SA Team departs for the Astor Trophy .

The Protea team is on the way to compete against Great Britain and Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for the Lady Astor Trophy at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes, this month. The players are from left to right Iliska Verwey, Bertine Strauss, Kim Williams, Henriëtte Frylinck and Tiffany Avern Taplin.

The South African players, together with Manager Cynthia Rayner, departed from OR Tambo last night en route to Belfast, Northern Ireland where the players will compete in the British Open Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club from 7 – 11 June before moving on to Lancashire for the Astor Trophy. There they will then be joined by non-playing Captain Sandra Winter and Coach Val Holland.

The Astor Trophy was formerly the 5 Nations Commonwealth Tournament and was last played in South Africa at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club in 2007. Both Iliska Verwey and Bertine Strauss were part of that team, together with Ashleigh Simon, Kelli Shean and Stacy Bregman.

The event is played every four years between Great Britain and Ireland (current holders of the Lady Astor Trophy), Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. This year’s tournament will be played from 13 to 19 June at Fairhaven Golf Club in England, immediately after British Open Amateur Championships.

The team match consists of two foursomes and five singles, each played over 18 holes – foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon. South African has once again put forward a proposal to increase the team to six players, allowing all players to compete in the foursomes.

Foursomes is an important part of this match play event and Great Britain and their Curtis Cup players prove that “well oiled” partnerships put points on the board. South Africa finished third in 2007 but hopes to bring the Trophy back home this year.