PORT ELIZABETH (18 September 2012) – Southern Cape staged a spirited comeback to flatten Western Province the third round of the 55th South African Inter-Provincial, sponsored by Tempest, at Glendower Golf Club on Wednesday.
The resurgent Garden Route side won eight games and halved four to whip Province 10 – 2.
This lifted Southern Cape to second on four points behind log leaders Central Gauteng, who survived a tight tussle with Ekurhuleni to keep their title defence on track with a 7.5 – 4.5 result.
Boland also rebounded after two successive losses to win 7.5 – 4.5 against Eastern Province.
Southern Cape trumped Boland in their opening match, but came up short in their scrimmage against Ekurhuleni on Tuesday.
Team manager Billy Valentyn said the team discussed the loss and modified their attitude for the match against Province.
“We are a small union and we know each other really well, so we have to guard against an element of complacency,” he said
“We brought a lot of intensity to the Foursomes against Ekurhuleni, but we didn’t sustain it in the Singles and it cost us. The players committed to bring all their focus to the match against Province and they kept that intensity going throughout the Singles.”
Southern Cape won two Foursomes and halved the others to carry a 3 – 1 lead into the Singles.
“Ivan Williams is our IPT stalwart and his job is to get us that first point,” said Valentyn.
“Once again he delivered and pounded Michael Sherriff 6 & 5 to deliver the first crushing blow. The rest of the team picked up on his cue and took the fight to Province.”
Jovan Rebula licked Sean Bradley 3 & 2 and Cameron Moralee and Jade Buitendag pushed the team’s tally to seven with 2 & 1 wins.
“The remaining matches were extremely tight,” Valentyn said. “Andre (Nel) defeated Carlo O’Reilly 1-up and Nicholas (Mitchell) beat Altin van der Merwe at the 18th, as well.
“Franklin Manchest played his heart out to halve against Province skipper Werner Theart and Heinrich Frylinck kept up the pressure to halve with Gerlou Roux.
“It was really an outstanding performance from the entire team and we will need that same intensity against Central on Thursday. We’ve lost 6.5 – 5.5 to Central for the last two years, and it’s high time that we turn the tide. The gala is on.”
Central Gauteng also led 3 – 1 after the Foursomes and henchmen Jason Viljoen, Matthew Spacey and Darin de Smidt put the team five points ahead in the Singles.
Kyle McClatchie eliminated Ryan Dreyer 5 & 3 and Angus Ellis-Cole downed Marco Steyn 2 & 1 to breathe some fire into Ekurhuleni’s challenge, but the writing was on the wall when Andi Dill halved against Sentanio Minnie.
Rookie Basil Wright squared against Teagan Moore and David Meyers drove home Central’s three point triumph when he halved against Paul Boshoff.
After two successive losses, Boland came out gunning for victory against Eastern Province.
The side rallied to win three Foursomes and Daniel Mantel extended Boland’s advantage when he drew first blood in the Singles with a 5 & 4 win.
Karl Ocshe won 3 & 2, and Herman Loubser and Philip Spies boosted their tally to seven points.
Not unexpectedly, Mzuyanda Zingela – a veteran of 24 SA IPTs – hit back for Eastern Province when he downed Henri van Waart 2 & 1.
Andile Adam reduced the gap with a 3 & 2 win against Pierre de Villiers and Jacques Smith collected another point with a 1-up result Johan Germishuys 1-up, but the writing was on the wall.
Armandt Scholtz halved against Pieter Rademeyer to close out the victory for Boland.
While Southern Cape battles Central Gauteng for supremacy in Thursday’s fourth round, Boland will be gunning for successive victories against Boland and Eastern Province will go all against Ekurhuleni to save their 2015 campaign.
A-SECTION – DAY 3 RESULTS
Western Province 2 vs Southern Cape 10
Foursomes:
Denyer / Theart halved with Williams / Manchest;
Sherriff / van der Merwe lost to Rebula / Moralee 5 & 4;
Filippi / Bradley halved with Nel / Buitendag;
Roux / O’Reilly lost to Mitchell / Frylinck 4 & 2;
Singles:
Michael Sherriff lost to Ivan Williams 6 & 5;
Werner Theart halved with Franklin Manchest;
Luca Filippi lost to Cameron Moralee 2 & 1;
Drew Denyer lost to Jade Buitendag 2 & 1;
Sean Bradley lost to Jovan Rebula 4 & 2;
Carlo O’Reilly lost to Andre Nel 1Down;
Gerlou Roux halved with Heinrich Frylinck;
Altin van der Merwe lost to Nicholas Mitchell 1Down;
THIRD ROUND SCORES:
Southern Cape 10 – Western Province 2
Central Gauteng 7.5 – Ekurhuleni 4.5
Boland 7.5 – Eastern Province 4.5
A-SECTION LOG
(Pos-Union-Played-Won-Drawn-Lost-Points-Matches won)
1 Central Gauteng (3, 3, 0, 0, 6, 22.0)
2 Southern Cape (3, 2, 0, 1, 4, 22.5)
3 Ekurhuleni (3, 2, 0, 1, 4, 18.5)
4 Boland (3, 1, 0, 2, 2, 16.5)
5 Western Province (3, 1, 0, 2, 2, 15.0)
6 Eastern Province (3, 0, 0, 3, 0, 13.5)
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association.
Lali Stander
