By John Huggan
For the first time in more than half a century, a South African has won the British Amateur championship. Fifty-two years after Bobby Cole lifted the now 123-year-old trophy at Carnoustie, Jovan Rebula’s 3-and-2 victory over Irishman Robin Dawson in the 36-hole final at Royal Aberdeen guaranteed the 20-year-old Springbok a place in the next month’s Open Championship, as well as trips to the 2019 Masters and U.S Open.

Even more special is the fact that the new champion’s uncle, a fellow by the name of Ernie Els, will join him in the first of those events, coincidentally at Carnoustie. So Rebula will have no problem finding someone to play with on practice days.

But all of that is for the future. At the end of a grueling week on Scotland’s bracing northeast coast, Rebula’s smoothly rhythmic action—eerily reminiscent of his mother’s brother—was perhaps the key factor in outlasting Dawson. The Irish stroke-play champion from Tramore, whose pace of play borders on glacial, was only 1 down at lunch but his flurry of poor shots on the Balgownie Links’ brutally difficult front-nine proved to be the turning point in the match.

Four dropped shots and a concession at the fifth hole, the match’s 23rd, left Dawson 5-down after 27 holes, a load that initially looked to be too much to carry against such a consistent opponent. Hang on though. As ever in match play, there was time for nerves to kick in. Rebula stumbled first at the 13th and 14th. On both greens he missed putts from short range, the second of which was for the match. A bladed greenside bunker shot then gifted the 15th to Dawson. Five-over par for those three holes, Rebula was back to only 3-up. Suddenly, it was all getting a little bit edgy.

But not disastrous. One hole later, it was over, the 377-yard 16th halved in par 4s.

“I’m very happy and very pleased with myself, the way I handled myself this week,” Rebula said. “I’ve really been playing solid and haven’t made many mistakes. It’s a huge honor for me to call myself the Amateur champion. It’s something out of this world.

“Being 5-up through 27 holes it’s always difficult when you’ve got such a margin because you don’t know if you should put your foot on the pedal or on the brake. I didn’t make it as easy as I thought it would but at the end of the day to just get the job done is all that you need.”

Mark Runnacles/R&A
Rebula’s swing has a decent resemblance to his famous uncle.

Still, those late struggles were far from unusual for Rebula en route to the biggest victory in his fledgling career. After qualifying for match play in reasonably comfortable fashion—his 144 aggregate in stroke-play qualifying was three shots inside the “top-64 and ties” cutline—the Auburn University student was taken at least as far as the 17th green in all of his matches before he beat Englishman Mitch Waite, 6 and 4, in the semifinals on Friday.

Not surprisingly, there were final words for Uncle Ernie, who also participated in an Amateur final back in 1988 at Royal Porthcawl. But only as a losing caddie for fellow South African, Ben Fouchee. So not quite the same as lifting the historic trophy.

“We have a very tight relationship,” said Rebula of Els. “He’s always motivating me. He just said go out and have some fun and grab the opportunity with both hands. You’ve got this opportunity only once and it will open doors for you. He’s awesome. Just a great human being.”

The post Ernie Els’ nephew, Jovan Rebula, becomes first South African to win the British Amateur since 1966 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A frustrating second round 77 at Murcar Links on Tuesday will likely see the Dubai teen miss the 36-hole cut and resulting matchplay phase of The Amateur Championship for the second successive year.

The MENA Tour trailblazer had been T-22 after an opening 72 on the par 70 Royal Aberdeen on Monday and comfortably on track to make the top-64 at the 123rd edition of the British Am. But as was the case at the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf the previous week, where Thomas went from contending after 27 holes to somehow missing the 36-hole cut, Tuesday wasn’t to be his day.

The world amateur No.26 started well at Murcar, rattling off three nerve-settling pars before a birdie on the par 5 4th got him back to one over for the championship. But a bogey-double bogey-par-bogey run upped the pressure and while he birdied the 9th, he went out in two over 38 and the cutline suddenly appeared on the horizon.

