KNYSNA NEWS - The third Junior Par 3 golf tournament as part of the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival took place on July 4 and 5 at Blackwaters River Lodge on the Goukamma River.
"The main objective of the tournament is to attract and offer junior golf players an event during the week of the Oyster Festival. Organiser PJ Gronum sent out invitations to various golf academies for juniors to enter, but being an open event any junior between the age of seven and 16 could enter.
"This year had an open masters u/17 and junior kids u/12 division. Most of the entries received were from Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
"We have found that although part of the Oyster Festival programme and targeting all junior golfer festivalgoers from across the country, the last three years showed us huge local support and entries from surrounding areas," says Paul Theron, Blackwaters co-owner.
Two new exciting tee-boxes were created especially for this year’s tournament, and the youngsters really showed their short game golfing skill when teeing off from these tee-boxes. One box was on the banks of the Goukamma River and the more challenging one was created across the river, for which golfers were ferried across the river with a boat sponsored by Knysna Yamaha.
The u/17 open division ended with an interesting sudden death playoff between Darren van der Westhuizen and Jahem McLean, with Van der Westhuizen taking the first place.
U/17 open division
1st: Darren van der Westhuizen (Plettenberg Bay)
2nd: Jahem McLean (Knysna)
3rd: Stian Venter (Mossel Bay)
1st: Stian Venter (Mossel Bay)
2nd: Liam Quinn (Knysna)
3rd: Jean Joubert (Mossel Bay)
An addition to this year's programme was the introduction of the Senior Par 3 Masters for over 55s. "The true spirit of golf was seen with both the juniors and seniors on the golf course.
Players from Three Chameleons, Glenwood, Rooi Rivier and Sedge Links short courses took part in the competition and once again, spectators have witnessed serious golf skill and all enjoyed the special tee-box across the river."
A division
1st: Pat Tarboton (Sedge Links)
2nd: Gordon Macmillan (Three Chameleons)
3rd: Manie Scholtz (Three Chameleons)
1st: Ray Bosman (Three Chameleons)
2nd: Blyth Thompson (Three Chameleons)
3rd: Piet Gronum (Knysna)
The leading lady was Moreen Spence (George).
"No event is possible without the support from sponsors. Thank you to all the sponsors that came on board with the event and especially the Oyster Festival organising committee for allowing events to take place to ensure more visitors to our beautiful town," says Theron.
"It is our aim to grow the tournament to ensure that the game of golf, in the shortened format, goes from strength to strength, especially among the youngsters. Short courses offer the ideal opportunity for those interested in playing golf to learn the game."
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