The South African junior quartet competing in the 8th Albatross International Golf Championship India arrived home on Sunday boasting top 10 finishes in the two team events, as well as three top 10 places in the Individual Competitions at the Classic Golf and Country Club near New Delhi.
Gauteng’s Kajal Mistry finished overall fifth and Casandra Hall from Ekurhuleni took eighth in the Girls 15-17 years Category, while Carl Mwale and Alkin Barkley – both members of the South African Golf Development Board (SADGB) Gauteng chapter – finished fifth and joint 14th in their respective categories.
The 16-year-old Mistry carded rounds of 72, 86, 77 and 73 at the Ridge Valley Course for a total of 236. She finished 16 shots behind the winner Amrita Anand from India. Hall, 17, finished on 242 with rounds of 72, 79, 81 and 82.
The pair combined for 478 to take seventh in the Girls AB Team Competition.
Mwale finished on 236, six shots shy of the winner, Saurav Rahti from India. The 14-year-old from CMR Golf Club carded rounds of 72, 74, 79 and 81. Barkley from Ruimsig Country Club registered rounds of 72, 84, 77 and 81 to grab a share of joint 14th at 242.
‘The juniors really flew the South African flag with pride,’ said Womens Golf South Africa president Karen Olivant. ‘They were fantastic ambassadors for the country and, even when things were not going their way, they remained positive.
‘They never lost sight of the bigger picture, which is learn from this international campaign and to gain experience and really made the most of all the opportunities afforded to them. We are all really proud of Alkin, who had to compete in the largest category in terms of entrants. He did incredibly well to hold his own against the cream of Indian junior golf and other international competitors to finish in the top 15.
‘This extraordinary experience was made even more memorable when the juniors visited the incredible Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most significant landmark in India. I am certain they will rate this trip as a huge highlight in their careers for a very long time.’
Over in Argentina, though, Kyle McClatchie and Aubrey Beckley’s good run in South America grinded to a halt on Friday.
Following a top five finish in the Team Competition at the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup, McClatchie and Beckley competed in the 121st FiberCorp Argentine Amateur Championship.
McClatchie won the 36-hole Stroke Play Qualifier, while Beckley grabbed a share of fifth at the Stays Golf Club. However, McClatchie lost 3 & 2 to Alex Gleeson from Ireland in the first round and Beckley was beaten at the 20th hole by Bravo Gaston from Argentina.
Herek Machado de Oliveira defeated local favourite Andres Schonbaum 2-up on Sunday to become only the second Brazilian to win the prestigious championship after Maria Conzalez, who lifted the title in 1940 and 1944.
By Lali Stander
