Africa Junior Championship
Brandon Moyo

SOUTH Africa and Morocco won the boys’ and girls’ titles, respectively, at the 2025 All Africa Junior Team Championships (AAJTC) which were held at The Residence Golf Course in Tunisia. The South African boys team, made up of Roelof Craig, Johndre Ludick, Dewan de Bruin and Marno Lange finished with a gross total of 657, five strokes ahead of runners up, Morocco on 662 and 37 ahead of third placed Zimbabwe on 694. On the girls’ event, Morocco won the girls’ event with a gross total of 452 after three rounds of golf, eight strokes ahead of secod placed South Africa and 22 ahead of third placed Tunisia.
In the boys’ competition, the three best scores from a team of four counted while in the girls’, it was the two best from a team of three. South Africa took an early lead in the boys’ competition with a first round score of 219 (73, 3, 73) while Morocco carded 226 (76, 75, 75). Zimbabwe, in third, had a first round score of 228 (72, 76, 80). In the second round, South Africa had a score of 223 (74, 74, 75) while Morocco had a better round, shooting a score of 218 (70, 73, 75). Zimbabwe shot a second round 229 (75, 77, 77). In the third and final round, the perennial champions had a total of 215 made up of scores of 70, 74 and 71 to go all the way and clinch the championship, while booking their tickets to Japan. Morocco rounded off the championship with a 218 from scores of 72, 72 and 74. In the girls’ event, Morocco started the first round with a 150 total made up of two-best scores of 71 and 79 and were tied with the hosts, Tunisia who had two best scores of 72 and 78. South Africa were on 160. In the second round, Morocco carded a score of 149 (73, 76) while South Africa and Tunisia were now tied for position two both on a 311 total after round scores of 151 and 161 respectively. Morroco sealed off a historic title win by carding a third round score of 153 while South Africa shot 149 with Tunisia dropping to third with a 163 total. De Bruin won the boys’ individual championship after registering a two-stroke victory over Morocco’s Alexandre El Khomri. The South African finished on two-over-par-218 with round scores of 73, 74 and 71. El Khomri carded four-over-par-220 with scores of 75, 73, and 72. In third place there was Ludick on five-over-par-221 after carding round scores of 73, 78 and 70. Sawssane Melhli of Morocco registered a two-stroke victory over Zimbabwe’s Miriam Masiya, South Africa’s Keisha Louw and Lisa Coetzer who were tied for second to win the girls’ individual championship. Melhli carded 12-over-par-228 with round scores of 79, 73 and 76 while Masiya shot 14-over-par-230 with scores of 82, 75 and 73. The trio tied for second were all on 14-over-par-230. Masiya shot round scores of 82, 75 and 73 while Louw carded 81, 76 and 73. Coetzer shot 79, 75 and 76.
The top two teams (boys and girls) from the Championship earned qualification for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan later this year.