Lombard clinches first win in Junior Series
Ten days shy of his 17th birthday, Pretoria golfer Zander Lombard received a cracking birthday present which he gift-wrapped and delivered himself.
Lombard won the first 2012 Glacier Junior Series tournament hosted by Dale Hayes at Mowbray Golf Club in the Western Cape on Sunday, 8 January to book his spot in the Final of the popular series for a third successive year.
The plus four-handicapper fired a 72 to claim the A-Division from local junior Carlo O’Reilly by one shot.
Lombard said there was something special about tasting victory in his first start.
“I decided to get an early start this year and I have to say there is something special about winning in your first try,” said the delighted 16-year-old. “I won once in the first series two years ago and last year I was a double winner.
“It was great to win at the coast. The conditions are very different to what I’m used to and it’s great to know that I could adapt and win. It also takes a lot of pressure off knowing that your spot in the Series Final is secured.
“I’ll still play in the events in Gauteng, but knowing you’re through to the Final puts you in a different mindset. Now everything will be in preparation for the Final.”
Glacier by Sanlam launched the Glacier Junior Series in 2010 to grow the competitive platform for junior golfers.
Each event on the Glacier Junior Series is a stand-alone 18-hole stroke play tournament, with three divisions (A, B and C) according to handicap and is open to all Junior Golfers in South Africa who have an official SAGA affiliated handicap and the winner of each regional event qualifies for the national final later this year. The champion wins an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the prestigious Orange Bowl Junior Invitational in Florida.
In addition, the names of all the juniors playing in this year’s series will go into a draw for four juniors to win an all-expenses paid trip to the Sanlam Cancer Challenge Final at Sun City.
South Africa’s major winners Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen immediately joined the series as tournament hosts and this year the three stars have once again joined a host of top South African professionals and golf industry leaders, each sponsoring one of 25 one-day regional junior tournaments countrywide.
Els, one of the biggest supporters of South African junior golf and host of the Ernie Els Tournament at Oubaai Golf Club on 11 March, said this series is one of the greatest initiatives to grow junior golf.
“The best way for junior golfers to improve is by playing in a competitive environment. I’m really proud to be part of this series and it’s good to know that our junior golf will really be in a healthy state.”
Schwartzel, whose event will be played at Maccauvlei on 15 April, agrees.
“I played a lot of amateur and junior golf and I know how important it is to regularly play in an competitive environment,” he said. “This series offers that opportunity to the top juniors, but more importantly, it also gives the higher handicap golfers a chance to gain that experience by competing against each other in the B- and C-Divisions. It’s truly a great initiative from Sanlam by Glacier.”
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, will host his event at Mossel Bay Golf Club on 28 August. “There are a lot of golfers and industry leaders supporting this series and I think it’s important that our junior golfers know we are watching them and want them to do well and climb through the ranks like we did,” he said.
Glacier by Sanlam CEO Anton Raath is delighted with the high profile support and growth of this series over the last two years.
“We are absolutely thrilled with how well the series has been supported by our top professionals and industry leaders, as well as the junior golfers competing in the series,” he said.
“We trust that the 2012 edition of the Glacier Junior Series will be just as well received.”
James Kingston, Thomas Aiken, Richard Sterne, Jean Hugo, two-time Major winner Sally Little, golf course architect Peter Matkovich, PGA of South Africa CEO Ivano Ficalbi, Sunshine Tour Chief executive Selwyn Nathan, the Compleat Golfer and The Golf School of Excellence as well as Els’ mother Hettie Els are just some of the other top professionals and industry leaders who have thrown their support behind the 2012 Glacier Junior Series.
DALE HAYES TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Mowbray Golf Club, 8 January 2012)
A-Division (1-6 Handicap)
1. Zander Lombard - 72 gross
2. Carl O'Reilly - 73 gross (on count out)
3. Mujahid Agherdien - 73 gross
Best Nett - Andre Loots 72
B-Division (7-18 Handicap)
1. Paul Salonen - 78 gross (handicap 9)
2. Tristan Galant - 79 gross (handicap 14)
3.Kyle Jansen - 82 gross (handicap 7)
Best Nett - Nathan Botha 67 (handicap 18)
C-Division (19-36 Handicap)
1. Andrew Inngs - 37 pts (HCP 32)
2. Jack Cloete - 33 pts (HCP 23)
3. Connor Greenwood - 32 pts (HCP 25)