Kim is WGSA’s Golfer of the Year

At the annual general meeting of Women’s Golf South Africa held after the first round of the 2012 Sanlam SA Amateur championships, top ranked Kim Williams was awarded the inaugural WGSA Golfer of the Year. She is pictured here receiving her trophy from WGSA Vice-President Karen Olivant.

Lara Weinstein won the WGSA Junior Golfer of the year, Izel Pieters received the most improved senior golfer of the year and Mae Cornforth the most improved junior.

Kim successfully defended the SA Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2011 and won the following provincial stroke play championships in 2011 – Eastern Cape, Border, Gauteng, Gauteng North and Boland. She was runner-up in the Western Province, KwaZulu Natal, Free State and Northern Cape, Nomads Gauteng, Southern Cape and Mpumalanga stroke play championships. She also won the Gauteng North and Boland match play championships.

She captained the Gauteng North team, current holders of both the Pick n Pay Interprovincial Championship (team member of the winning team for the last five years) and the WGSA 72 hole Teams Championships won by her team in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

She participated in the 2011 Ladies British Open Amateur Championship and was one of only two South Africans who qualified for the Match Play where she dismissed Valerie Sternebeck from Germany in the first round 4/3, Myrte Eikenaar of the Netherlands in the second round 7/5, Stephanie Meadow, local favourite at Royal Portrush 4/3, and bowed out in the quarter finals to top English player, Amy Boulden.

Kim was a member of the team of five who represented South Africa at the Astor Trophy held at Fairhaven Golf Club in England which is contested every four years between teams from Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. She was the only South African player to win all of her singles matches.

In addition, she represented South Africa at The Spirit played at Whispering Pines in Texas in November 2011 for the second time and finished as WGSA’s top ranked player for every month in 2011 and 2012.

The Junior Golfer of the Year, Lara Weinstein topped the SA Junior Ranking for the past year and, after an indifferent 2011, has had a spectacular start to 2012, despite being in her matric year.

She won both the Border and KwaZulu Natal stroke play championship, the international SA KeNako Junior Series and various junior championships. She was also the first girl to win a Glacier Junior Series event, thus qualifying for the final later in the year.

Most improved senior player izel Pieters moved 17 positions up the WGSA Senior Ranking and Mae Cornforth moved 11 places on the Juniuor Ranking.

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