Amateur Scene

Izel Pieters to visit Ernie at The Bear Club in 2012

At the recent Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation Inaugural Awards Dinner, Izel Pieters was thrilled to be told that she and three SA boys will be spending time with Ernie Els at his home in the USA next year.

A major incentive has come the way of members of the EEFF. Ernie has decided that he would like to give four players the opportunity to come and spend some time with him in America where he lives at the Bear’s Club, Jupiter, Florida.

The trip, which will take place early next year, will give members the opportunity to meet Ernie, spend some time with him, practice at one of the best golf facilities in America and play some of the top golf courses in Florida. Surely an experience our young golfers will never forget! “The facilities here at the Bear’s Club are incredible, at least up to Tour standard,” comments Ernie, “and the golf course is fantastic. I’m sure it will inspire our young golfers and I look forward to welcoming them here.”

The Board of Directors looked at the following criteria for selection: Performance on the golf course, Performance at school, Commitment and dedication to the programme and ambassadorship for the EEFF.

The four members who will visit Ernie are: Shaun Smith, Mojalefa Xaba, Dylan Raubenheimer and Izel Pieters.

The Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation held their inaugural Annual Awards Dinner at the Ernie Els Winery on 22 October. All members had enjoyed 18 holes at De Zalze in the afternoon, playing an alliance – so had some fun for a change.

Sylvia Masango from Gauteng North gave a very polished welcome to all the guests, and WGSA President, Cynthia Rayner was delighted that girls were recipients of awards in each category. Three girls receive awards at the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation.

Four honours awards were received by members who work hard and strive for excellence in golf and school. One of these was Kim Daniels who received the International Rotary Club Youth Merit Award for outstanding performances at school and in golf. She finished 3rd at WP Open (junior section), won the SA Girls’ Rosebowl, won the EP/Border Championship, captained Eastern Cape senior side and is being awarded SA Federation colours when she represents SA at the 2011 Albatross World Junior Golf Championship in India in November.

The Dr Hasso Plattner Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement was received by Kirsten Campbell from Gauteng. She is in Grade 10 at St Andrew’s School for Girls in Johannesburg and averaged 82% for her first two terms. She averaged over 80% in 4 subjects: Life Orientation (83%), Mathematics (87%), Geography (90%) and Accounting (87%).

Izel Pieters was one of two members to receive the Distinction Award Awarded to members who excel at golf and school, and who have received Protea colours and achieved good marks at school. She was selected for the first team at Nelspruit High School and for the Mpumalanga High Schools team, is Club champion Sabie River Bungalow Golf Club, won is the EEFF girls champion for the second time, was selected for Mpumalanga Women’s Golf Team, represented Mpumalanga in the Inter Provincial, was placed third in the SA Girls’ Rosebowl at Clovelly and runner-up in KZN Junior Championship, was third in the Nomads Gauteng Stroke Play Championship and is currently second on the SA Junior Women’s golf ranking.

Izel respresented South Africa at the Harder German Junior Masters where she finished 10th, she was runner-up in the Hex Albatross Junior Tournament in India last December and received SA Protea colours for representing SA in the Annika Sorenstam tournament and the Girls British Junior Open Amateur in Scotland.

SA finish tied fifth at The Spirit

South Africa finished joint fifth with Japan and Germany on -14 at The Spirit which was held this week in the USA.

This invitational biennial 72 hole World Tournament is played at Whispering Pines, a beautiful course located north of Houston, Texas.

The USA walked away with the International Championship on -31, Mexico and Argentina were joint runners-up (-21) and Korea finished fourth (-20). The four-ball score for both the women’s and men’s teams were combined after each 18-hole round to compute the International Team score.

A great round, including six birdies and an eagle from Ruan de Smidt took the South Africans to fifth place on the men’s leader board with -14, only four strokes back from winners USA (-18).

In the women’s championship, Korea edged ahead on the final day to finish on -15 one stroke ahead of Argentina on -14. The South Africans Kim Williams and Iliska Verwey were tied 11th with Belgium on +1 after a disappointing betterball score on the final day, despite five birdies from Kim.

In the individual stakes Ruan de Smidt notched up 11 birdies and one eagle, only two off the joint leaders who had 13 birdies. Haydn Porteus recorded 10 birdies, Kim Williams nine and Iliska Verwey six. However it was Argentina’s Victoria Tanco who topped the individual birdie total with 14 birdies and an eagle.

The 2011 Spirit International featured 80 participants from 20 countries representing six continents. Country teams are comprised of national amateur champions and top ranked players. The World Health and Golf Association provided all air and local transportation to the event, accommodation initially in Houston and then at Camp Olympia at Whispering Pines, all evening entertainment and player services at Camp Olympia and all food and beverages during their stay in Texas.

For the first two days, the players were based at the Woodlands Waterway Marriot Hotel where they participated in the opening ceremony and procession of countries and on day three they were taken to Whispering Pines where the accommodation was in cabins, and entertainment included a Texas Cookout Party, International Music Night or Karaoke, an Open Evening with Campfire and finally a Carnival Party.

