Daisies make it four years in a row!

Although expected to take the 50^th Pick n Pay SA Women’s Inter-Provincial trophy home, the victorious Gauteng North Daisies totally overwhelmed runners-up, North West with a 8 -1 win on the final day, losing only one foursomes when Nicole Becker and Bertine Strauss beat Kim Williams and Henriette Frylinck 4/3.

Seen here with the team of Eugenie Clack, Emma de Bruyn, Marne Roos, Kim Williams, Henriette Frylinck and Connie Chen, are Piet Lubbe, Manager of Pick n Pay’s Faerie Glen Hyper, Sandra Venter (GNGU Office) and Dot van Ryneveld, GNGU Vice-President.

The Daisies had earlier won the Jean Tindall Trophy in the qualifying stroke play round last Tuesday.

Irene Country Club provided a perfect venue for this prestigious tournament – great weather and a course in excellent condition made it a most enjoyable event for players, spectators and the organisers, Women’s Golf South Africa.

The Daisies won all their matches, and only KwaZulu Natal failed to win a match in Section 1 of the A Inter-Provincial. Gauteng Lions’ only win was against KZN and North West’s only loss was to the Daisies.

Section 2 of the top Division in which all teams include six players, was won by Western Province on a count-out from neighbours Boland. The other two teams in this section were Gauteng Tigers and Free State and Northern Cape who face relegation, having to compete without their top player, Lumien Orton who was not available for selection.

In the B Inter-Provincial , teams of four players competed in two sections. Eastern Cape won Section 1, losing only one match. Southern Cape were runners-up with one win and two drawn matches, Mpumalanga was third and the luckless Limpopo team finished last.

Section two of this division was won by Western Province B, Border were runners up, followed by Gauteng North Blommies and finally Boland B.

Veteran Gilly Tebbutt presented a trophy for the WGSA top ranked player at the end of Inter-Provincial each year and the first recipient was Connie Chen who moved to the top of the ranking on 1 September.

After prize-giving, WGSA celebrated the 50^th year of Inter-Provincial and was honoured to welcome two players who won the very first IPT in 1961, Bern Tribelhorn and Felicity Jameson. Gilly Tebbutt, a veteran of 37 Inter-Provincials and 38 SA Amateurs was also invited as were past SALGU/WGSA Secretary Vivian Horak, and past SALGU/WGSA President Alma Truss.

A video of the past 50 years of Inter-Provincial tournaments, which had been compiled by SU Quirk, was shown and photographs of teams over the years was on display.

The South African team leaving next week to compete in the World Amateur Teams Championship, Kim Williams, Connie Chen, Captain Sandra Winter, Coach Val Holland and Manager Erica Lefson were joined by Ashleigh Simon as they were sent on their way with a video and musical tribute – Ambition Argentina.

The 2011 Pick n Pay Inter Provincial will be played at George Golf Club from 18 to 23 September.