Jacob Bellamy (Port Chalmers) played consistent golf throughout the 36 holes to take top gross honours in the Taieri Classic which was played in ideal conditions on the Taieri Lakes course yesterday.
Bellamy posted rounds of 72 and 73 to finish 1-over-par for the day and beat Nick Borren (Otago) by a single stroke.
Leith Campion (Gore), Daniel Elder and Jason Hughes (both Otago) finished in a tie for third, one further stroke back.
Bellamy (16), a year 13 pupil at Otago Boys' High School, has made giant strides in the last year, having gained a single-figure handicap only 12 months ago.
His win now puts him in the frame for a place in the Otago under-19 team as well as the
octet to compete in the national junior tournament at Cambridge in October.
Borren played at No2 in the successful Otago men's teams last year and with the departure of Duncan Croudis to the professional ranks and the retirement of St Clair's Brent McEwan and Chris Snow, is likely to become the new No1 player.
His form this season clearly illustrates this, having won the Otago strokeplay title and qualifying in top place for the New Zealand Open a week ago.
His only blemish this year was a 6-over-par 78 yesterday morning which cost him the win at Taieri.
But he played his afternoon round like a winner with six birdies and an eagle 2 on the 16th hole.
Despite bogeys on the second and third and a double-bogey 7 on the 15th he still finished within one shot of the lead.
Mark Andrews (Taieri Lakes) thrived playing on his home course and led the field with a 3-under-par 69 in the morning.
A disastrous 80 in the afternoon put him out of contention while Hughes, with 71, shot the only other sub-par round.
Several under-16 prospects emerged during the tournament. Jaxon Boyes (Taieri Lakes) and Joseph Hancock (Waikouaiti) finished well up the list on 152.
