WGSA announces Team for Espirito Santo Trophy

Women’s Golf South Africa has pleasure in announcing the team to represent South Africa at the World Amateur Team Championships to be played at the Gloria Golf Club in Antalya, Turkey from 27 to 30 September 2012.

The team is Bertine Strauss, Alana van Greuning and Kim Williams. Accompanying them will be non-playing Captain, Sandra Winter, and National Coach, Val Holland, with WGSA President Cynthia Rayner as Manager. Pictured here are two of the players, Alana van Greuning and Kim Williams.

The women will be competing for the Espirito Santo Trophy which was won in 2006 when the event was hosted by South Africa at de Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs.

Experienced Kim Williams has held the SA top amateur ranking for more than two years and represented South Africa at the following championships

  • The two previous WATC events in Australia in 2008 and Argentina in 2010
  • The Spirit in 2009 and 2011. This is a biennial event played at Whispering Pines in Florida
  • The Mexican Amateur Championships in 2010
  • The Astor Trophy in England in 2011
  • The All Africa Challenge Trophy in Botswana in 2012

Bertine Strauss, currently at college in the USA, represented SA as a junior on many occasions and was also SA’s top-ranked junior. She received her Senior Protea Colours at the Astor Trophy played in England in 2011. She recently won the Botswana Ladies Open Championship played at Gaberone – see photo below.

The third member of the team, Alana van Greuning received her Protea Colours earlier this year when she represented SA at the All Africa Challenge Trophy in Botswana. This event was won by South Africa.

Sandra Winter has been selected as non-playing captain since SA’s great victory in 2006 but received her Protea colours as a player representing SA in the All Africa Challenge Trophy in the Ivory Coast in 2003, The Five Nations Commonwealth Trophy (now known as the Astor Trophy) in New Zealand in 2003 and the WATC in Puerto Rico on 2004.

Val Holland has been National Coach since 2006 and her contribution as coach, organiser and mentor is invaluable to the team.

With practice rounds from 23 to 26 September, the players depart on 19 September, enabling them to acclimatize in Turkey.

The women’s championship will be played on the old and new Gloria courses while the men’s Eisenhower Trophy is at Antalya Golf Club (Sultan Course) and Cornelia Golf Club after the completion of the women’s Espirito Santo Trophy. All four courses have Bermuda grass on all tees, fairways, rough, putting greens and collars.

A Gala Dinner for all participants, women and men, will be held in conjunction with the closing ceremony of the Espirito Santo Trophy on Sunday 30 September and the women depart on the following day.

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