The 16-year-old Province junior took advantage of ideal scoring weather, carding seven birdies to edge one stroke clear of Southern Cape’s Franklin Manchest, Eric Wowor from Central Gauteng and Gauteng North’s Keegan McLachlan.
Filippi made significant strides on the junior, open and international circuits in the last two years and transitioned comfortably from the number one spot in the U-15 rankings to the top spot on the U-17 Order of Merit.
The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation (EEFF) golfer kicked off the season with a tie for second in the Nomads National Order of Merit at Durban Country Club. He followed with an eighth place finish in the Curro SA Juniors International and tied for 11 at the Nomads SA Boys U-19 Stroke Play Championship in April.
He also contended on the Open Amateur circuit, claiming joint fifth in the Cape Province Amateur Open and 10th in the Western Province Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
“I have done a lot of hard work with my coach, Grant Hepburn, to get my game to this level and it’s really nice to start seeing some results,” said Filippi, who had a rebuild his swing after a massive growth spurt.
“Through all the tough times, the EEFF were amazing and it’s great to show them that their loyalty and support was worth it.
“The course and the weather was just perfect and a low number was definitely on the cards. I hit my irons really well and all my birdie putts were between five and seven feet. I hit the wrong shot at the sixth, missed the green and paid the price and I three-putted the 12th for another bogey, but overall, my game was solid.
“I have to thank Fancourt for giving us a course in such fantastic conditions. The greens are rolling really well, and that always makes it a little easier to get the ball to the hole.”
Fellow EEFF member Jovan Rebula made a seven at the par-five 18th, but the Southern Cape golfer salvaged his round with a string of four successive birdies after the turn.
He closed with a 70 to join Kyle Barker and Haydn Driver from Central Gauteng in sixth place.
Matt Saulez from KwaZulu-Natal is also within striking distance just two days after he claimed the Nomads National Order of Merit Coastal at St Francis Links.
The 18-year-old Gowrie Farm junior mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a 71 and a share of ninth with Tristan Brice from Central Gauteng.
The calm conditions also served up a nice mix of eagles and a hole-in-one.
Leander Snyman from Free State holed out at the par-three seventh, Martin Vorster from the Louis Oosthuizen Academy in Mossel Bay made two at the par-four 10th, fellow Southern Cape golfer Hans Jurie Human eagled the par-five eighth and Ryan Liebenberg from Central Gauteng got his round going with a two at the par-four first.
With one of the Gary Player-designed course ticked, the 78-man field will be counting on more warm weather when they tackle the challenging Links on Thursday.
ROUND ONE SCORES
67 Luca Filippi
68 Keegan Mclachlan; Franklin Manchest; Eric Wowor
69 Noel Anderson
70 Kyle Barker; Haydn Driver; Jovan Rebula
71 Martin Vorster; Garrick Higgo; Tristan Brice; Matt Saulez; Kyle Klopper
72 Caylum Boon; Clifford Thompson; Alistair Snowdon; Herman Loubser; Kyle De Beer; Marco Steyn(MH); Ethan Smith; Luke Mayo; Eric Brett Nel; Dawid Opperman; Sentanio Minnie; Ruben Coetzer
73 Kyle McClatchie; Deon Germishuys; Alan Lones; Hilmi Mallick; Steven Raath; Jacques Smith; Wilco Nienaber
74 Ruan Pretorius; Dylan Naidoo; Slade Pickering; Francois van Staden; Dandre Spies; Anuerin Gounden; Liam Mc Ilroy; Keelan van Wyk; Hans-Jurie Human; Emilio Pera
75 Erhard Lambrechts; Dylan Mostert; Willie Olivier; Cole Cruickshank; Alex van Wyk; Chris Woollam; Jayden Schaper
76 Reece Haikney; Hendrik van der Merwe; Keanu Pestana; Henry Anderson; Leander Snyman; Riaan Grootboom; Dehan Joubert
77 Tristan Galant; Byron Coetzee; Jan-louis Nel
78 Cameron Borcher; Tyron Davidowitz; Fritz Orren; Steven le Roux; Francois Blaauw
79 Julien Sale; Tristan Hamilton; Therion Nel; Otto van Buynder; Riaan Alanzo Rooi
80 Dylon Jacobs
81 Jarred Scharneck; Daniel Frangos
82 Brandon Geere; Bradley Fox
83 Niehaus Loots
85 Tristan Maharaj
87 Ryan Liebenberg
88 Byron Sampson
Article: Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association.
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