This officially sanctioned National Tournament sees the top two clubs in each province qualifying to play, with a team of 4 juniors playing strokeplay over 3 days (54 holes).  The best 3 scores count towards the team total each day.  As one would expect for an event of this magnitude, many of South Africa’s top junior golfers were present and representing their clubs.  Louis Oosthuizen sent a voice message to the players wishing them well and encouraging them to enjoy both the event and the wonderful golf course.

Many of the KeNako students are handicapped at Kingswood as their home course and as a result Kingswood Golf Estate easily qualified as the leading Southern Cape junior club team.  The tournament clashed with the end of the Rundle College school term, which meant that some KeNako students were not available for selection since they were flying home for the week long spring vacation.  Some KeNako students are handicapped at their home courses in other centres which disqualified them from playing for Kingswood.  2 KeNako students Alan Lones and Nicolas Maritz, represented their home clubs.  Alan, who is handicapped at East London Golf Club, scored 72, 76 and 69 for a one over total of 217 to finish as the top East London Golf Club player; whilst Nicolas, who plays out of Fancourt, scored 78, 72 and 74 to be the best Fancourt player.  Nicolas only joined the KeNako Academy program at the beginning of this year and this was Nicolas’ best ever tournament result.

The Kingswood Team comprised Cameron Moralee, Jabulane Mabilane, Eric Park and Julien Sale, all KeNako students.  They played exceptionally well to finish in second place in this prestigious tournament, with all four boys counting on at least one of the days.  They finished with a combined score of 2 over par 650 for the 3 days, an outstanding effort.  Cameron shot rounds of 68, 73 and 71  for a 4 under par total of 212 to finish as the top KeNako and Kingswood player.  Jabulane enjoyed a career best result, improving each day with rounds of 74, 72 and 69 for a total of 215 and one under par for his 54 holes.  Well played Jabulane!  Julien had rounds of 74, 76 and 73 while Eric had rounds of 77, 76 and a disappointing final round of 82.

Modderfontein from Johannesburg were the defending champions and congratulations are due to them on retaining the title.  Nonetheless it was a fine result by the Kingswood and KeNako team.  This is the first time that KeNako students have played in the Louis Oosthuizen Junior Club Championships.  Individual honours where taken by David Meyers – one of South Africa’s hottest young golfers at the moment.