South Africa’s top amateur golfer Haydn Porteous issued a stern warning to his contemporaries when he clinched the prestigious Proudfoot Trophy with an emphatic five stroke victory at the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship on Monday.

The overnight leader shot a four-under-par 68 at Country Club Johannesburg’s Rocklands course to win the 36-hole Stroke Play Qualifier with a winning score of 10-under-par 134.

Jade Buitendag’s putter caught fire on the back-nine of the Rocklands Course at Country Club Johannesburg and paved his way into the match play phase of this year’s Sanlam SA Amateur Championship. The 18-year-old East London golfer carded a two-under-par 70 that lifted him into a share for second at five-under alongside Southern Cape’s Jovan Rebula, who overcame club selection and accuracy issues to produce a five under 67. The pair trail overnight leader Haydn Porteous by one shot and, although the gap could widen and players in the afternoon could overtake them, the duo is certain of their match play spots.

Haydn Porteous’s early 66 at Country Club Johannesburg held up for the first round lead in the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship Qualifier, but England’s Toby Tree and George golfer Andrew Light were nipping at his heels at the end of the day. The 18-year-old Gauteng standout has put himself in prime position to make a strong run for amateur golf’s most prestigious title with eight birdies at the 7,009m Rocklands course, but Porteous will carry a slender one shot lead into Monday’s final round.

Haydn Porteous fired an opening six-under-par 66 at Country Club Johannesburg’s Rocklands course to set the early target today’s first round of a 36-hole Stroke Play qualifier for the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship. On a day when gentle weather conditions should suggest otherwise, the Modderfontein standout was one of only eight players in the morning field to complete the first round under par. The country’s number one amateur finished one stroke clear of England’s Toby Tree and Andrew Light from Kingswood Golf Estate in George.

Winning the Sanlam South African Amateur Match Play title is the crowning glory for any South African amateur golfer. And, after foreigners claimed the last three championships, the South African contingent are determined to bring the trophy home. "We really need to step up this year," said reigning SA Stroke Play champion Haydn Porteous ahead of the Stroke Play qualifier, which tees off at Country Club Johannesburg on Sunday. "The match play format is tough, because anything can happen, but I believe South Africa has the talent and determination this year to make sure the trophy comes home."

South Africa’s number one amateur Haydn Porteous hopes to add his name to an exclusive list of players when he tees it up at Sanlam SA Amateur Championship at Country Club Johannesburg next week.

Porteous claimed back-to-back victories in the SA Strokeplay at Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa this month and hopes to add his name to the six players who have managed to win the elusive ‘double’ in the same calendar year.

Haydn Porteous became only the third player in the history of the South African Stroke Play Championship to defend his title at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa on Friday.
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. The 18-year-old Gauteng Central golfer joins Dale Hayes (1969 and 1970) and David Suddards (1978 and 1979) as the only players to have defended their national Stroke Play titles.

School was a strong wind and a prickly golf course in Thursday’s third round of the South African Stroke Play Championship. And it appears Haydn Porteous took his lessons well. The South African number one and defending champion in this event signed for a two-under 70 at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa to lead the field on 10 under par, two strokes clear of Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti, Australia’s Brady Watt and South African Werner Ferreira.

Pretoria’s Werner Ferreira overcame the disappearance of his sand wedge shortly before tee off and signed for a three-under-par 69 to lead the South African Stroke Play Championship by one stroke at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa on Wednesday.
Ferreira broke free of the three-way tie for the lead he was in after the first round and climbed to nine under par through 36 holes of one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in South Africa. It would easily be the biggest highlight of Ferreira’s career were he to go on and win this tournament. But he has plenty of experience chasing him.

South Africa’s Louis Taylor and Werner Ferreira, and Australian sensation Ryan Ruffels opened with rounds of six-under-par 66 to share the lead in Tuesday’s first round of the South African Stroke Play Championship at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa. The trio is two strokes clear of South Africa’s Damian Naicker and Joris Etlin of France in a championship that has drawn a strong international contingent on the back of last week’s Ten Nations Cup tournament.

