Earle tirumphs at Sanlam Cancer Challenge Final
Desiree Earle won the Women’s Overall and A Division titles in this year’s Sanlam Cancer Challenge National Final at Sun City.
The 43-year-old Earle claimed both titles with her 72 points over 36 holes, scoring 38 points at the Lost City Golf Club and 34 points at the Gary Player Country Club.
“This is my second time playing in the National Final and I actually can’t believe I won,” said Earle, a seven handicap.
With her father Ray an institution at Polokwane Golf Club, Earle grew up playing golf alongside the likes of Retief Goosen.
“I was 13 when I started,” she said. “Retief was a year ahead of me and we played together as juniors.”
Earle went on to play provincial golf for Limpopo, and her victory in this event was an emotional one.
“My mother died of cancer 20 years ago, so this feels like a tribute to her.”
Eastern Province’s Imkeleen Meyer tied for second in the A-Division and Overall categories with Anne Jocelyn Riemer.
The 19-year-old Port Elizabeth amateur opened with 35 at Lost City and scored 34 on the final day, while Riemer posted scores of 39 and 30.
A total of 100 golfers from around South Africa took part in the National Final.
It was the culmination of a series that began in March with club competitions at 438 golf clubs and contested by over 35 000 golfers, and then regional competitions to determine the golfers who qualified for the National Final.
This is the 22nd anniversary of a series that annually raises money for the Cancer Association of South African (CANSA), and which this year raised a record R3,307,990.
For more information go to www.sanlamcancerchallenge.co.za
FINAL RESULTS – OVERALL WOMEN (top 10)
72 Desiree Earle 38 34
69 Imkeleen Meyer 35 34; Anne Jocelyn Riemer 39 30
67 Annerle Coetzee 36 31
66 Jane Grey 30 36; Margie Warwick 35 31; Lourina Vermeulen 36 30
65 Pearl Steyn 31 34; Priscilla Petersen 32 33; Gill Baxter 35 30
FINAL RESULTS – A-DIVISION (top 5)
72 Desiree Earle 38 34
69 Imkeleen Meyer 35 34; Anne Jocelyn Riemer 39 30
67 Annerle Coetzee 36 31
66 Margie Warwick 35 31
FINAL RESULTS – B-DIVISION (top 5)
66 Lourina Vermeulen 36 30
65 Gill Baxter 35 30
64 Trish Leach 36 28; Leonie Brandt 36 28
61 Veena Kanji 28 33; Lizel Meyer 28 33; Christa Prinsloo 32 29
FINAL RESULTS – C-DIVISION (top 5)
66 Jane Grey 30 36
65 Priscilla Petersen 32 33
63 Liezel Albrecht 31 32
59 Lyn Rossouw 32 27
58 Tasmin Pepper 32 26
45 Petro Swart 21 24
PHOTO – 2014 Sanlam Cancer Challenge National Final – Women’s divisional prize winners.
From left to right: Gill Baxter, Jane Grey, Desi Earle, Priscilla Petersen, Liezel Albrecht, Imkeleen Meyer, Lourina Vermeulen, Anne Riemer and Trish Leach; credit Dominic Barnardt / SPORTZPICS
Written by Michael Vlismas; Michael Vlismas Media; edited by Lali Stander for WGSA.