Gauteng North hunting double glory at Maccauvlei

No province has managed to lift both the Swiss Teams Trophy and Challenge Trophy in the same event since the B-Division was introduced to the 72 Hole Teams Championship at Wingate Park in 2008.

However, at the 54-hole mark, Gauteng North A is well on their way to claim their fourth successive A-Division title to this prestigious annual national team competition, while Gauteng C is in with a chance to rewrite women’s amateur golf history and celebrate a double victory, providing they can come out ahead of their B-Division co-leaders, Limpopo.

To add insult to injury, defending champions Gauteng North A lead Gauteng North B in the fight for the Swiss Teams Trophy and, if the status quo remains, the province could even claim a one-two finish in the A-Division on Wednesday.

Skipper Kim Williams fired rounds of 72 and 70 keep Gauteng North A in ascendency, combining with Magda Kruger (74) in round two and Nobuhle Dlamini (72) in the third for rounds of 146 and 142 to give them a 54-hole team total at three-under-par 433.

The defending champions are 16 shots clear from Gauteng North B, and 24 shots ahead of Western Province in third.

In the B-Section, overnight leaders Gauteng North C will start the final round in a tie with Limpopo on 477. The pacesetters are four shots clear of Gauteng C and 14 ahead Free State and Northern Cape.

Sylvia Masango (77) and Eugenie Clack (79) combined for a second round 156, but a third round 168 from Clack (80) and Helena Buitendag (88) left the door wide open for Limpopo to join glory battle.

Lynn-Marie Nagel carded rounds of 76 and 74, while Megan Bisset produced an 80 and 81 for a second round 156 and third round 155 and boost Limpopo into contention.

Meanwhile Dlamini, who opened with a 69, continued to lead the individual standings after rounds of 74 and 72. The country’s number one ranked amateur tops the leaderboard at four-under-par, three shots clear of defending champion Williams and nine ahead of Gauteng North B’s Carrie Park in third.

JUNIORS SHINE

In the field of 72 participants, nearly half the players are under 18. The A-Division drew 11 juniors, while 21 juniors are competing in the B-Division.

The fact that three of these juniors rank inside the top 10 in the individual standings at the 54-hole mark is a measure of the developing talent in South Africa.

Western Province junior Ji Sun Kang shares fourth with Gauteng’s Lara Weinstein on 225, while juniors Bianca Theron from Boland and Gauteng North A’s Magda Kruger, who are tied for seventh on 228.

Click HERE for Team Scoring

Click HERE for the Individual Standings

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