2006 SIXT Interprovincial

In an event that for many smacked with justice, Ekurhuleni Golf Union defended the title they won so convincingly a year ago when they again topped the B section of the Premier Interprovincial. Entering the event as defending champions, after not being promoted in 2005, the Ekurhuleni side went down by 8 points to 4 on day one against Free State & Northern Cape. From there on the team played inspired golf and the boys from up country took everything the coastal layout could throw at them in walking away victorious after the weather looked like it was going to favour the coastal sides early on. Going into the final match against Eastern Province with the title at stake, the Ekurhuleni team sneaked past EP with a 6.5 – 5.5 margin and thus beat hosts Border into second place on a games count. With Border having their rest day on the Friday, the result of the match between EP and Ekurhuleni could have resulted in any one of the 3 unions winning the title. (Border needed a draw between EP and Ekurhuleni to be victorious)

In the A section, Central Gauteng made it two for the inland unions as they defeated a young Gauteng North side 8.5 – 3.5 on the final day in which was a match for the trophy. With Western Province having their rest day on the Friday they could relax knowing that the title would definitely be going back to Gauteng, with only the side of the Jukskei to be determined. In a match which would normally have decided the team to be relegated, Boland and KwaZulu-Natal played for honour after it was decided that the tournament format would revert back to 6 teams per section from 2007 thus no team was to be relegated from the A section.

Ruan Botha of Central Gauteng was the MVP for the A section with 6.5 out of a possible 8 points. In the B section, this honour went to Francios van Vuuren from Eastern Province with 7 out of a possible 8 points. In the singles only 3 players managed to win all 4 of their singles matches with Johan Du Buisson from Boland being the only player in the A section to do this. In the B section team mates and foursomes partners, Scott Sullivan and Rowan Du Preez from Ekurhuleni managed this feat.

With the format returning to 6 teams per section for 2007, Mpumalanga (victors in the Challenge IPT at Mossel Bay) and Limpopo both return to the Premier IPT after being relegated into the Challenge IPT after the 2006 Premier IPT in Benoni.