<p>Martin Couvra (France). Picture: GolfRSA</p>
Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill closed with a four-under-par 68 to finish solo second behind 54-hole leader Martin Couvra of France in the South African Stroke Play Championship at Mount Edgecombe Country Club.
The Ballymena talent, who was four strokes behind Couvra starting the day, went out in four-under-par on the Lakes Course to remain four adrift before making two birdies and two bogeys in the back nine.
World No 92 Couvra covered the same stretch in two-under, to close with a six-under 66 and win by six strokes from Hill on 15-under par.
Malone’s Matthew McClean, the reigning US Mid-Amateur champion, closed with a 72 to finish tied eighth on three-under.
Naas’ Robert Brazill (73) tied for 22nd on three-over with Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley (74() and Castle’s Robert Moran (73) tied for 26th on five-over.
Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightly (74) was 34th on seven-over with Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe (76) tied 40th on nine-over.
South African Stroke Play Championship, Mount Edgecombe Country Club (Lakes Course, Par 72)
| Rank | Name | Club | Prev | Hole | Rd.4 | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Couvra | Dolce Fregate | -9 | 18 | -6 | -15 |
| 2 | Joshua Hill | Galgorm Castle | -5 | 18 | -4 | -9 |
| T3 | Jonathan Broomhead | Durban Country Club | -3 | 18 | -3 | -6 |
| T3 | Jean Pierre van der Watt | Humewood Golf Club | -5 | 18 | -1 | -6 |
| 5 | Matthew Wilson | Forres GC | -5 | 18 | 0 | -5 |
| T6 | Jordan Burnand | Ebotse Golf & Country Estate | -4 | 18 | 0 | -4 |
| T6 | Aldrich Potgieter | Pinnacle Point Golf Club | 0 | 18 | -4 | -4 |
| T8 | Gregor Graham | Blairgowrie | -4 | 18 | 1 | -3 |
| T8 | Matthew McClean | Malone | -3 | 18 | 0 | -3 |
| 10 | Daniel Bennett | Silver Lakes Country Club | -1 | 18 | -1 | -2 |
| 11 | Altin van der Merwe | Bellville Golf Club | 0 | 18 | -1 | -1 |
| T12 | Kyle de Beer | Port Elizabeth Golf Club | 1 | 18 | -1 | 0 |
| T12 | Conner Mackenzie | Randpark Golf Club | -3 | 18 | 3 | 0 |
| T12 | Meyer Pauw | Stellenbosch Golf Club | 1 | 18 | -1 | 0 |
| T12 | Pascal Gunther | Bryanston Country Club | 3 | 18 | -3 | 0 |
| T16 | Gregor Tait | Aldeburgh GC | -1 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| T16 | Tyron Davidowitz | Hermanus Golf Club | -3 | 18 | 4 | 1 |
| T16 | Shaurya Bhattacharya | Aepta GC | -3 | 18 | 4 | 1 |
| T19 | Christopher Bagnall | State Mines Country Club | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| T19 | Astin Wade Arthur | Umhlali Country Club | 3 | 18 | -1 | 2 |
| T19 | Morris Schiefner | Fancourt Country Club | 4 | 18 | -2 | 2 |
| T22 | Rees Martin Emanuel | Country Club Johannesburg | 4 | 18 | -1 | 3 |
| T22 | Dylan Kayne | Pearl Valley Golf Club | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| T22 | Robert Brazill | Naas GC | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 25 | Jordan Wessels | Mooinooi Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 0 | 4 |
| T26 | Hugh Foley | Royal Dublin Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 2 | 5 |
