Makama ignites SA Amateur match play with champion-slaying upset

The first round of the knockout stages of the 2026 South African Amateur Championship concluded at Pretoria Country Club on Tuesday morning, delivering drama, upsets and emphatic victories as match play took centre stage.

In a gripping opening round that set the tone for the week, the standout moment belonged to giant-killer Vuyisani Makama, who produced the shock of the championship by eliminating defending champion Charl Barnard.

The South African Golf Development Board member was one-up playing the 18th hole and, after hitting two wayward shots, stunned spectators by chipping in for eagle to seal a memorable 1-up victory.

Proudfoot Trophy winner Dewan de Bruin showed no signs of slowing down, carrying his superb stroke-play form into match play to end Scottish hopes of a sixth champion with a commanding 3&2 victory over Ewen Farquhar.

Recent Free State Open champion Judd Sundelson underlined his confidence with a solid 4&2 win over Grant Labuschagne, while Oliver Scriven recorded the biggest margin of the round, dismantling James Truter 7&6.

Josh Hirsch also impressed in a tightly contested match, edging past 2025 Nomads SA Boys Under-19 Stroke Play champion Roelof Craig 1-up to secure his place in the last 32.

Several matches went deep into extra holes, with Ethan Roos, John-George Pringle, Syan Ramchander and Andries van der Vyver all requiring sudden-death holes to advance.

With play suspended late on Monday due to dangerous weather conditions and fading light, four first-round matches were completed on Tuesday morning. Current GolfRSA No 1-ranked Under-17 junior Schalk van Ettinger and Jonathan Wilsenach were among those to safely progress.

With the field now cut to 32, the championship moves into the next phase of match play, where pressure intensifies and every hole becomes a battle.