SA make positive start at All Africa
Garrick Higgo, Matt Saulez, Clayton Mansfield and Malcolm Mitchell in action during round 1 of the All-Africa Golf Team Championship at Elephant Hills Resort in Zimbabwe
10 October 2017 – Malcolm Mitchell and Garrick Higgo combined for a fantastic nine under par in the opening round of the All Africa Golf Team Championships to get South Africa’s title defence of to a fast start in Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
A total of 15 nations started the prestigious biennial event at the Victoria Falls.
Coming off his third successive Ekurhuleni Open victory, Mitchell from KwaZulu-Natal was in blistering form and led the team with a superb five-under-par 67 at the Elephant Hills Golf Club.
Junior Presidents Cup standout Higgo from Boland was equally impressive with a four under 68 and Matt Saulez from KwaZulu-Natal added 76 to boost to the defending champions to the top of the pile at five under 211.
New cap Clayton Mansfield, also from KwaZulu-Natal, returned a non-counting 78.
South Africa will carry an eight stroke lead over Egypt into the second round. Reunion finished in third on 222 and Kenya finished two further strokes adrift. The host nation combined for 225 to finish in fifth.
Mitchell leads the Individual Competition by one shot from Higgo.
Alexandre Lasalarie from Reunion in third on three under 69, while Alfred Nandwa from Kenya and Egyptian Issa Abu Al Ela also broke par with a pair of 71s.
Teams Leaderboard – Round 1
211 South Africa
219 Egypt
222 Reunion
224 Kenya
225 Zimbabwe
226 Zambia; Swaziland
228 Ghana
229 Tunisia
230 Mauritius
234 Botswana
236 Uganda
239 Namibia
240 Tanzania
254 Angola
Individual Leaderboard – Round 1 (top 20)
67 Malcolm Mitchell RSA
68 Garrick Higgo RSA
69 Alexandre Lasalarie REU
71 Alfred Nandwa KEN; Issa Abu Al Ela EGY
72 Edwin Madigela BOT
73 Maxwell Owusu Bonsu GHA; Rakesh Channoo MUS; Denmarck Mulambo ZAM; Maged Adb El Tawab EGY; Tonderayi Masunga ZIM
74 Edwin Mudanyl KEN
75 Kwabena Opoku GHA; James Pennington ZIM; Mandla Dlamini Jnr SWZ; Antoine Sale REU; Abdel Monelm Shafei EGY; Farez Abd El Aziz EGY
76 Kelly Tembo ZAM; Sifso Vilane SWZ; Elyes Barhoumi TUN; Nizar Barhoumi TUN; Matt Saulez RSA; David Amm ZIM; Tatenda Makunde ZIM; Richard Mtweve TZA
(78 Clayton Mansfield RSA)
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of GolfRSA, a SAGA and WGSA Not-For-Profit company.