Charl Barnard didn’t need a comeback this time.
The 20-year-old from Centurion Country Club finished 14-under 202 (69-64-69) to defend his Gauteng North Open title at Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club. His second-round 64 created a five-shot gap, and when he followed it with a steady third-round 69, Barnard still held a four-shot advantage heading into the final day. When weather delays forced the last round to be cancelled, that four-shot lead stood as the winning margin.
Wiehan Van der Walt, ranked No. 51 on the GolfRSA rankings, finished runner-up at 10-under 206.
A year ago, Barnard had to erase a two-shot deficit to win this championship. This week, the tournament tilted on day two — and his third-round 69 made sure it stayed that way.
The No.1 ranked player on the GolfRSA Men's rankings, Barnard has stayed busy early in 2026. In five ranked starts, he already has a win and two runner-up finishes at the GolfRSA International Amateur Championship and the Africa Amateur Championship.
Last year was even stronger. Across 29 ranked events, he claimed three victories — Gauteng North Open, South African Amateur and North West Open — and added 11 more top-10 finishes. He was also briefly signed by East Tennessee State University before deciding to remain at home and continue his development in South Africa.
The event drew 156 players, with only the top 65 making the halfway cut. Once Barnard posted that 64, the rest were effectively playing for second.