UMHLALI, 4 October 2016 – Border and Ekurhuleni threw down the gauntlet and put defending champions Gauteng and Gauteng North on notice at the 56th South African Women’s Inter-Provincial at Umhlali Country Club on Tuesday.
Twelve months ago, it was a battle of the big guns as Gauteng and Gauteng North both finished with two teams each in the top draw of the A-Section Qualifier.
Gauteng marched to winning drum in the prestigious team event and ended a nine-year title drought with a runaway victory, while their B-team edged out Gauteng North for a one-two finish.
Not surprisingly, the big guns took the first two spots in the top draw again, but this year, Gauteng and Gauteng North will only have their A-teams in the title contest after Border and Ekurhuleni secured the final two spots.
Gauteng A forged clear of the opposition in the morning foursomes and a solid performance in the singles saw them claim the prestigious Jean Tindall Memorial Trophy on a total score of 550.
Gauteng North A finished 10 strokes adrift in second, while Border took third on 570 and Ekurhuleni sealed fourth on 575.
Border’s Yolanda Duma and sister Siviwe carded an 88 and Zethu Myeki, ranked third in the country, partnered Demi Flanagan to an 81 for a total of 169 in the foursomes.
Yolanda spearheaded the challenge in the Singles, posting a 73 to top the Individual Leaderboard, while Siviwe, Flanagan, Myeki and Hermien Jones helped the team to a total of 401 in the singles.
Border manager Michelle de Vries and Zim-Dondashe, who watched Myeki, the Duma sisters and Flanagan flourish in the South African Golf Development Board programme in Border, were extremely proud of the team’s opening performance.
“The qualifier has definitely left us in a strong position to challenge,” said De Vries. “Border won the B-Section two consecutive years and the B-Section at the 72-Hole Teams Championship twice, so there was quite a bit of pressure to step it up to the A-Section.
“It was a tough decision, because the A-Section means playing six players, not four, but we welcomed Hermien into the fold and Millie agreed join the team this year. She has been exceptional as a manager and her experience is invaluable to the team. Once the decision was made, it’s all we prepared for. We were not coming to play in the A-Section to lose.”
Zim-Dondashe agreed.
“The fact that we finished third in the qualifier underlines the determination and fighting spirit of this team. We won’t back down. We’ve announced our arrival, now it’s time to play for victory.”
Meanwhile Boland Match Play champion Casandra Hall and Sarah Bouch put Ekurhuleni in a fighting position with a 79 and an 85 from Caitlyn MacNab and Jenefer Haw gave the side 164 in the foursomes. Bouch, Hall, MacNab, Haw and Carmen Taljaard combined for 411 in the singles.
The four teams contesting the bottom order of the A-Section are Western Province A, Gauteng B, Boland and Gauteng North B.
In the B-Section, Southern Cape combined for 407 to edge out Free State by two strokes to clinch the Nolan Karp Trophy.
The two teams will contest against KwaZulu-Natal and Western Province B the top draw, while Eastern Province take on Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West in the bottom draw.
