In 2021 Covid denied us the opportunity to see the world’s best players perform in Europe’s top events but, thankfully, truly international fields are back with a vengeance. The brilliant South African junior Christiaan Maas has laid down a marker with his five-shot victory at the Brabazon Trophy and the 18-year-old certainly looks like another golfing superstar in waiting. Managing editor MARK FLANAGAN reports.
It is definitely the most wonderful time of the year if you love elite-level amateur golf.
Last week we had a thrilling Brabazon Trophy and on Friday the Scottish Men’s Open gets under way at Cruden Bay near Peterhead (May 27-29) while St Andrews hosts the women’s Rule Trophy (May 28-29).
In June we kick off with The St Andrews Links Trophy (3-5th) before all eyes turn to Merion for the Curtis Cup (10-12th) and then it is the British Amateur (13-18th) and finally the European Men’s Amateur (22-25th) and Women’s Amateur (20-25th).
This year the R&A has also introduced a prequalifying event for the men’s British Amateur at St Annes Old Links on June 10 where the top ten will join the automatically-selected entrants, of which there are 278 in number.
Because of Covid-inspired travel restrictions, those stellar events were not the same in 2021 but take one look at this year’s entry list for the British Amateur in particular and the mouth begins to water. The world No 2, Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, will at Royal Lytham, as will No 4 Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, who will lead a formidable-looking contingent from Spain.
Twelve of South Africa’s best players will also be in Lancashire next month and the on-going success story (that is golf in that country) is backed up by the strength of the elite squad who have made the long trip over for those stellar events
Leading the way is arguably the best junior in the world Christiaan Maas, who will be occupying the minds of many of those expected to challenge. The manner in which the 18-year-old from Pretoria won the Brabazon Trophy by five shots at Saunton suggests he could be very special. His appearance at the Devon links venue was only his third on foreign soil.
He hit it left on one and shouted fore. I texted his coach that he had stuck it in the bush and there was a problem… and he is going to take bogey or double. But he ends up making birdie.
David Younge, SA assistant operations manager
The World No 24 birdied half the holes in his first competitive round in Britain – his previous two efforts outside of his homeland were in the USA earlier this year and Italy in 2019 – and all that despite being a player with a reputation for being slightly wayward off the tee.
And then, when the heat was really on, he opened his final round with four birdies in the first six holes to charge clear of playing partner Arron Edwards-Hill, the England international.
David Younge, the South African assistant golf operations manager, watched Maas play a few holes as he blazed a trail last Thursday.
“He hit it left on one and shouted fore. I texted his coach that he had stuck it in the bush and there was a problem… and he is going to take bogey or double. But he ends up making birdie.
“A few hours later I was walking with him (Maas) on the 15th and he hit it miles left and once again I was down there and actually found the ball. But again he makes a comfortable birdie.”
That ability to somehow find a way to get the ball in the hole, without necessarily being the straighest of drivers, defined what made Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros so magical. They also happen to be Maas’s golfing heroes although, of course, the American legend is the man he models himself on.
And there is certainly something Tiger-esque about his ability to send his scoring off the charts when it really clicks, not least at Saunton where he racked up 25 birdies across the four days.
Last year Maas won Nomads SA Boys U-19s Strokeplay and broke the competition scoring record by a staggering eight shots. He finished on 23-under-par and got a lovely message of congratulations from the previous record holder – former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
His extraordinary effort at Waterkloof Golf Club was one of seven major victories in South Africa in 2021. That included beating Walker Cup player Jack Dyer 3&2 in the final of the South African Amateur Championship at Royal Johannesburg aged just 17.
Mr Consistency – Christian Maas’s stellar 18 months
2022
• Winner – English Open Amateur Stroke Play – Brabazon Trophy (Saunton Golf Club)
• Runner-up – SA Stroke Play (Randpark Golf Club)
• T-3 – African Amateur Stroke Play (Leopard Creek)
• T-5 – Sage Valley Junior Invitational (Sage Valley)
2021
• Winner – SA Amateur (Royal Johannesburg & Kensington)
• Winner – Silver Salver (defended his title at Irene Country Club)
• Winner – KZN Open Stroke Play (Selborne Golf Estate)
• Winner – Cape Province Open (George Golf Club)
• Winner – Gauteng North Open (Pretoria Country Club)
• Winner – Nomads SA Boys U-19 Stroke Play (Waterkloof Golf Club)
• Winner – Nomads National Order of Merit Inland (defended his title at ERPM Golf Club)
Casey Jarvis and Cristo Lamprecht were only 16 when they won the same title and both will also be teeing it up at Lytham next month. The country just keeps producing elite golfers and that linage, that stretches back through Oosthuizen, Els, Goosen, Player and all the way back to Locke, looks as strong as ever.
Since the Second World War, South African golfers have collected more Major wins than Great Britain – it’s 22-16 and the country is only second behind the USA by that measure.
Eden Thompson, the country’s golf operations manager, believe the climate plays a big part in that but also the system is a contributing factor.
He said: “Even in the worst of winters we can play 12 months of the year but we have a very competitive junior programme.”
Thompson also believes that with the majority of South Africa’s major events coming at the end of our winter, the timing of their trip to Europe, starting at the Brabazon and ending at the European Amateur, means the top SA players get a golden opportunity to test themselves against our continent’s best,
And, if there are any lingering inferiority complex issues, seeing Europe’s best up close makes his country’s top performers realise “they have the game” to cope, regardless of the conditions and circumstances.
If there were any concerns among the South African contingent they was blown away at the weekend by Maas, who will start on the well-trodden American collegiate path later this year with Texas having won the battle to attract him to Austin.
However the Brabazon champion is not ruling out leaving the amateur ranks sooner rather than later.
He said: “If the golf goes really well I might turn pro after two years at college but if it doesn’t go that well I might do the full four years and then turn pro.”
For now the immediate concern is mastering British links golf although he made a dream start in Devon.
“Around the greens it is a lot different compared to South Africa,” added Maas. “You don’t hit your 60 degree on every chip. There is the bump and run and you also have the option to putt from everywhere.”
With St Andrews and Royal Lytham coming one after the other, a few ambitions are being realised but his pedigree and form suggest the rest could be in trouble if he carries his Saunton form into the ‘big ones’.
“At Saunton, ball striking wise and in terms of commitment off the tee boxes, that’s about the best I have played,” said the teenager.
Exciting times for a young man with the world at his feet and those lucky spectators who have the chance to see him close up over the next few weeks. Him and a raft of other special talents.
It really is great Covid won’t deny us that privilege for this year at least.