Vaughan McCall
Southland No1 Vaughan McCall has finished as the best of
the Kiwis at the South African Stroke Play Championship after
he secured a top 10 finish in George.
The 21-year-old from the Gore Golf Club carded a three under
par 69 in the final round at the Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa
to finish 10 shots back from the champion Haydn Porteous.
The South African became only the third player in the history
of the South African Stroke Play Championship to defend his
title.
Porteous closed with a final round of 69 to win by two
strokes on 13-under-par 275. Werner Ferreira took second
place on 11 under with a final round of 69, and Argentina's
Alejandro Tosti finished third on 10 under with a closing 70.
He joins Dale Hayes (1969 and 1970) and David Suddards (1978
and 1979) as the only players to have defended their national
Stroke Play titles.
McCall, who had rounds of 73, 68, 75 and 69 to finish on a
three under par total, will now return home to prepare for
his own title defence of the New Zealand Stroke Play at
Paraparaumu Beach from March 21-24.
McCall made history in 2012 when he became the first golfer
in 24 years to win both the NZ Stroke Play and the NZ Amateur
Championship in the same year.
Manawatu amateur Josh Munn, who got into contention at the
halfway stage with a superb seven under par 65, faded in the
final two rounds with scores of 73 and 78 to slip back to a
share of 29th place.
The other two Kiwis in the field, Tyler Hodge of Levin and
Blair Riordan of Takaka, missed the cut.
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