Tap-in on par 5 seals 59 for 19-year-old South African
Casey Jarvis stepped on the tee box at the par-5 18th hole Saturday at Dainfern Country Club with a chance to shoot 57.
He had to settle for 59.
A tap-in par at the finishing hole secured the 13-under-par round for Jarvis, who moved into the lead, at 20 under, though with several players still left to complete their third rounds at the Sunshine Tour’s Stella Artois Players Championship in Johannesburg.
Jarvis birdied Nos. 2-8 and turned in 7-under 29. He added birdies Nos. 10 and 14, plus a pair of eagles, at Nos. 12 and 17, the latter hole being a 452-yard par 4. Jarvis’ hole-out eagle ensured the par-5 closing hole would be relatively stress-free.
Less than a year into his professional career, Jarvis already owns a pair of runner-up finishes on the South Africa-based tour. He also won on the Big Easy Tour, South Africa’s KFT equivalent, last July, a few weeks before he turned pro following the Western Amateur.
As an amateur, Jarvis reached as high as No. 42 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He’s currently No. 469 in the Official World Golf Ranking.