Mareli and Gina represent Tuks at Student Match Play Championships
The Students Matchplay Championships was held for the fourth time on June 19-20, 2009 on the Wittelsbacher GC Rohrenfeld-Neuburg Championchip Course of HRH Duke Max of Bavaria north of Munich/Germany. The 54-hole competition was decided by stroke play qualification on the first day and match play finals on the second day. Participation was limited to 26 university teams.
Mareli Joubert reports, “Although our team had the lowest handicaps it was just once again proven that a handicap only determine your tee off time and can’t guarantee a good score. The course was different in some aspects – especially the length of some of the par 4’s and par 5’s for the ladies – it was interesting standing on the 18th hole which played a tad over 500m from the ladies tees!!
“University of Pretoria finished 10th – we certainly would’ve liked to be able to compete for the title but the format of the tournament requires you to fire from the word go!”
The Birmingham Girls (ENG) placed first in the team stroke play qualification with 25 strokes over par (78, 81, 85: 244, Par 73), followed by Manchester (ENG) with 26 strokes over Par (79, 80, 80: 239, Par 71). Tied third place went to the 2008 German University Golf Champion Erlangen-Nürnberg with 28 strokes over par (79, 81, 81: 241, Par 71) and SM06-runner up Warwick (ENG) with 28 strokes over par (78, 79, 84: 241, Par 71). With the course set up and some green keeper revenge pin positions the average stroke play scores for the qualifying day was a few shots over par.
The Birmingham Girls (ENG) won their semi-finals vs. Warwick (ENG), Erlangen-Nürnberg (GER) defeated Manchester (ENG). Birmingham Girls (ENG) won the matchplay foursomes finals vs. Erlangen-Nürnberg (GER) 2/1 and 1up to win the tournament.