| T26 | Jamie Mann | Vilamoura GC | 3 | 18 | 2 | 5 |
| T26 | Stals Swart | Silver Lakes Country Club | 6 | 18 | -1 | 5 |
| T26 | Janko van der Merwe | Magaliespark Country Club | 3 | 18 | 2 | 5 |
| T26 | Robert Moran | Castle Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| T26 | Thomas Austin | Murhof GC | 5 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| T32 | Zachary Chegwidden | Orsett GC | 5 | 18 | 1 | 6 |
| T32 | Werner Deyzel | Woodhill Country Club | 2 | 18 | 4 | 6 |
| 34 | Richard Knightly | Royal Dublin Golf Club | 5 | 18 | 2 | 7 |
| T35 | Itai Cohen | IMG Academy | 11 | 18 | -3 | 8 |
| T35 | Warwick Purchase | Benoni Country Club | 8 | 18 | 0 | 8 |
| T35 | Matt Roberts | Royal Porthcowl Links | 3 | 18 | 5 | 8 |
| T35 | Travis Procter | Durbanville Golf Club | 9 | 18 | -1 | 8 |
| T35 | Amilkar Bhana | Country Club Johannesburg | 7 | 18 | 1 | 8 |
| T40 | Peter O'Keeffe | Douglas GC | 5 | 18 | 4 | 9 |
| T40 | Kayle Wykes | CMR Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 3 | 9 |
| T40 | Keagan Crosbie | Centurion Country Club | 10 | 18 | -1 | 9 |
| T40 | Ivan Verster | Pinnacle Point Golf Club | 5 | 18 | 4 | 9 |
| T40 | Filip Sakota | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 5 | 18 | 4 | 9 |
| 45 | Adel Balala | NGCC | 2 | 18 | 8 | 10 |
| T46 | Matthew Lotz | Milnerton Golf Club | 2 | 18 | 9 | 11 |
| T46 | Njoroge Kibugu | Bellville Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 5 | 11 |
| T46 | Mark Stockdale | West Lancashire | 7 | 18 | 4 | 11 |
| T46 | Christiaan Heyman | Bloemfontein Golf Club | 11 | 18 | 0 | 11 |
| T50 | Todd Parker | Omeya Golf Club | 11 | 18 | 1 | 12 |
| T50 | Martin Papworth | Heron Banks Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 9 | 12 |
| T50 | Vian Jansen van Vuuren | The Els Club, Copperleaf | 10 | 18 | 2 | 12 |
| T53 | Damian Osner | Simola Golf & Country Estate | 8 | 18 | 5 | 13 |
| T53 | Simon du Plooy | Krugersdorp Golf Club | 11 | 18 | 2 | 13 |
| T55 | Johann Christiaan Klopper | Silver Lakes Country Club | 15 | 18 | -1 | 14 |
| T55 | Dian Wilmot | Royal Durban Golf Club | 8 | 18 | 6 | 14 |
| T55 | Vukasin Suturovic | Kingswood Golf Estate | 12 | 18 | 2 | 14 |
| T58 | Harimohan Singh | Noida GC | 8 | 18 | 7 | 15 |
| T58 | Jean du Toit | Eagle Canyon | 11 | 18 | 4 | 15 |
| T60 | Travis Ladner | Eagle Canyon | 11 | 18 | 5 | 16 |
| T60 | Tiaan Tibshraeny | Kirkwood Golf Club | 7 | 18 | 9 | 16 |
| 62 | Craig Jacobs | Atlantic Beach Links | 8 | 18 | 9 | 17 |
| T63 | Oliver Goldhill | Magaliespark Country Club | 6 | 18 | 12 | 18 |
| T63 | Grant Labuschagne | Randpark Golf Club | 11 | 18 | 7 | 18 |
| T63 | Charl Barnard | Centurion Country Club | 7 | 18 | 11 | 18 |
| 66 | Vinamra Anand | Hyderabad | 16 | 18 | 3 | 19 |
| T67 | Thomas Lecomte | ASGI | 19 | 18 | 2 | 21 |
| T67 | Akhil Maduray | Mount Edgecombe CC | 11 | 18 | 10 | 21 |
| T67 | Jan−Hendrik Nieuwoudt | Mossel Bay Golf Club | 8 | 18 | 13 | 21 |
| 70 | Bryce Bibby | Royal Durban Golf Club | 18 | 18 | 8 | 26 |
Article Link: Hill second in South African Stroke Play; top 10 for McClean - News - Irish Golf Desk