Albertse, player of power and touch, gets IPT call-up for KZN
LOUIS Albertse, who has been called up to the KwaZulu-Natal golf team for the South African Interprovincial at Fish River Sun CC in the Eastern Cape, has both power and touch.
If you don’t believe me, ask his high school rugby coach... you aren’t going to find too many tighthead props who also kicked for poles.
He was up and down between firsts and seconds while at Michaelhouse, but the golf bug had bitten.
He is currently based in Pretoria, and is a member at Dundee. Albertse played foursomes at the top of the order with Combrinck Smit (Vryheid) at the South African Country Districts which KZN won comfortably.
Ironically, it’s Smit’s place he is taking as an exam has to be written which he cannot get out of. Aneurin Gounden, formerly of Mount Edgecombe, would have been an option, but he has relocated to Johannesburg.
The tournament teed yesterday.
Foursomes pairings are Malcolm Mitchell and Clayton Mansfield, Matt Saulez and Siyanda Mwandla, Jason Broomhead and Greg McKay, Louis Albertse and Gavin Sole.
Team manager is Ivan Curlewis.
There are only two changes from last year’s team which off came so close to upsetting Gauteng North (packed with South African players) and gaining promotion.
Gounden is out, and Luke Mayo withdrew due to sinus complications.
They played numbers 7 and 8 last year in the singles (both were still at school), so you could argue that this team is even stronger.
Albertse is playing national events, and has a Saga ranking of 27, second of the KZN players behind only Saulez, who is 11th.
Singles order is Saulez, Mitchell, Mwandla, Mansfield, McKay, Broomhead, Albertse and Sole.
The course has been described as a risk and reward layout, fantastic for matchplay, but which can turn into a beast if the wind blows.
The KZN players won’t mind if the wind picks up.
On the opening day, KZN play Free State and Limpopo.
Day two they play Mpumalanga, and on Day Three they face hosts Border.
Day four is a rest day, followed by a potential promotion showdown with Eastern Province on the final day (Friday).
In the A division, Elton James will be captaining Western Province.
“Elt” has travelled a long road, starting out at Maritzburg Golf Club, before moving to Durban CC where he established himself as a provincial player.
He then moved to Johannesburg where he resisted the urge to play for Central Gauteng.
“I kept my membership at DCC, wanted to remain loyal to KZN golf,” he said.
However, he then moved again, this time to the Cape.
He joined Westlake which interestingly has reciprocity with Southbroom.
In the past two years he has been selected for the South African mid-amateur team.
In his 40th year he earned selection for Western Province’s main IPT team, and has been rewarded with the captaincy.
He still can’t out-drive his brother Butch though.