Province ready to pursue more Indwe SA IPT glory
Western Province will be looking to extend their incredible INDWE SA Senior Amateur Inter-Provincial record when the 28th edition of the prestigious senior team championship tees off from 12-15 April.
The Seniors and Super Seniors teams are champing at the bit to exert their dominance at this year’s matches at the Wanderers Golf Club after last year’s double A-Section celebration at the Ebotse Links.
Mark Hair, Ivan Palframan, Tim Hewan and new cap Anton Bezuidenhout have been tasked to chase down an unprecedented sixth consecutive title in the Super Senior Division.
Herman September – the fourth member of last year’s victorious Super Senior side – has been drafted to the senior team, who is gunning for a fifth victory in six years.
Japie Koopman, Andrew Cleophas, Tony Bailey, Brian Mampies, Francois le Roux and Craig Poulton return for duty alongside September, while Hugo Calitz completes the line-up for the five-time champions.
Province manager John Winter believes the key to the double success in Benoni was the single-minded determination from every player to see Province to a podium finish.
“The 2015 matches were very tightly contested, but our players all kept a cool head under pressure and kept their focus on the end goal,” said Winter.
“It gets tougher each year to keep the purple patch going, but I have a lot of confidence in the two teams that will line up for Province this year. They know what to expect and they know how to handle themselves under pressure. There is also ample experience in both sides to guide the new caps.”
Central Gauteng dominated the championship between 2002 and 2011 with 11 victories, but Western Province have established an impressive record in the last six years.
INDWE Risk Services managing director Peter Olyott believes this fantastic rivalry will add to the intensity in the 2016 INDWE SA Senior Amateur Inter-Provincial.
“There is great anticipation ahead of this year’s championship,” Olyott said.
“We expect the host union to try and capitalize on their home course advantage, but the Western Province have shown incredible resolve to stay in the pound seats and we expect both teams to put up a great fight.
“The Eastern Province played their way back into the A-Section last year and will try to make the most of their promotion. And the rest of the teams – Ekurhuleni, Gauteng North, KwaZulu-Natal, Southern Cape and the North West Province – will also hope to spoil the party for Western Province and Central Gauteng.
“While Western Province and Central Gauteng look strong on paper, inter-provincial contests are notoriously unpredictable and often kick up a surprise winner and the battle for supremacy promises fierce contests and great excitement.”
Meanwhile Mpumalanga will line-up against Boland, Free State, Limpopo and Northern Cape in the B-Division at Killarney Country Club in a bid to reverse their demotion at the Ebotse Links last year.
The format for all the divisions in the 28th Indwe SA Senior Amateur Inter-Provincial will be foursomes and singles over four rounds of competition.
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association.