A triple bogey on the par-4 11th was a massive body blow and while he rebounded immediately with a birdie two, the damage was done as Thomas limped home with four more dropped shots against one gain in the final six holes.

He eventually finished +9 for the championship and was T-156th midway through the second round. The projected cut as at 5.30pm UAE time was +5.

More to follow…

Thomas well placed as The Amateur Championship cut looms
The matchplay phase of The (British) Amateur Championship is within Rayhan Thomas’ grasp but the Dubai teen will have to overcome the demons of last year, and last week, when he tees it up in the final round of qualifying on Tuesday.

Thomas carded a two-over 73 in his opening round of the 123rd edition of the R&A-organised event at Royal Aberdeen on Monday, overcoming breezy conditions for a share of 22nd place. The 18-year-old world amateur No.26 must finish among the top-64 players to advance to the matchplay knockout rounds (all to be played at Royal Aberdeen) and started his second round on the notoriously tricky Murcar Links at 8.50am (11.50am UAE time) Tuesday with a two shot buffer over those on the cut line.

Related: Thomas in a positive mood ahead of the 123rd Amateur Championship 

Thomas’ matchplay pedigree is without question – his historic run to the semifinals of the Junior U.S. Amateur ample proof of his one-on-one ability. But the MENA Tour star has struggled capitalising on strong strokeplay opportunities of late, notably slipping from contention through 27 holes at the St Andrews Links Trophy to missing the 36-hole cut.

He also has the heartache of last year’s British Am to erase from his mind as he prepares to tee it up at Murcar; the Dubai Creek player saw a four-footer burn the final hole at Royal St. George’s last summer as he missed the 36-hole cut by an agonising stroke.

South African 18-year-old Wilco Nienaber fired an four-under 66 on the par-70 Murcar Links to lead the way after the first day. The Bloemfontein teen, beaten in a playoff for the prestigious Brabazon Trophy earlier this month, took a two-shot lead into the second round of strokeplay qualifying over Australia’s David Micheluzzi and Canada’s Sam Meek. Micheluzz and Meek signed for 69s on Royal Aberdeen but face the tricker Murcar Links on Tuesday like Thomas.

Reigning MENA Tour amateur order of merit champion Todd Clements blew out to a 10-over 81 on Royal Aberdeen in his opening round. The Englishman was T-228 and needed a very low red number today for a chance to make the matchplay.

Dutch teen Pierre Junior Verlaar, just the second amateur after Thomas to win a MENA Tour title (the 2017 Royal Golf Mohammedia Open in Morocco) slumped to 83, 13 over, on Murcar in a further indication on Monday’s tough conditions.

Related: Dutch prodigy Pierre Junior Verlaar triumphs in Morocco 

For live second round scoring, visit the R&A leaderboard HERE

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD – 123rd Amateur Championship

First round leaderboard from the 123rd Amateur Championship. Courtesy R&A.

The post UPDATED: Thomas suffers another second round reverse to (likely) miss Amateur Championship cut appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 18-year-old Indian opens his assault on the British Am at 1.24pm Monday at Royal Aberdeen (4.24pm UAE time) before an 8.50am (11.50am UAE time) second round tee time at nearby Murcar Links on Tuesday.

The Dubai-domiciled teen is one of 288 golfers from 38 countries looking to advance from the 36-holes of strokeplay qualifying to the matchplay phase of the Europe’s leading amateur event. Only 64 players will advance to the knockout stages at Royal Abderdeen which culminates in a 36-hole final on Saturday.

Thomas is looking to avenge the agony of his near miss at Royal Portrush last year when he missed the matchplay phase by a stroke and is in a buoyant mood despite wasting a golden opportunity at the recent St Andrews Links Trophy when he went from contending through 27 holes to inextricably missing the 36-hole cut.

