Zethu the Comeback Kid at closed Champs

BORDER’S top women golfer Zethu Myeki claimed victory in the Border closed Matchplay Championship at the East London Golf Course yesterday morning.

Myeki was in solid form beating three-time Border Matchplay champ Demi Flanagan, taking the win two-up on the 17th hole.

It was a good way to end the Border champs after Myeki finished as runner-up in the Border Strokeplay champs that was concluded on Sunday afternoon.

“I was quite happy to win the matchplay, I enjoyed the competition and I am glad to get the trophy,” said Myeki. “In the strokeplay I did not have a good first round, but I played very well after that and just missed out in the end.”

In other divisions, play champs Ciara Koekemoer took the win in the B division beating Elaine Walker in the final while Issy Cocks claimed the C division beating Maria Miles.

In the Border strokeplay champs which played out on Saturday and Sunday, it was Switzerland's Chloe Grand, who currently plays out of the Kenako Academy in George, that surprised a number of top talented South Africans to take the win. Home favourite Myeki finished one shot behind, while tournament favourite Woo-Ju Son was a shot further back in third.

Grand and Myeki both made stirring fightbacks, having carded an 80 and 82 respectively in their first rounds on Saturday, which saw them tied eighth and in 10th.

The pair then stormed back up the leaderboard in the second and third rounds, Myeki carding a 72 to move into second place and Grand a 75 to get into the mix, while Myeki's closing round of 73 was just not enough, as Grand’s 71 saw her pip Myeki at the post.

Son had been very consistent over the tournament, with rounds of 76, 77 and 75 to finish two strokes ahead of the chasing pack.

“It was a strange tournament and it was a surprising result in the end,” Border Women's golf president Wendy May said. “It was a very close event and it was a nice finish for women’s golf, the top three were very close together.

“After Zethu had come in with a 73 in the third round she had the lead and we were waiting for WooJu (Son) who was playing behind her to come in and we thought she might tie it up and have to have a play-off, but we never expected the young Swiss girl who had carded an 80 in the opening round to come through and hit a 71 in the last round to take the win.”

Border's next best finisher was Flanagan, who finished eighth, followed by veteran Border women's golfer Millie Zim in 10th.