KZN golfers don’t have the best of starts

IT WAS a disappointing start for the KwaZulu-Natal golf on the opening day of the South African Interprovincial at Bryanston Country Club yesterday.

The team lost 6½-5½ to Southern Cape, going down 2½-1½ in the foursomes and unable to pull it back in the singles, despite their best efforts.

Gavin Sole and Jason Broomhead were the only ones to win in the foursomes, with Malcolm Mitchell and Derek Scullard getting a half.

Siyanda Mwandla and Greg McKay lost, as did Matt Saulez and Clayton Mansfield.

In the singles, wins were recorded by Broomhead, Scullard, Saulez and Mitchell.

It was a pity, as many felt the team had come into the tournament with a real chance of winning.

KZN last won the A division in 2009 when it was played at Durban CC.

Sole (46) is the only one still in the team. The manager is the same as back then too, Ivan Curlewis.

Most of his current charges were still in primary school back then, except for Scullard, who is now the number one ranked mid-amateur in the country.

All is not lost yet and KZN will be buoyed by having two players currently in the South African team, namely Malcolm Mitchell and Matt Saulez.

The others, like Mansfield, Mwandla, McKay and Broomhead have benefited from playing in plenty of national, and in some cases, international tournaments.

The only player not back from last year is Louis Albertse (Dundee GC), whose spot was filled by Scullard.

He didn’t play enough local tournaments to be eligible for selection.

However his golf has been impressive and he has risen to number 14 in the national rankings after winning the Mpumalanga Open at Nelspruit GC recently.

He had rounds of 69, 68, 72 and 69 to finish on -6, the same as Bloemfontein GC’s Therion Nel.

Albertse eventually won it in a playoff.

Luke Mayo (Mount Edgecombe CC), who played for the junior South African team recently, wasn’t considered as he has to write matric exams.

Still, all is not lost and four tough games (for everyone) still remain.

If KZN can win them all, then they could still win the tournament.

They face Ekurhuleni tomorrow, Western Province on Wednesday, Central Gauteng on Thursday and Gauteng North on Friday.

In local tournaments coming up, the Maritzburg Open will be played at Maritzburg GC on October 15.

Interclub will take place at Selborne Park, Umdoni Park and Scottburgh GC from October 27 to 29 this year.

The Southern KwaZuluNatal Open will be played at Umdoni Park Golf Club on November 12, with the B division at Southbroom Golf Club (Stableford, handicaps 10 and up, carts permitted).

In between all that, the mid-amateurs will head to Oubaai for their SA Interprovincial in mid October.