Gauteng North primed for 72 Hole title defence

Nothing inspires a team more than owning a slice of history, so little wonder that Kim Williams, Nobuhle Dlamini and Magda Kruger are relishing their Swiss Teams Trophy title defence at the 72 Hole Teams Championship at Maccauvlei Golf Club from 27 – 29 May.

The victorious trio last year, Williams, Dlamini and Kruger are primed to chase down Gauteng North’s sixth successive victory in the A-Division.

“If you look at the past winners and the players who competed and won in this event, you see the names of some of South Africa’s top players, like Laurette Mauritz, Val Holland, Gilly Tebbut, Ashleigh Simon and Lee-Anne Pace,” said Williams. “Nobby, Magda and I want to be part of that winner’s circle in a tournament with so much history and prestige.”

Williams, who will captain the Gauteng A, B and C teams, declared the A-team primed for action.

“We have won the Pick ‘n Pay Inter-Provincial six times in a row and we want to do the same in this tournament,” Williams said. “We are aiming for an even dozen and we are ready for the challenge.”

The captain clinched the Governor’s Trophy as the leading player in the Individual Competition in last year’s event. . In comparison to her team mates, Williams has enjoyed some success this season, although she has entered less tournaments than her team mates. Yet, this gives her no cause to worry.

“Nobby and Magda are in great form and I know they will have my back,” she said. “We really play for each other and, if one of us is struggling, the other two step up to the plate.”

Kruger, with a handful of top 10 and top five finishes, comes into the event on the back of a strong performance in the Regional All-Africa Trophy Challenge, where her first and second round scores gave the victorious SA team a huge boost.

Dlamini, who won the Sanlam SA Stroke Play Championship by 12 strokes in April, collected her seventh title this season at the Gauteng 54-Hole Match Play earlier in May. She also carried the Swaziland team in the international event.

Williams said the defending champions are under no illusions about the tough week ahead.

“No-one is just going to give us the title; they will make us work for it and there are a few teams that will pose a really strong challenge,” she said.

Posted in