DURBAN - Clayton Mansfield, 22, has broken through to win a national event, the Boland Amateur at Stellenbosch GC, in style.
Ranked tenth in the country, the golfer nicknamed ‘Jersey’ has sent out a warning to those ranked one to nine that he’s a player capable of shooting very low scores, and that he’s hungry for more wins.
“It’s an awesome feeling to have won a big one and I will definitely be seeking more. That feeling is unbelievable,” he said.
At Stellenbosch he carded 63, 69 and 70 to score -14 and win by five from 17-year-old Emilio Pera of Eagle Canyon Golf Club.
Mansfield’s Durban Country Club and KZN teammate, Matt Saulez, was third on -8.
In a tie for 16th on -2 were Siyanda Mwandla (Mount Edgecombe CC) and Malcolm Mitchell (Kloof CC). Dave Watson (Kloof CC) was a shot further behind.
Mansfield said he felt comfortable in everything he was doing on the course.
“I’ve been playing well for a while and I was stoked to get it done. Credit to coach Shaun Coetzee for the time and effort he’s put into my golf game.”
He added that they had been working on the right areas and ironing out errors in his game.
In round one he shot 63, including a career-first 29 on the opening nine.
“I was in control of my processes and emotions and after I turned after nine I just kept doing what I had been doing. I didn’t miss a green and hit two ‘kick-ins’ so that helped a lot,” he said.
Sustaining the lead at a national event was new territory for Mansfield.
“I just made sure I stuck to my processes and tried to remain aggressive. I told myself ‘I’m two shots behind’ to keep focused on what I was doing and trying to gain ground to pull away.”
Mansfield is the third KZN player in the top 10 of the SAGA rankings. Saulez is fifth, swopping places with Mitchell, who slips a spot to sixth.
Next are:
17th Louis Albertse (Dundee CC), 19th Siyanda Mwandla (Mount Edgecombe CC), 22nd Luke Mayo (Mount Edgecombe CC), 29th Greg McKay (Mount Edgecombe CC), 31st Jason Broomhead (Durban CC), 32nd Hayden Griffiths (Zimbali CC).
* The South African Seniors IPT is under way at Simola Golf Club in Knysna.
KZN’s foursomes pairings are, in no particular order: Morgan Phillips and Basil Naidoo, Alex Pillay and Kevin Curren, Steve Cullen and Guy O’Connor, Lynton Beckett and Grant Lister-James.