Bezuidenthout delivers at Glacier Junior Series
In October last year, Delmas golfer Christiaan Bezuidenhout watched fellow amateur Matthew Bright lift the 2011 Glacier Junior Series Final trophy at Pecanwood Country Club and win the chance to compete at the prestigious Orange Bowl Junior Invitational.
Having narrowly lost to the Final to Bright at the second hole of a sudden-death playoff, the 17-year-old Bezuidenhout vowed on the spot to win a tournament on the popular junior golf series this year to book his return the Final.
True to his word, Bezuidenhout wrapped up his qualification when he won the fourth tournament in this year’s Glacier Junior Series at Woodhill Country Club on January 15.
The Waterkloof High student fired a blistering four-under-par 68 to finish one clear of Gauteng North’s Ruan Conradie in the tournament hosted by PGA of South Africa chief executive officer, Ivano Ficalbi.
“I was absolutely gutted when Matthew beat me in the playoff last year,” said Bezuidenhout.
“I had a lot of good results in the Glacier Junior Series last year, including three other top five finishes and second place after I lost in another play-off. I just managed to squeeze into the final when I won the Thomas Aiken tournament, the last one of the year. I played brilliantly at Pecanwood and to lose was just painful. But Matt also played some fantastic golf and he thoroughly deserved the honour.”
Bezuidenhout, who underlined his intentions with a third place finish at the Hettie Els Tournament at Kempton Park a week earlier, was thrilled that he managed to qualify so early this year.
“It sure takes a lot of pressure off,” he said. “Now I can tee it up in the other Glacier Junior Series tournaments in Gauteng without stressing about the Final. I can use the time to further my game, to gain experience and to prepare to go all the way to the winner’s circle at this year’s Final.
Bezuidenhout said the Sanlam by Glacier Series is not just about getting into the Final.
“The Glacier Junior Series is such a great initiative to develop golf in this country. It’s supported by some of our top golfers like Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen and a lot of the decision makers in the industry. These guys know that the only way you truly improve your game is through competition and that’s why this series is so popular.”
The Gauteng East golfer, a plus two handicap, said that the A-Division draws the best junior golfers in the game.
“For seven, eight months the Glacier Junior Series gives us a truly competitive stage to play on and compete for one of the biggest prizes in junior golf. But high handicappers and even beginners are also given the chance to compete in the B and C Divisions. I think it’s fantastic.”
Each tournament in 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.
Although only the A-Division winners of all the regional tournaments qualify for the grand prize - an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the prestigious Orange Bowl Junior Invitational in Florida – the series attracts hundreds of higher handicapped golfers who compete in the B- and C-Division.
“Take little Ezra Wowor from Central Gauteng, who won the C-Division. He plays off a 20 handicap. There are not a lot of opportunities for guys like him to compete in proper 18-hole tournaments, like we do, and for the kind of prizes they win. It definitely lifts the game to the next level to compete like this,” said Bezuidenhout.
The next event on the 2012 Glacier Junior Series calendar will be played at Ebotse Golf Estate in Benoni on 12 February and will be hosted by golf commentator and motivational speaker, Dave Usendorff, a former top amateur and professional.
IVANO FICALBI TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Woodhill Country Club, 15 January 2012)
A-Division (1-6 Handicap)
1. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 68 gross
2. Ruan Conradie 69 gross
3. Keegan de Lange 71 gross (on count out)
B-Division (7-18 Handicap)
1. Hein Dreyer 79 gross (on count out)
2. Darrow Thomas 79 gross
3. Luke Brown 81 gross (on count out)
C-Division (19-36 Handicap)
1. Ezra Wowor 38 points
2. Mercedez Kreissel 36 points
3. Alexander van der Merwe 34 points (on count out)