Ekurhuleni throws down gauntlet in SA Women’s IPT

Ekurhuleni duo Caitlyn Macnab and Nadia van der Westhuizen with Nicola Schoeman and Emily Jones from Mpumalanga during the A-Division Seeding Round of the 59th South African Women’s Inter-Provincial at Riviera on Vaal Golf and Country Club; credit GolfRSA.

24 September 2019 – Ekurhuleni made a strong case for their title defence with a dominant start in Tuesday’s Seeding Round at the 59th SA Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship in Vereeniging.

The 2018 champions faced the stiff breeze at Riviera on Vaal Golf and Country Club head on in the morning foursomes to open up a 10 shot lead.

South Africa’s number one ranked Caitlyn Macnab and Nadia van der Westhuizen combined for four-under-par 68, while 14-year-old Kiera Floyd and Sarah Bouch posted an even-par 72 to lead the morning session on four-under 140.

In the afternoon singles, Ekurhuleni stretched their advantage over 2017 champions Western Province A to a 23-shot victory, combining for a winning total of 356.

Macnab once again led the way with a six-under par 66, while Floyd carded 67, Van der Westhuizen 70 and Bouch 72. Kyra van Kan shot 81 and Teagan Lubbe returned a non-counting 83.

“We didn’t go out there with a score-orientated goal,” said Macnab. “The message was to play solid golf, to keep it in play and to have some fun. We are encouraged to play to our own strengths and to determine our own scores, and that strategy paid off well for us at Devonvale last year.

“We set ourselves just one goal and that was to win the seeding round, and I am incredibly proud of the team for getting it done. Of course, once we start the match play stage, the slate is wiped clean, so we’ll enjoy this small victory tonight and come out fresh for the first battle on Wednesday.”

The Jean Tindall Memorial Trophy champions will go up against Western Province A, Gauteng and Boland in the top draw of the A-Division, while Gauteng North, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Southern Cape will battle for glory in the bottom draw.

Western Province A carded rounds of 150 and 369, while Gauteng secured third place on 523 with rounds of 154 and 369 and Boland rounded out the top draw on 553 with rounds of 153 and 380.

The first round of the match play stage with see Ekurhuleni face Boland and Western Province A take on Gauteng, while Gauteng North meets Southern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal battle last year’s B-Section champions Mpumalanga.

Western Province B won the Seeding Round to lift the Nolan Karp Trophy in the 59th South African Women’s Inter-Provincial at Riviera on Vaal Golf and Country Club; credit GolfRSA.

B-DIVISION
The four-strong Western Province B team also had reason to celebrate after Zilke Bal, Isabella van Rooyen, Bobbi Brown and Anita Chen to lifted the Nolan Karp Trophy.

The young quartet carded two rounds of 80 in the foursomes for a score of 160 and added 229 in the singles, with Brown carding 74, Bal 76 and Van Rooyen 79 to edge out the WGSA Invitation Team by 11 shots on a winning score of 389.

Nicole Strydom and Kaylan Boshoff from Ekurhuleni posted 80 and Kim Turgut and Tebogo Lefifi carded 82 in the foursomes to put the WGSA Invitational Team on attack and secured second with a total of 236 in the singles.

Border on 408 and North West on 417 completed the top draw, while Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Province and Limpopo will battle each other in the bottom draw.

The first round of the match play stage – and the start of the promotion battle – will see Western Province B go head-to-head with North West and the WGSA Invitation Team battle Border.

In the bottom order, Free State play Limpopo and Northern Cape take on Eastern Province.

A-SECTION RESULT
496 – Ekurhuleni
519 – Western Province A
523 – Gauteng
533 – Boland
555 – Gauteng North
558 – KwaZulu-Natal
560 – Mpumalanga
570 – Southern Cape

B-SECTION
389 – Western Province B
398 – WGSA Invitation Team
408 – Border
417 – North West
436 – Free State
437 – Northern Cape
438 – Eastern Province
449 – Border

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of GolfRSA.