Golf Deltel gets junior Protea team call-up |28 January 2023
DELTEL …. Selected to be part of the South African junior Protea team at the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship 2023 (Photo: South African Golf Association)
Seychelles-born golfer Jaden Deltel will make his debut for South Africa early next month when he joins his colleagues as part of the South African junior Protea team at the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship at the world renowned Leopard Creek Golf Course.
Deltel, who plays out of Bryanston Country Club in Central Gauteng, Johannesburg, will have for teammates Jack Buchanan, Amilkar Bhana and Keagan Crosbie. The South African junior Protea team will play alongside the South African senior team in the 54-hole international team competition that is played concurrently with the first three rounds of the 72-hole international stroke play championship from February 6-9.
Junior team reserve Deltel got the call after Daniel Bennett, who was originally selected as a wild card pick for the junior team, but as the senior team’s first reserve, graduated to the senior team subsequent to Yurav Premlall’s withdrawal.
“I knew I had a great chance of being selected as I had earned a high ranking in the national junior category through consistent performances throughout 2022. I am honoured and privileged to represent South Africa and grateful that my hard work has been recognised by the selectors. I look forward to competing in the African Amateur at Leopard Creek ‒ a world-class golf course,” Deltel told Sports NATION yesterday.
Commenting on Deltel’s inclusion in the team, South African Golf Association president Henk Smith said: “We are delighted to award Jaden with junior national colours and Dan Bennett with senior national colours.
“Dan was originally selected to the junior team, but as their first reserve, he graduated to the senior team subsequent to Yurav Premlall’s withdrawal. That meant that Jaden, the junior team reserve, got the call to join the team at Leopard Creek.
“We are really excited to see our young rising stars in action next month, especially after the lull in international participation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s great to see teams from Angola, Botswana, India, Kenya, Scotland and Zimbabwe, and two teams from Sweden participating in the team event in 2023.”
The 84-strong limited field will also feature top golfers from England, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Namibia and Reunion.
Sports psychologist Theo Bezuidenhout, who works with the GolfRSA National Squad, will manage the Junior Protea Team, while biokineticist and national squad fitness trainer Gavin Groves will look after the seniors.
Born and raised on Mahe from 2004 until 2017, Deltel moved to South Africa six years ago with his parents and one of his goals was to represent South Africa at amateur level.
“Jaden has been rewarded for his talent, hard work and perseverance and fighting spirit. We are proud of him. His focus has never wavered,” his mother Caroline told Sports NATION.
Deltel started the 2023 golfing year with two third-place finishes in the first two events of the year ‒ Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal at Selborne Golf Club and Nomads National Order of Merit Inland event at ERPM Golf Club ‒ to accumulate big points for his ranking which is now firmly set as the fifth best ranked junior in South Africa.
In December last year, Deltel became only the second player in 70 years to win every single one of his matches ‒ 12 ‒ and was awarded the Most Valuable Player accolade as his Central Gauteng team were declared the winners of the South Africa Under-19 Inter-Provincial tournament.
Played at Mbombela golf course which has a rich tournament history and a fine layout that proved to be challenging but a fair test of the young players’ abilities, the South Africa Under-19 Inter-Provincial tournament was contested over a week of competitive golf (December 12-16).
In January, last year he was the winner of the inaugural Papwa Sewgolum Cup played in association with Nomads at Selborne Golf Club, near Durban in South Africa. This was Deltel’s first under-19 win.
In fact, it took him two extra holes, but a solid approach on his third trip down the 18th set to nail the birdie putt to seal victory. Deltel is also a senior member of the GolfRSA national squad ‒ class of 2020.
SA Senior Protea team:
Jono Broomhead (Durban Country Club | Open Amateur Ranking: 2)
Kyle de Beer (Port Elizabeth Golf Club | Open Amateur Ranking: 3)
Aldrich Potgieter (Pinnacle Point Estate | Open Amateur Ranking: 4)
Daniel Bennett (Royal Durban Golf Club | Open Amateur Ranking: 5)
SA Junior Protea team:
Kieron Crosbie (Centurion Country Club | U-19 Ranking: 2)
Jack Buchanan (Milnerton Golf Club | U-19 Ranking: 3)
Amilkar Bhana (Country Club Johannesburg | U-19 Ranking: 4)
Jaden Deltel (Bryanston Country Club | U-19 Ranking: 5)
Gerard Govinden