After the first day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, we have five South Africans among the top nine. This is not news. Basically, business as usual. What is astonishing is the ID of the lads, or whatever the national identification document is called in South Africa. It’s the revolution of the South African baby. Rebellion in the nursery.
The leader is Robin Williams (-7), 22 years to his credit. One stroke behind is Jayden Schaper, also 22. And two strokes behind are Casey Jarvis, 20 years old, Christo Lamprecht, 22, and Christian Maas, 20. The only ‘old glory’ among these top nine is Jaco Prinsloo, who is already 34 springs old. It’s the new generation of South African golf that comes loaded and with enormous potential, ready to take over from the Oosthuizens, Schwartzels, Graces and company.
Lamprecht and Maas have a differential factor compared to the rest. Both are still amateurs and have played in the afternoon, when the scores have been a bit higher. The greens have been getting harder and the conditions have been complicated. In fact, their 67-stroke cards are the best of the afternoon shift tied with Scott Jamieson, a Scot who, by the way, usually signs his best performances in South Africa.
Lamprecht, who is already being fought over by representation agencies, and Maas are not just any amateurs. The former is the world number 2, won the British Amateur this year and has also won a tournament in the autumn dates of university golf in the United States. He plays at Georgia Tech. Moreover, perhaps the most striking thing he did this year for the general public: he led the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool after the first round.
Meanwhile, Maas is not far behind. He is number 15 in the world ranking, was third in the autumn tournament won by Lamprecht in the United States, finished second in the Western Amateur, last year he already won a professional tournament on the Big Easy Tour, South Africa’s second division, and also in 2022 he finished in the top 20 in this same tournament at Leopard Creek. He plays at the University of Texas, the same as Scottie Scheffler. Interestingly, Maas has been the caddie for the last two South African winners of the British Amateur: Potgetier and Lamprecht.
Maas has handed in a card without bogeys and with five birdies, four of them concentrated between holes 13 and 17. On the other hand, the round of the giant Lamprecht has been much more eventful, with five birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. They are young, but more than prepared. Noted.
Beyond the youngsters, from the afternoon we must highlight the good start of Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-4), winner here in 2020.
Finally, Iván Cantero (+1) is the only Spaniard who played in the afternoon and has had a very eventful round of 73 strokes, with five birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys. Both the bogeys and the doubles have been consecutive and have completely stopped him. In any case, he has plenty of margin to react, as he plays on Friday morning, with theoretically easier conditions. The provisional cut is at -1.