The South African women’s selection was based on merit – but coincidentally WGSA was represented by the SA Women’s Stroke Play and Match Play champions, Kim Williams and Iliska Verwey – what a great reward for excellent golf!

Final Round: Teams Leaderboard

545 United States 133 144 135 133
555 Mexico 139 145 137 134;
555 Argentina 139 142 135 139
556 Korea 138 140 139 139
562 South Africa 140 142 140 140;
562 Japan 137 146 141 138;
562 Germany 140 143 137 14

Albatross Junior Golf Championship in India

Two South African junior girls were selected to represent SA at the third 54 hole Hex City – Albatross Junior Golf Championship in India. The players are Maritzburg Golf Club’s Michaela Fletcher and Uitenhage Golf Club’s Kim Daniels. They are accompanied by Hayden Garcia and Johann Germishuys, two junior boys from Western Province and the group are being managed by WGSA President Cynthia Rayner.

Earlier this year, Kim Daniels won the SA Girls’ Rose Bowl played at Clovelly Country Club and Michaela picked up the Gauteng Junior Championship Trophy at Krugersdorp Golf Club. They both represented their respective provinces, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal at the WGSA 72-Hole Teams Championship at Langebaan and at the Pick n Pay SA Inter- Provincial Championships in George.

The players left SA on Saturday 19 November with the event being played from 23 to 25 November at the highly acclaimed Classic Golf Resorts (Jack Nicklaus Signature Course) , Gurgaon, which is approximately 40 km (one hour’s drive) from the Indira Ghandi International Airport, New Delhi. The format is 54 holes stroke play with no cut, and also includes a team event.

The invitation to the South African players includes all accommodation at the resort and all local transport. The field is limited to 140 players with a maximum of eight from any one country.

Comments from the players who went in 2011 were that the course was really great. The fairways are narrow and the rough is wide enough before getting into tree or bush trouble. The greens fall away at the edges but are slow – running at about eight - so the players can go for their putts. There are also quite a few bunkers and water on about four holes.

South African won both the team events last year - Lara Weinstein was the overall winner with Izel Pieters runner–up. Dylan Raubenheimer won the boy’s A Division and Thriston Lawrence lost on the second play-off hole in the boys’ B Division

Teenagers take a stand at Sanlam Cancer Challenge

Golfers usually attribute a victory to a variety of reasons that could range from a change in clubs, having found their swing, a putter turned hot or even just because they packed their lucky rabbit’s foot.

But it is not often that “The Big C” is credited for a winning performance.

Two determined teenagers took a big stand against cancer when they emerged on the winning side of this year’s Sanlam Cancer Challenge at Sun City.

Thirteen-year-old Shawnelle de Lange from Fochville and 15-year-old Benji van de Rheede from Kleinzee beat their fellow rivals for the Womens A and Mens C Division titles respectively and the overall Womens and Mens titles.

De Lange and Van de Rheede were both inspired to enter Africa’s biggest amateur tournament by their own experience with cancer. “My younger sister Monique passed away last November after a long battle with leukemia and I entered to honour my sister,” said De Lange, the youngest finalist this year. “I wanted to for her, but I also wanted to win so I could create awareness about cancer among the other teenagers in the country.

“Sometimes people don’t beat cancer, but it’s not a death sentence. I want them to know that if you are aware and informed about the risks of cancer, you can fight it and live to tell the story.”

De Lange won the Womens A-Division with 74 points off her six handicap. The Northwest teenager shot a 75 at the Lost City and followed with a 78 at the tough Gary Player Country Club.

“It was a great competition and I had to fight off a lot of challengers,” she said. “At the end of the day, I managed to hold it together at the Gary Player. I’m thrilled to bits about winning. It’s the biggest achievement of my career. The only down side it now they have cut my handicap to five.”

It was always going to be a tough job to catch Van de Rheede after the youngster navigated the Lost City layout in 42 points. The 21-handicapper from Kleinzee near Kommagas in the Northern Cape also faced tough opposition at the Green Monster, but 33 points was enough to see him top the leaderboard on 75 points.

“I play the Gary Player layout on a game at home all the time, so I thought I would be okay but reality sure was a wake-up call,” said Van de Rheede. “I was solid tee to green, but I really struggled on the greens. They are a lot faster than the ones at our nine-hole course in Kleinzee.”

The Springbok scholar said his mother’s battle with cancer served as his inspiration. “My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer but she received treatment and is still in remission,” he explained. “When I entered the club competition I told her I was going all the way and I would win this for her, because this tournament raises money for a great cause.

“Once I won the regional qualifier, I was determined to win this for her, because 10 years ago no one talked about cancer. Now we can talk freely and hopefully I can inspire some people to take notice with what I achieved here this week.”

Henk Geldenhuys from Tzaneen Golf Club won the Mens A-Division on 73 points, while Montagu farmer Pieter Venter wrapped up victory in the B-Division on the same number. Pat Smith from Cato Ridge Golf Club in KwaZulu-Natal won the Womens B-Division on a count-out on 67 points from Bloemfontein’s Lynette Jordaan while Durban Country Club golfer Kerry Prescher took the C-Division honours with 67 points.