The Strand golfer posted rounds of 70, 71, 69 and 70 at Bloemfontein Golf Club to edge out reigning Nomads SA Boys U-19 Match Play champion Ross Sinclair by one stroke with a winning total of eight-under-par 280.
Germishuys began the third round four shots off the pace from overnight leader Franklin Manchest and three behind Sinclair.
He countered three bogeys on the front nine with a pair of birdies, and pulled level with Manchest and Sinclair with further gains at 12 and 14. But it was the eagle at the par five closing hole that ultimately helped the 16-year-old amateur to lift his first national title.
“I hit driver down the fairway and had 215 meters left to the pin,” Germishuys explained.
“I took a four-iron and just felt great over the shot. The ball stopped about 10 feet from the hole and I boxed the putt for the eagle. I finished on six under, but had to wait to see if Frankie or Ross would match the target.
“I started the final round with a two shot lead, but I knew I would need to couple of birdies if one or both of them started to run hot.”
Germishuys offset a bogey at five with birdies at three and six to stay ahead of the pack and erased another drop at 11 with a birdie at the par five 14th.
“I birdied two of the par fives, but I didn’t up-and-down to save par at the fifth,” he said. “At that stage Frankie had fallen off the pace, but Ross was still coming at me. I just tried to stay in the moment. I didn’t get ahead of myself and just played shot for shot.”
The Strand High School pupil holed a 30-footer for birdie at the par three 16th and parred the last two holes to seal the victory.
“Ross bogeyed 16 and I had a two shot lead, but he birdied 18, so that birdie putt at the short hole definitely clinched it for me,” said Germishuys.
