Border, Ekurhuleni on a mission at SA Women’s IPT
Border and Ekurhuleni threw down the gauntlet and put defending champions Gauteng and Gauteng North on notice at the 56th South African Women’s Inter-Provincial at Umhlali Country Club on Tuesday.
Twelve months ago, it was a battle of the big guns as Gauteng and Gauteng North both finished with two teams each in the top draw of the A-Section Qualifier.
Gauteng marched to winning drum in the prestigious team event and ended a nine-year title drought with a runaway victory, while their B-team edged out Gauteng North for a one-two finish.
Not surprisingly, the big guns took the first two spots in the top draw again, but this year, Gauteng and Gauteng North will only have their A-teams in the title contest after Border and Ekurhuleni secured the final two spots.
Gauteng A forged clear of the opposition in the morning foursomes and a solid performance in the singles saw them claim the prestigious Jean Tindall Memorial Trophy on a total score of 550.
Gauteng North A finished 10 strokes adrift in second, while Border took third on 570 and Ekurhuleni sealed fourth on 575.
Border’s Yolanda Duma and sister Siviwe carded an 88 and Zethu Myeki, ranked third in the country, partnered Demi Flanagan to an 81 for a total of 169 in the foursomes.
Yolanda spearheaded the challenge in the Singles, posting a 73 to top the Individual Leaderboard, while Siviwe, Flanagan, Myeki and Hermien Jones helped the team to a total of 401 in the singles.
Border manager Michelle de Vries and Zim-Dondashe, who watched Myeki, the Duma sisters and Flanagan flourish in the South African Golf Development Board programme in Border, were extremely proud of the team’s opening performance.
“The qualifier has definitely left us in a strong position to challenge,” said De Vries. “Border won the B-Section two consecutive years and the B-Section at the 72-Hole Teams Championship twice, so there was quite a bit of pressure to step it up to the A-Section.
“It was a tough decision, because the A-Section means playing six players, not four, but we welcomed Hermien into the fold and Millie agreed join the team this year. She has been exceptional as a manager and her experience is invaluable to the team. Once the decision was made, it’s all we prepared for. We were not coming to play in the A-Section to lose.”
Zim-Dondashe agreed.
“The fact that we finished third in the qualifier underlines the determination and fighting spirit of this team. We won’t back down. We’ve announced our arrival, now it’s time to play for victory.”
Meanwhile Boland Match Play champion Casandra Hall and Sarah Bouch put Ekurhuleni in a fighting position with a 79 and an 85 from Caitlyn MacNab and Jenefer Haw gave the side 164 in the foursomes. Bouch, Hall, MacNab, Haw and Carmen Taljaard combined for 411 in the singles.
The four teams contesting the bottom order of the A-Section are Western Province A, Gauteng B, Boland and Gauteng North B.
In the B-Section, Southern Cape combined for 407 to edge out Free State by two strokes to clinch the Nolan Karp Trophy.
The two teams will contest against KwaZulu-Natal and Western Province B the top draw, while Eastern Province take on Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West in the bottom draw.
A-SECTION RESULTS – Jean Tindell Memorial Trophy
(Foursomes: Best two scores count; Singles: Best five scores count)
550 – Gauteng A
560 – Gauteng North A
570 – Border
575 – Ekurhuleni
583 – Western Province A
586 – Gauteng B
606 – Boland
608 – Gauteng North B
B-SECTION RESULTS – Nolan Karp Trophy
(Foursomes: Best two scores count; Singles: Best five scores count)
407 – Southern Cape
409 – Free State
415 – Kwazulu-Natal
427 – Western Province B
428 – Eastern Province
451 – Mpumalanga
453 – Limpopo
454 – North West
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of Womens Golf South Africa.