Related: From contending at St Andrews to suddenly missing the cut, Thomas banks another tough lesson

“After the Links Trophy I was a bit disappointed, played really well and was in contention after 27 holes but unfortunately had a bad finish but I’ve been working on some things including keeping the ball flight down a bit further,” Thomas told GolfDigest ME.com

“I’ve also been working on my lag putting as well, I think I’ve figured something out. So I’m looking forward to this week. I struck the ball really well in the practice rounds, I’ve got a good feel for the greens as well so I think we’re going to have a good week.”

Thomas has played Royal Aberdeen twice and Murcar once in practice and has conquered a game plan for the links land tests in Scotland’s North East.

“Murcar Links is playing sort, a lot of irons off the tee, a very tricky, strategic golf course while Royal Aberdeen is a little longer, a little wider off the tee but with a lot more shots into the wind…some of the holes you are hitting 2 irons into par-4s and stuff.

“There is a score to be made but it’s just not trying to force anything, that will be key, trying not to be too aggressive and taking my medicine when I have too. This week’s goal is as always, just have fun, play as good as I can, give it 100 percent…that’s all I can do.”

Thomas, like every player, certainly has every incentive to play well with the winner of The Amateur gaining a place in the field for the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie next month as well as invites to the 2019 Masters and U.S. Open.

Several Open champions have played in The Amateur Championship previously including Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson. The 2017 Masters Champion Sergio Garcia won The Amateur at Muirfield in 1998.

England’s Harry Ellis won the title last year, battling back from four down with five to play in the 36-hole final at Royal St George’s.

The post Thomas in positive mood ahead of The 123rd (British) Amateur Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 18-year-old MENA Tour trailblazer has been selected to spearhead India’s four-man team at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia in August and the world amateur No.17 is clearly humbled by the call-up for what is the continent’s answer to the two-week long, multi-sport Commonwealth Games.

“As an amateur golfer, it is my dream to represent India at the international level and competing in the Asian Games and wearing the Indian blazer means a lot,” the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club member told the Indian Express. “I played in Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and Nomura Cup for India earlier but when I tee off in the Asian Games, it will be different feeling for me and the whole family.”

Thomas’ father John put the call-up into further perspective by reflecting on the sacrifices the Dubai-based family have made to help their son become one of the best amateur golfers on the planet.

“To see him at the Asian Games opening ceremony will be the biggest reward for us.”

Rayhan Thomas in action at the 2017 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Wellington G.C. in New Zealand. Photo Jamie Troughton.

The Asian Games golf tournament, a 72-hole individual and teams strokeplay event to be played at Pondok Indah Golf Club in Jakarta from August 23-26, plugs a gap in a busy summer schedule for Thomas.

He’ll tee it up in the St Andrews Links Trophy on the New and Old Courses from June 8-10 – Justin Rose won the title in 1997 – before contesting the 123rd Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links from June 18-23. Thomas cruelly missed the cut for the matchplay phase of the British amateur by a stroke last year but it did spur him to a historic semifinal showing at the 70th U.S. Junior Amateur.

He’ll have a tilt at the 71st edition of the U.S. Junior Amateur at Baltusrol G.C. in Springfield, New Jersey (July 16-23) before looking to avenge his missed cut (by five strokes) at the prestigious 116th Western Amateur at Sunset Ridge Country Club in Northfield, Illinois from July 31-Aug. 4.

After the Asian Games, Thomas is set to represent India again at the Eisenhower Trophy (World Amateur Teams Championship) at Carton House near Dublin from Sept. 5-8 before returning to the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Sentosa G.C.in Singapore from Oct. 3-7. Thomas finished T-35 at last year’s Asia Pacific in New Zealand.

India has won three individual medals at previous Asian Games and Thomas, who has verbally committed to play collegiate golf for Rickie Fowler’s former Oklahoma State University Cowboys from 2019 till 2023, would like to be the fourth.

“I know I will not turn professional before that [finishing school in the U.S. in 2023]. So winning a medal in Indonesia will be more than winning a professional tour title. I am very excited about this opportunity.”

The post Thomas thrilled by India call-up for 18th Asian Games appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.