National Team to play France announced
The South African Golf Association (SAGA) announced an eight man team to take on France in a test match on 25 and 26 February 2009 today.
The annual test match between the two countries will be played, this year, at the new Euphoria Estate golf course outside Naboomspruit in the Waterberg, some 200kms north of Johannesburg.
The team is (in alphabetical order): Coenie Bester (Mpumalanga), Derik Ferreira (Gauteng North), Steven Ferreira (Central Gauteng), Adrian Ford (Western Province), Dean O’Riley (Ekurhuleni), Jake Redman (Southern Cape), Nicol van Wyk (Western Province) and Steve Williams (Central Gauteng). The non travelling reserve is Leon-Brink Knoll (Gauteng North).
“This side is a good blend between young and experienced,” said Enver Hassen, the SAGA President, team manager and convenor of the SAGA Selection Committee. “Half the team are under the age of twenty, so we decided to include some of the older players, especially those with experience at international level. I believe this team will give a good account of itself when we take on the French.”
There are three new caps in the side, they are Coenie Bester, Steven Ferreira and Jake Redman.
Although the French have not selected their top ranked players according to the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), it does not imply that the South Africans will have things their own way.
The French team includes Frederic Abadie, Julien Brun, Edouard Espana, Stanislas Gautier, Jerome Lando Casanova, Johann Lopez-Lazaro, Mayel Oueid Es Cheiku and Kevin Turlan.
“Last year we went into the test match, in France, clear favourites if one considered the WAGR of each player in the two teams. We lost that test, not by much, but nonetheless we lost. So we will not be putting too much emphasis on rankings this time round,” quipped Hassen.
The first day of the test match will be played as foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon. The final day, which is Wednesday (26 February), will be the same as the first day.
“In 2007 we beat the French in Port Elizabeth. Last year we lost away. This year we hope to win back the trophy,” said an upbeat team manager.
The assistant team manager is Neil Homann, the assistant executive director of the SAGA and former SA Amateur Stroke Play champion.