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DANIELLE Bekker earned an impressive third place finish in the girls’ 11-13-year-old age group at the Optimist International Junior Golf Tournament of Champions in Florida at the weekend.

Bekker, who turns 13 this month, finished the two-day tournament held at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with 159 strokes for 15 over par.

On the first day, Bekker registered 80 strokes or eight over par, and brought that down by a stroke to 79 on Sunday in round two of the tournament where she was seven over par.

Yae Eun Kim of the Dominican Republic won the 11-13 girls’ age group with an impressive 142 strokes, one under par.

Alexo Pano of host state Florida was second with 145. By finishing in the top five, Bekker is exempted from having to qualify for the summer 2016 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Bekker, formerly a student at Gateway Primary School, is now home schooled as she pursues a rigorous training and tournament schedule. She finished sixth at the Africa Junior Girls’ Golf Championships in Kenya in August this year, and was named Zimbabwe’s Female Junior Golfer of the Year for 2015 after winning the Lion of Africa Junior Africa Challenge in South Africa in September. – Online