Christo Lamprecht - 14 Things You Didn't Know About The Amateur Star Of The 151st Open
Christo Lamprecht is a South African amateur who shot to prominence at the 151st Open when he grabbed a surprise early lead at Royal Liverpool. His name might be one that starts to feature on more leaderboards when he inevitably turns pro, so why not get to know him a little better with these facts...
1. Christo Lamprecht was born on January 30, 2001 in Western Cape, South Africa.
2. He has two older sisters and was introduced to golf at the age of three by his father.
3. The South African towers above most at 6ft 8in, which is one of the reasons he is able to hit the ball so far.
4. Lamprecht has had a very successful amateur career. He became the youngest winner of the South African Amateur Championship in 2017, beating Caylum Boon 7&6 in the final at Humewood Golf Club.
His biggest win, however, came at the 2023 Amateur Championship at Hillside. Lamprecht beat Switzerland's Ronan Kleu 3&2 to land arguably the most prestigious prize in amateur golf. That earned him a spot in his first Major at the 2023 Open.
As well as his individual successes, Lamprecht has also represented his country several times and featured on the International side for the Junior Presidents Cup in 2017 and 2019.
5. He enrolled as a business admin major at Georgia Tech in 2020, but began his studies by taking classes virtually as he wasn't able to get to the US due to visa issues amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since his arrival in the States, he has been a key figure on the golf team and is in with a chance of breaking Bryce Molder's school scoring record, which currently stands at 70.69.
6. He made his Major debut at the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool, and took an early lead courtesy of a five-under 66. It was the lowest score recorded by an amateur in The Open since Tom Lewis in 2011.
7. At 6ft 8in, Lamprecht is the tallest golfer ever to compete in The Open.
8. Unsurprisingly, given his frame, the South African hits the ball a mile. During the first round of the 2023 Open he averaged 325 yards off the tee, while he can achieve ball speeds upwards of 200mph.
9. He also grew up playing tennis, cricket and rugby. He stopped playing tennis between 8th-9th grade and now describes pickleball as his "No. 1 favorite."
10. Lamprecht came through the Louis Oosthuizen academy.
11. His stock drive is around 320-325 yards, although he says he can reach 340 carry.
12. His favorite player growing up was his mentor, Louis Oosthuizen.
"Louis is by far the favorite," Lamprecht said at the 151st Open. "I've kind of grown up, known him personally, and watching him play, it's pretty amazing. I would probably say besides that, Rory. Very much love the way he plays the game."
13. He hit growth spurts between the ages of 14 and 15, which meant he was forced to change clubs every six months. "I was growing so fast and my swing changed every week and it was all over the place for like two years there," he said.
14. He comes from a tall family line of males.
"My dad is 6'4" and he's the shortest of the last five generations," he said. "On my dad's side the length is there. My grandfather was like 6'8" and great grandfather like 7'. Not that I know of. It runs in the family, definitely."