South Africa’s top amateurs are set to face strong international opposition in this year’s South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, which tees off at Oubaai Golf Club from 12-15 February. South African number one and defending champion Haydn Porteous will spearhead the local challenge alongside his Ten Nations Cup teammates Zander Lombard, Louis Taylor and Dylan Raubenheimer, ranked second, fifth and seventh respectively on the current South African Golf Association’s (SAGA) rankings.

It came right down to the wire, but Australia held their nerve and a spirited challenge from New Zealand to complete a historic victory at the inaugural Ten Nations Cup at Kingswood Golf Estate in George on Saturday.

Brady Watt, Lucas Herbert, Ryan Ruffles and Geoff Drakeford combined to win the international team’s competition with a 38-under-par total of 826, finishing just a single shot clear of the Kiwis.

Moving day in Friday’s third round of the Ten Nations Cup at Kingswood Golf Estate saw Australia take command, New Zealand make a move, Argentina cruise into contention and South Africa off the rocks.

Victoria’s 14-year-old Ryan Ruffles began the charge for Australia, riding a hot putter to six birdies and an eagle to cover the 6,123m layout in a blistering seven-under-par 65. Team mates Geoff Drakeford and Brady Ward contributed a pair of 69s for a third round total of 13 under 203 that lifted the side into pole position on 27-under-par 621.

Richard Sterne might be hogging the headlines after a birdie-rich 63 to lead the Joburg Open, but top Australian amateur Brady Watt went one better than the five-time European Tour winner in today’s second round of the Ten Nations Cup in George.

The 22-year-old Royal Perth golfer blitzed the par-72 layout at Kingswood Golf Estate in 12 pars, six birdies and two eagles for a 10 under 62 to take command of the individual leaderboard.

Watt’s superb effort - supported by 70s from team-mates Geoff Drakeford, Lucas Herbert and Ryan Ruffels - also helped Australia make up a 14 shot deficit with a total score of 202 that bumped the team into a share of the overall lead with Scotland on 14-under-418.

Wednesday’s opening round of the inaugural Ten Nations Cup in George delivered a promising start for New Zealand, flair from French teenager Paul Ellisade, frustration for the host nation and an 18^th hole ace that wiped out a maddening round for English amateur Jamie Rutherford.

At one stage or the other, all nine competing nations had a taste of the lead at Kingswood Golf Estate, but in the closing stages, it was the Kiwis that edged ahead to top the leaderboard at seven-under-par 209, two shots clear of Scotland.

Top South African golfers Haydn Porteous, Zander Lombard, Dylan Raubenheimer and Louis Taylor have declared themselves ready to challenge for a home victory at the inaugural Ten Nations Cup in George this week.

The Ten Nations Cup is an amalgamation of the biennial Four Nations Cup and the Southern Cross Trophy and will be contested between South Africa, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Colombia at Kingswood Country Club from 6-9 February.

The unforgiving nature of match play always dishes up a certain amount of surprises and, so far, this year’s Sanlam SA Amateur Championship has enjoyed it’s fair share of the unexpected.

A field of 144 hopeful amateurs began the chase for the country’s most prestigious amateur title on Sunday. As dusk fell on the third round at Country Club Johannesburg, there just eight left standing and stories of lucky bounces, cruel twists of fate and the tales of dreams unfulfilled.

Unheralded George golfer Andrew Light ended Jovan Rebula’s dream run, while Louis Taylor had the unenviable task of knocking out his twin brother Eddie 2&1 to make the final eight and a collusion course will leave only one Scot the opportunity to claim a much-talked-about hat-trick.

Leading South African amateurs Haydn Porteous, Zander Lombard, Dylan Raubenheimer and Louis Taylor will be flying the flag for the country in the inaugural Ten Nations Cup in George this February.

The international teams event is an amalgamation of the Four Nations Cup and the Southern Cross Trophy and will be staged at the Kingswood Golf Estate from 6-9 February. The tournament has drawn entries from top international teams including England, Scotland, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Colombia.

Rule Would Take Effect on January 1, 2016, Allowing for Transitional Period

Belly-Length and Long Putters Would Remain as Conforming Clubs

The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), golf’s governing bodies, today announced proposed changes to the Rules of Golf that would prohibit anchoring the club in making a stroke.

South Africa’s Drikus Bruyns cruised into the semi-final of the 117^th Argentine Amateur Championship but the Boland amateur’s dream run in Argentina was halted in the semi-final on Saturday.