2012 INTER PROVINCIAL PREVIEW

All eyes will be on Country Club Johannesburg next week when 80 of the top women amateur golfers in the country compete in the annual Pick n Pay Inter Provincial Championship on the Woodmead course.

The women’s Inter Provincial is divided into two divisions: 8 teams competing in the A Inter Provincial with 6 players per team, and 8 teams in the B Inter Provincial with 4 players per team. The teams compete on the first day of the tournament (Tuesday) playing foursomes and singles stroke play which ranks them in Section 1 or 2 of each division. Wednesday sees the start of the traditional match play with foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon.

Gauteng North A, consecutive winners for the past five years, remain the favourites, with top ranked Kim Williams and Nobuhle Dlamini in the team. Rising star Magda Kruger, who won the qualifying round for the Sanlam South African Amateur in July, is also in the team. However, new Union Ekurhuleni, with Sanlam South African Amateur winner Bonita Bredenhann in the team, may surprise them. Western Province has a young team brimming with enthusiasm that will be wanting to prove themselves, and will be guided by experienced Vanessa Smith. Nevertheless, match play remains unpredictable and exciting, and many a top player has been toppled by an underdog

The B Inter Provincial is wide open, and it will be interesting to see which teams qualify in Section 1. Quite a few young women will be representing their province for the first time.

This is the 15th year that Pick n Pay is sponsoring this prestigious Championship. The flag-raising ceremony will be held on Sunday afternoon and, as has now become traditional, a Pick n Pay choir will be in attendance.

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