SA Amateur Championship to be split on 2012

Women’s Golf South Africa has announced that from 2012, the Sanlam Women’s Amateur Championship will be separated into two events – the 54-hole stroke play championship to be played at Umhlali Country Club from 15 to 17 April and the match play championship which will be hosted by Benoni Country Club from 8 to 11 July.

Pictured are the 2011 Champions Kim Williams (Stroke Play) and Iliska Verwey (Match Play).

The sponsor for the past seven years, Sanlam’s Gary van Loggerenberg is happy with the split and agrees that this is step forward and good for women’s golf. And with the match play event being played over four days, including Sunday, more players will be encouraged to enter both championships. It was agreed to host one at the coast and one inland every year to give as many In the players as possible an opportunity to participate.

The match play event with only one division will commence with a 36-hole qualifier on the Sunday which will be awarded ranking points. 64 Players will qualify and the 32 first round losers will contest a plate event. The championship plate and plate finals will be played on Wednesday afternoon, and losing semi-finalists in each event will play for third and fourth places.

Earlier this year at Rustenburg Golf Club, the stroke play championship was won by Kim Williams and the match play by Iliska Verwey. As both these players will be attending the LET Q-school in December, it is likely that new South African women’s champions will emerge at both these tournaments.

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