Strong international contingent for 2011 SA Stroke Play
Players from six countries are amongst the 260 entries received for the 2011 South African Stroke Play Championship, the South African Golf Association (SAGA) announced today.
The 72 hole stroke play championship, open to male amateur golfers, is being played from 8 to 11 February 2011 at the Mt Edgecombe Country Club’s number one golf course which is located just outside Durban.
Ten entries have been submitted by amateur golfers from Scotland, six from France, two from Zimbabwe and New Zealand respectively. “A number of individual players have entered from Kenya, the United States and even a Spanish national,” said Bruce Younge.
“The Scots will play a test match against a South African team at Leopard Creek early in March,” is the reason for a such a large number of entries from one country according to Younge.
Prior to the commencement of the SA Stroke Play Championship, a six man team representing South Africa will play the French. “Our two countries play each other in an annual test match, on a reciprocal basis – home and away,” said Younge of the French entry.
There are 98 players exempt from qualifying for the SA Stroke Play Championship. They include most of the foreign entries along with the leading South African amateurs.
“We have eight venues around the country staging qualifying rounds in which 162 non exempt players will be playing for 46 spots in the field,” pointed out Younge. “These are played over 18 holes of stroke play and are staged by the provincial union of which the venue is a member.”
The qualifying rounds are as follows:
9 Jan – George Golf Club (Southern Cape) 11 qualifiers for 3 spots (10th Alternate)
11 Jan – Glenvista Country Club (Central Gauteng) 43 qualifiers for 11 spots (1st and 5th Alternate)
11 Jan – Irene Country Club (Gauteng North) 35 qualifiers for 10 spots (2nd and 6th Alternate)
11 Jan – Lake Club Benoni (Ekurhuleni) 20 qualifiers for 6 spots (9th Alternate)
16 Jan – Bluff National Park G.C. (Kwazulu-Natal) 20 qualifiers for 6 spots (3rd and 7th Alternate)
16 Jan – Bloemfontein Golf Club (Free State & Northern Cape) 7 qualifiers for 2 spots
18 Jan – Wellington Golf Club (Boland) 20 qualifiers for 6 spots (4th and 8th Alternate)
21 Jan – East London Golf Club (Border) 6 qualifiers for 2 spots.
The ‘Alternates’ are the players who fail to qualify however should there be a withdrawal from the main event, these players will be entitled to participate in order of the withdrawals taking place.