WGSA honours the 2014 Achievers

South Africa’s top ranked Ivanna Samu, Cara Gorlei and Chiara Contomathios were honoured at the Womens Golf South Africa Annual General Meeting held during the Sanlam SA Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Glendower Golf Club on Monday.

Western Province number one Gorlei received the annual WGSA Player of the Year award.

“In addition to several victories, Cara’s 2014 season was marked by superb consistency and she represented South Africa with honour on the international stage,” said WGSA president Karen Olivant.

“Cara will be leaving for the United States to take up a golf scholarship at the University of Arkansas in August and we wish her the very best in her golfing the future.”

Before she leaves for America, Gorlei will represent South Africa in the Regional All-Africa Trophy at Omeya Golf Estate in Windhoek from 27-30 April alongside Demi Flanagan from Border and Shawnelle de Lange from Gauteng.

Samu received the WGSA Junior Player of the Year award and the 16-year-old Ruimsig amateur was also named the Most Improved Senior Ranked Player of the Year.

“Ivanna had a breakthrough season in 2014,” Olivant said. “She underlined her growing status with her victory in the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship and claimed five further titles at Junior and Senior provincial level.

“She acquitted herself well in her debut for South Africa at the Astor Trophy in Australia and rose to the number one spot in the Senior and Junior Rankings.”

Fifteen-year-old Contomathios was awarded the WGSA Most Improved Junior Ranked Player.

“Chiara was tied 20th in the WGSA Junior Rankings at the end of March 2014, and has vaulted to sixth in the standings after a very strong season and recent victory in the Nomads SA Girl’s Rose Bowl Championship, where she held off the top ranked amateurs to triumph,” the president said.

“We are very proud of all our recipients, who worked extremely hard for these achievements and I hope they will inspire our even younger players to reach great heights.

Samu also received Protea Colours for representing South Africa in the prestigious Astor Trophy earlier this year alongside Eleonora Galletti from Gauteng, Ekurhuleni’s Lora Assad, Bertine Strauss from North West Province and Michaela Fletcher from KwaZulu-Natal.

Federation colours were awarded to De Lange from Gauteng and Danielle du Toit from Gauteng North, who claimed first and third respectively for South Africa in the 15-17 Age Division at the sixth Albatross Junior International in India in December.

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of Womens Golf South Africa.

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