Kyle finishes strong with 68 at Leopard Creek

Golf
Andrew Poolman
  • 3 Weeks Ago 12 February 2025
Promising teenager Kyle Johnson showed his true potential with a brilliant last round of 68 shots (four under par) at the African Amateur Golf Championship at the Leopard Creek course in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Although not a challenger to the front-runners after the completed three rounds, the Walvis Bay Golf Club prodigy excelled with the lowest fourth-round score of all the 40 players who made the cut.

For the second year in a row, the 17-year-old was Namibia’s best performer at the continental showdown.

His rounds of 74, 74, 83 and 68 (total 299) placed him at 11 over par, and tied for 21st position.

Likius Nande (79, 80, 73, 79, total 311) finished tied for the 31st position, while Edwin Kutara, Walter Heibeb and Stefanus Bonifatius failed to make the cut after the first two rounds.



Champion rewarded

Bryan Newman of South Africa won the Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek after cruising to a two-shot victory over Zimbabwe’s Keegan Shutt.

With this victory, Newman earns an exemption into The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, as well as places in The Amateur Championship, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, The Investec South African Open and the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions.

The 17-year-old began the day with a five-shot lead over compatriot Roelof Craig and knew that someone from the chasing pack would have to make a serious run to challenge him.

A dropped shot at the 3rd opened the door slightly to Newman’s rivals, but a birdie three at the 6th helped steady the nerves before another shot was lost at the 9th.

Newman moved up a gear with a 20-foot birdie putt at the 10th and another birdie at the 13th gave him a cushion which meant he could afford bogeys at the 16th and 17th.

Newman claimed the Africa Amateur trophy with an eight-under-par total of 280. Afterwards, he said: “It's just such a privilege playing here at Leopard Creek, definitely the best course in South Africa, maybe in Africa as well, but it's also special playing with all the other players around.”