Izel Pieters to visit Ernie at The Bear Club in 2012

At the recent Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation Inaugural Awards Dinner, Izel Pieters was thrilled to be told that she and three SA boys will be spending time with Ernie Els at his home in the USA next year. She is pictured here with the other award winners, Kirsten Campbell (left) and Kim Daniels.

A major incentive has come the way of members of the EEFF. Ernie has decided that he would like to give four players the opportunity to come and spend some time with him in America where he lives at the Bear’s Club, Jupiter, Florida.

The trip, which will take place early next year, will give members the opportunity to meet Ernie, spend some time with him, practice at one of the best golf facilities in America and play some of the top golf courses in Florida. Surely an experience our young golfers will never forget! “The facilities here at the Bear’s Club are incredible, at least up to Tour standard,” comments Ernie, “and the golf course is fantastic. I’m sure it will inspire our young golfers and I look forward to welcoming them here.”

The Board of Directors looked at the following criteria for selection: Performance on the golf course, Performance at school, Commitment and dedication to the programme and ambassadorship for the EEFF.

The four members who will visit Ernie are:

Shaun Smith, Mojalefa Xaba, Dylan Raubenheimer and Izel Pieters.Three girls receive awards at the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation

The Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation held their inaugural Annual Awards Dinner at the Ernie Els Winery on 22 October. All members had enjoyed 18 holes at De Zalze in the afternoon, playing an alliance – so had some fun for a change.

Sylvia Masango from Gauteng North gave a very polished welcome to all the guests, and WGSA President, Cynthia Rayner was delighted that girls were recipients of awards in each category.

Four honours awards were received by members who work hard and strive for excellence in golf and school. One of these was Kim Daniels who received the International Rotary Club Youth Merit Award for outstanding performances at school and in golf.

She finished 3rd at WP Open (junior section), won the SA Girls’ Rosebowl, won the EP/Border Championship, captained Eastern Cape senior side and is being awarded SA Federation colours when she represents SA at the 2011 Albatross World Junior Golf Championship in India in November.

The Dr Hasso Plattner Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement was received by Kirsten Campbell from Gauteng. She is in Grade 10 at St Andrew’s School for Girls in Johannesburg and averaged 82% for her first two terms. She averaged over 80% in 4 subjects: Life Orientation (83%), Mathematics (87%), Geography (90%) and Accounting (87%).

Izel Pieters was one of two members to receive the Distinction Award Awarded to members who excel at golf and school, and who have received Protea colours and achieved good marks at school.

She was selected for the first team at Nelspruit High School and for the Mpumalanga High Schools team, is Club champion Sabie River Bungalow Golf Club, won is the EEFF girls champion for the second time, was selected for Mpumalanga Women’s Golf Team, represented Mpumalanga in the Inter Provincial, was placed third in the SA Girls’ Rosebowl at Clovelly and runner-up in KZN Junior Championship, was third in the Nomads Gauteng Stroke Play Championship and is currently second on the SA Junior Women’s golf ranking.

Izel respresented South Africa at the Harder German Junior Masters where she finished 10th, she was runner-up in the Hex Albatross Junior Tournament in India last December and received SA Protea colours for representing SA in the Annika Sorenstam tournament and the Girls British Junior Open Amateur in Scotland.

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