Charl Barnard produced the best performance of his career and played his way into the Investec South African Open when he defeated Cameron Mukherjee of Great Britain 5&3 in an enthralling the 36-hole match play final in the South African Amateur Championship at Humewood Golf Club.
It was a shaky start for the 16-year-old South African on a windy and rainy day in Gqeberha. He lost the first hole on the morning 18 to a player who had shown his credentials as a front-runner, but Barnard hit back to win the next four holes, after which he was never headed throughout the match.
“I told myself to not let it get to me after I lost that first hole,” said Barnard, who got it to four up after eight holes. Mukherjee fought back after he birdied the ninth. He brought it back to just one down after an eagle on 11, and a birdie on 13.
It was Barnard’s turn for an eagle, on the 15th, and another on 17 saw him stretch out to the four-up lead he held at the break. “Those really helped me get momentum on the first 18, and it was good to take a solid lead into the afternoon.”
Mukherjee hit straight back at the start of the second 18, with a pair of birdies on the first two holes bringing him back to just two down. That was as close as it got for the remainder of the match, however, as the GolfRSA National Squad member picked up wins on the par-five 11th to go three up, on the 14th to go four up, and he closed it out with a birdie on the par-five 15th.
“I tried to not focus too much on what he was doing,” said Barnard of his opponent, “and just tried to play the course as well as I could. I got on a good stretch there in the middle of the first round, which really helped.
“I had a three-putt on hole five in the second round, and he hung in there very well for a while. I managed to hole out on the ninth, which was where it changed for me. After the turn and that hole-out, that’s when I started feeling confident. I felt especially so after making that birdie on 11. My caddie and I said to each other that we’ve got this if we just keep playing solid.”
For Mukherjee, there were no regrets. “I just never stopped trying. I didn’t have a great front nine in the morning, but I hit a few balls on the range in between the rounds and found something and I was able to try and get back in the afternoon.
“With match play, you never give up because you never know. I think this morning I was just a bit too tense and nervous as well. But after the front nine, I just went back to what I’ve worked hard to understand about how I play. To be fair to Charl, he played some solid golf when he needed to, and he is a great champion.”
Supplied by GolfRSA