A-SECTION RESULTS – Jean Tindell Memorial Trophy
(Foursomes: Best two scores count; Singles: Best five scores count)
550 – Gauteng A
Foursomes: 162 80 Kajal Mistry, Woo-Ju Son, 82 Symone Henriques, Chiara Contomathios; Singles: 388 75 Ivanna Samu, 75 Woo-Ju Son, 76 Kajal Mistry, 80 Chiara Contomathios, 82 Eleonora Galletti
560 – Gauteng North A
Foursomes: 164 80 Danielle du Toit, Larissa du Preez, 84 Eugenie Clack, Marne Clack; Singles: 396 78 Lindi Coetzee, 79 Marne Clack, 79 Danielle du Toit, 80 Lenanda van der Watt, 80 Larissa du Preez
570 – Border
Foursomes: 169 81 Zethu Myeki, Demi Flanagan, 88 Yolanda Duma, Siviwe Duma; Singles: 401 73 Yolanda Duma, 81 Zethu Myeki, 81 Siviwe Duma, 82 Demi Flanagan, 84 Hermien Jones
575 – Ekurhuleni
Foursomes: 164 79 Casandra Hall, Sarah Bouch, 85 Caitlyn Macnab, Jenefer Haw; Singles: 411 76 Sarah Bouch, 78 Caitlyn Macnab, 83 Casandra Hall, 85 Jenefer Haw, 89 Carmen Taljaard
583 – Western Province A
Foursomes: 158 77 Michelle Swanepoel, Zayb Fredericks, 81 Kaylah Williams, Aaliyah Abrahams; Singles: 425 81 Kaylah Williams, 85 Michelle Swanepoel, 86 Katia Shaff, 86 Zayb Fredericks, 87 Ashleigh Mills
586 – Gauteng B
Foursomes: 159 78 Shawnelle De Lange, Lynette Pretorius, 81 Kaiyuree Moodley, Cara Ford; Singles: 427 81 Kaiyuree Moodley, 86 Shawnelle De Lange, 86 Cara Ford, 86 Samantha Whateley, 88 Lynette Pretorius
606 – Boland
Foursomes: 168 82 Vicki Traut, Crystal Beukes, 86 Cassidy Williams, Nadia Van der Westhuizen; Singles: 438 84 Vicki Traut, 87 Nadia Van der Westhuizen, 87 Lynne Behagg, 90 Crystal Beukes, 90 Cassidy Williams
608 – Gauteng North B
Foursomes: 176 86 Adele Beytell, Karin Watts, 90 Jo-Lindie Richter, Cleo Jordaan; Singles: 432 84 Marinda Pretorius, 85 Cleo Jordaan, 86 Karin Watts, 87 Adele Beytell, 90 Caro Els
B-SECTION RESULTS – Nolan Karp Trophy
(Foursomes: Best two scores count; Singles: Best five scores count)
407 – Southern Cape
Foursomes: 163 78 Azelia Meichtry, Sandra Winter, 85 Sonja Bland, Ethel Ruthenberg; Singles: 244 77 Azelia Meichtry, 79 Sandra Winter, 88 Ethel Ruthenberg
409 – Free State
Foursomes: 176 81 Lumien Orton, Bianca Wernich, 95 Chante Van Zyl, Zanele Mazibuko; Singles: 233 75 Chante Van Zyl, 79 Lumien Orton, 79 Bianca Wernich
415 – Kwazulu-Natal
Foursomes: 164 80 Brittney-Fay Berger, Chloe Royston, 84 Elsune Roode, Bronwyn Rae; Singles: 251 79 Chloe Royston, 84 Brittney-Fay Berger, 88 Elsune Roode
427 – Western Province B
Foursomes: 166 81 Zilke Bal, Odette Booysen, 85 Iman Adams, Jessica Green; Singles: 261 81 Zilke Bal, 90 Iman Adams, 90 Odette Booysen
428 – Eastern Province
Foursomes: 178 87 Justine Botten, Minette Olivier, 91 Chante De Lange, Jamie-Lee Daniels; Singles: 250 83 Justine Botten, 83 Chante De Lange, 84 Jamie-Lee Daniels
451 – Mpumalanga
Foursomes: 192 95 Chante Boonstra, Zane Naude, 97 Thandeka Hlatshwayo, Patrizia Lombard; Singles: 259 81 Patrizia Lombard, 85 Thandeka Hlatshwayo, 93 Zane Naude
453 – Limpopo
Foursomes: 180 88 Desiree Earle, Anzel Van der Schyff, 92 Ananda Lategan, Cherie Siebert; Singles: 273 83 Desiree Earle, 94 Anzel Van der Schyff, 96 Ananda Lategan
454 – North West
Foursomes: 180 90 Jhanelle Strydom, Surika Van der Westhuizen, 90 Desire Green, Kaitlin Fensham; Singles: 274 86 Jhanelle Strydom, 92 Desire Green, 96 Kaitlin Fensham
