SA duo in running for Junior Presidents Cup

GolfRSA national squad members Garrick Higgo and Luca Filippi are both in the running for the Junior Presidents Cup from 25-26 September 2017.

According to the selection and eligibility criteria for the inaugural event, Higgo from Boland and Filippi from Western Province are respectively third and eighth in the official International Team Standings that were announced this morning.

The top 11 junior boys in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) will qualify for the International Team, while the top 11 junior boys in the American Junior Golf Association Ranking (GJGA) will officially qualify for the U.S. Team on 3 August.

The 12th and final spot on each team will be filled as of 6 September. The leading junior boy in the AJGA Rankings that is not already qualified at that time will officially join the U.S. Team, while the leading junior boy in the WAGR that is not already qualified will round out the International Team.

Higgo currently ranks second in the South African Golf Association Open (SAGA) Junior Rankings Amateur and third in the Open Amateur rankings.

The De Zalze golfer enjoyed a superb run in the last 12 months and a play-off victory in the Sanlam Cape Province Open on Thursday will further strengthen his chances to make the International Team.

He scored victories in the Curro South African International and Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal at Royal Durban Golf Club on the junior circuit and claimed trophy finishes in the Northern Amateur Match Play Championship and the Central Gauteng Amateur on the Open Amateur circuit and also enjoyed some good results in the United States last year.

In addition to winning a regional qualifier to make the field for the US Amateur Championship, Higgo finished second in the Greg Norman Academy Junior Invitational on the Global Junior Tour and tied for 11th in the South Beach International Amateur in the United States in December.

Filippi – third on the junior rankings and eighth in the Open Amateur rankings – led the Under-15 rankings in 2014, the Under-17 rankings in 2015 and the same consistency saw him reach number one spot in the U-19 rankings for a few months last year.

The highlight of his 2016 season was victory in the Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal at St Francis Links.

The Milnerton golfer also tied for second in the Africa Junior Open, finished fourth in the Dimension Data Junior Open and enjoyed runner-up finishes in the KwaZulu-Natal Amateur, the Border Stroke Play and the Western Province Match Play on the Open Amateur circuit. He finished the season with a joint 22nd place finish in the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl in Florida.

Both 17-year-old’s were selected to the four-man SA Junior Team that will fly the flag for South Africa in the Team Competition at the African Amateur Championship at the end of February and the All-Africa Junior Golf Championship in Zimbabwe next month.

The Junior Presidents Cup will be played two days before the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, and will be contested at the Plainfield Country Club in Edison, also in New Jersey.

The teams will be led by Honorary Captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, whose presence will ensure an unforgettable experience for each junior participant.

Each honorary captain will be supported by a captain, who will handle the primary duties during the competition, including the creation of the daily pairings and conducting the draw of the matches. The International Team will be led by 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman, while by 2001 PGA Championship winner David Toms will captain the U.S. Team.

The current top 12 players for each team based on eligibility are listed below:

About the Junior Presidents Cup

The Junior Presidents Cup is a two-day, spirited team match-play competition featuring 24 of the world’s top junior boys 19 years old and younger – 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – that takes place just days before the start of the biennial Presidents Cup. The Junior Presidents Cup was developed to give the world’s best non-European juniors a unique playing opportunity to compete in an international team match-play competition and showcase the global reach of junior golf. The next generation of Presidents Cup participants will take centre stage when the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup matches take place at Plainfield Country Club on Sept. 25-26 in Edison, New Jersey.

PHOTOS – Garrick Higgo and Luca Filippi; credit Pieter Els.

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