South Africa retains AACT Championship Trophy
The South African Team of Lumien Orton, Tiffany Avern-Taplin and Henriette Frylinck successfully defended the All African Challenge Trophy championship played in Abuja, Nigeria this week when they finished on 440, 34 strokes ahead of Tanzania on 474. Henriette won the Individual Championship when she posted rounds of 78, 71, 79 (219), with Tiffany runner-up on 224, former South African Match Play Champion Nobuhle Dlamini in third place on 225 and Lumien Orton fourth on 228.
As expected, South Africa dominated from the first round but the girls played very well in intense 40 degree heat and without the home comforts to which they are accustomed. The course had been hollow tined two weeks before the event and it took the first round to get used to the extremely slow greens.
Manager Erica Lefson reported after round one when Henriette, Lumien and Tiffany had carded 78, 79 and 77 respectively. “The course is great – sort of tropical Durban with buffalo type grass on the fairways. Same grass in the rough but here, because of the coarseness of the grass it does grab the club and so a bit difficult to get out of.
“The draw for our girls were with players in each of their groups who shot over 50’s on the first nine and two who did not break 100. All this this is a test of character – I know that from the second round they will be playing with the other top players.”
Scores did improve in the second and third rounds – Henriette 71, 70; Lumien 77, 72; and Tiffany 72, 75.
Nobuhle Dlamini played well – 76, 76, 73 but with no support from other team members, Swaziland finished way back in the team event. Similarly, Claire Minter from Zimbabwe carded 77, 81, 77, but they did manage to finish in third place behind South Africa and Tanzania.
Other players who have competed in South Africa were Botswana Junior, Ouname Mhotsha 87, 81, 82; and Tanzania’s Hawa Wanache 85, 75, 74 and Madina Hussein 81, 78, 81. These played will be invited to compete in the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship in 2011.