Dylan Kok
(SAGA Photo)
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (February 22, 2017)
--
On another balmy day at Humewood Golf Club,
unheralded Keaton Slatter and Dylan Kok were a
picture
of mental calmness as they played their way into the
quarterfinal of the Sanlam South African Amateur
Championship on Wednesday.
Slatter from KwaZulu-Natal eliminated reigning
English Amateur champion Dan Brown and former SA
Stroke Play champion Jason Smith to reach the last
eight, while Kok from Gauteng North sent reigning
SA
Stroke Play champion Edgar Catherine packing.
Slatter had some giant butterflies when he
learned
he was facing Brown in the second round.
“I never expected to get past him, because he is
a
top ranked English player and this is my first SA
Amateur,” he admitted. “My parents didn’t think so
either and we joked about it last night. My mom has
back problems and she can’t walk 18 holes, so I said
she should walk the back nine and my dad said: ‘I
think
you meant the first nine holes.’
“After Dan I had to play Jason, who is one of
South
Africa’s top players and I knew it would be another
dog-
fight. We were all square through seven, but when
Jason dropped three shots around the turn and I
went
4-up with a birdie at 11, I had a chance. He birdied
12,
but we halved the next four holes in two pars and
two
birdies and I took the match 3 & 2.”
Having gone further than he anticipated, the 22-
year-old from Westville said anything after this point
would be a bonus.
“My goal was to make the match play field, so
this
is amazing,” he said. “I completed my PGA Diploma
at
TSGE last year and I only started playing the
national
amateur circuit this year. I didn’t put any pressure
on
myself, which is probably why I’ve come this far. I
really
pleased that my parents are here to experience this
with me and hopefully I can keep it going against
Dylan
on Thursday.”
Kok needed 22 holes to beat Ruan Groenewald
in
the second round, but the 19-year-old denied
Catherine
from France a stab at the coveted double when he
took
the match at the 18th.
“I had the lead twice, but gave it back with
bogeys
and I was 2-down to Edgar through 11, but he gave
me
a shot at 13 and I birdied 15 to square the match,”
said
the 2015 Northern Amateur champion.
“We both birdied 16, but he hit his tee shot at
17
into the bush and had to take an unplayable. That
took
the pressure off. I hit my first putt close and he
conceded the hole to give me a 1-up lead going
down
18. I didn’t take any chances, just played tee to
green
and boxed the par putt to win.
“This has been a fantastic experience so far,
especially playing this amazing course. We’ve been
really lucky with the wind, but there are some tough
holes and challenges. It will all get a little tenser on
Thursday, but I’m loving every moment out
here.”
The remaining South Africans left in the draw
are
Caylum Booth and Christo Lamprecht from Southern
Cape and Mpumalanga’s Andre van Heerden.
Boon beat Brandon Cloete 3 & 2 and progressed
to
the top eight when Richard Joubert from Gauteng
North
conceded at the 13th due to a migraine. He takes on
Liam Johnston from Scotland, whose second match
against defending champion Craig Ross ended at the
sixth hole.
Ross from Scotland conceded due to illness and
Johnston whipped Robert Foley from Switzerland 6 &
5
to earn his berth in the quarter-final.
Van Heerden downed Combrinck Smit 4 & 3 in
the
third round to set up a clash against England’s
Joseph
Long, who downed fellow Brit James Walker 4 & 3 in
round two and Luca Filippi 3 & 2 in the third round.
In the last match out on Wednesday, 16-year-
old
Lamprecht ousted recent Sanlam Cape Province
Open
champion Garrick Higgo 1-up after he knocked out
fellow Southern Cape golfer Andre Nel 3 & 2 in the
second round.
The Louis Oosthuizen Junior Academy member
goes
up against Yashas Chandra from India.
Chandra was knocked out in the second round
last
year and he was thrilled with his 2 & 1 win against
Slade Pickering 2 & 1 and 1-up result against Jeremy
Freiburghaus from Switzerland in round three.
“I’m really enjoying it here in Port Elizabeth,
because the conditions are similar to ours back
home,”
said the 21-year-old from Mysore. “It’s such a great
experience to be playing this course, because we
only
have a few links-style courses in India and I haven’t
had
much experience on them. Every round is a learning
opportunity for me and I’m really pleased that I’ve
come this far.”
QUARTERFINAL DRAW
Joseph Long GBR vs. Andre van Heerden
Caylum Boon vs. Liam Johnston SCO
Keaton Slatter vs. Dylan Kok
Yashas Chandra IND vs. Christo Lamprecht
ROUND 3 RESULTS
Joseph Long GBR beat Luca Filippi 3&2
Andre van Heerden beat Combrinck Smit 4&3
Caylum Boon beat Richard Joubert Conceded
Liam Johnston SCO beat Robert Foley SUI 6&5
Keaton Slatter beat Jason Smith 3&2
Dylan Kok beat Edgar Catherine FRA 1 up
Yashas Chandra IND beat Jeremy Freiburghaus SUI
1 up
Christo Lamprecht beat Garrick Higgo 1 up
ROUND 2 RESULTS
Luca Filippi beat Luke Mayo 3&1
Joseph Long GBR beat James Walker GBR 4&3
Combrinck Smit beat Zabastian de Jager 8&7
Andre van Heerden beat Theunie Bezuidenhout
3&2
Caylum Boon beat Brandon Cloete 3&2
Richard Joubert beat Martin Vorster 1 up
Liam Johnston SCO beat Craig Ross SCO
Conceded
Robert Foley SUI beat Jayden Schaper 3&2
Keaton Slatter beat Dan Brown GBR 1 up
Jason Smith beat Thomas Boulanger FRA 1 up
Edgar Catherine FRA beat Alan Lones 4&3
Dylan Kok beat Ruan Groenewald 22nd hole
Yashas Chandra IND beat Slade Pickering 2&1
Pierre Pineau FRA beat Jeremy Freiburghaus SUI
1 up
Christo Lamprecht beat Andre Nel 3&2
Garrick Higgo beat Erhard Lambrechts 3&1