SA cements lead at All Africa Teams

11 October 2017 – Clayton Mansfield, Matt Saulez and Malcolm Mitchell stretched South Africa’s overnight lead in the All Africa Golf Team Championships to keep the country’s title defence on track at Elephant Hills Golf Club in Zimbabwe.

The KwaZulu-Natal trio combined for seven-under-par 199 in Wednesday’s second round to increase the team’s advantage in the 15-nation biennial event to 19 strokes.

“We had a pretty good day,” said Mitchell, who anchored the team for a second day running with a four under 68. Durban Country Club duo Mansfield and Saulez contributed respective rounds of 70 and 71 to push South Africa’s tally to 12 under 420.

“It’s nice to be playing some really good golf in a great championship,” Mitchell said. Clay was really pleased to add value to the team after not scoring in the first round.

“Garrick (Higgo) battled a little today for a non-counting 77.  The good thing about this format is that it leaves room for one player to have that one bad round. But Garrick is a quality player, though, so no doubt he will turn it around.”
Saulez added: “We have a great team spirit going and we all get along fantastically. It’s always great representing one’s country and we have enjoyed meeting loads of new people.”

South African Golf Association vice-president Naadir Agherdien was impressed by the team’s determination to succeed.

“The lads really made us proud so far,” he said. “They never give up and they turned adversity into opportunity out there on a difficult course in scorching conditions today.”

Egypt held on to second spot in the team competition with a second round 220 and Zimbabwe leapfrogged Reunion and Kenya to move into third on 440 after David Amm, Tonderayi Masunga and Rasheed Mohammed combined for a round of 215.

Mitchell retained the top spot in the Individual Competition at nine under 135.

The Kloof Country Club golfer leads by five from Alexandre Lasalarie and is six strokes clear of Issa Abu Al Ela from Egypt and Zimbabwe’s David Amm, who fired a 67.

Teams Leaderboard – Round 2
420 South Africa 211 209
439 Egypt 219 220
440 Zimbabwe 225 215
441 Reunion 222 221
446 Swaziland 226 220
454 Tunisia 229 225
455 Zambia 226 229
456 Kenya 224 232
461 Uganda 236 225
463 Mauritius 230 233
468 Ghana 228 240
469 Namibia 239 230
474 Tanzania 240 234
478 Botswana 234 244
514 Angola 254 260

Individual Leaderboard – Round 2 (top 10)
135 Malcolm Mitchell RSA 67 68
140 Alexandre Lasalarie REU 69 71
141 Issa Abu Al Ela EGY 71 72; David Amm ZIM 76 67
144 Alfred Nandwa KEN 71 73
145 Garrick Higgo RSA 68 77; Mandla Dlamini Jnr SWZ 75 70
146 Maged Adb El Tawab EGY 73 73
147 Matt Saulez RSA 76 71; Rakesh Channoo MUS 73 74; Denmarck Mulambo ZAM 73 74; Tonderayi Masunga ZIM 73 74
(148 Clayton Mansfield RSA 78 70)

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of GolfRSA, a SAGA and WGSA Not-For-Profit company.