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SA Mid-Amateur Golf Interprovincial

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  • Gauteng North geared up for Humewood links challenge

Defending champions Gauteng North will be aiming to make a swift adjustment to coastal conditions when they open the defence of their SA Mid-Amateur Interprovincial title at Humewood Golf Club in Gqeberha on Monday.

This is the second domestic IPT event to take place at the only links course in Africa after the successful staging of the SA Women’s Interprovincial last week, and club general manager Brendon Timm said they were excited to again host a tournament of this stature.

The Mid-Amateur is restricted to players 30 or older and is sure to produce a week of high-quality golf from Monday to Friday.

With this year being Eastern Province’s turn to host the event, tournament director Greg de Doncker said the home province decided on which club to use, a decision which would be ratified by GolfRSA once they had inspected the course.

He felt the links layout would provide the supreme test for the players over the five days.

“Humewood Golf Club and its course will always be a great venue to host any tournament, whether it be strokeplay or, as in this case, matchplay,” De Doncker said.

“Some of the players would not have played at Humewood, let alone have experience of the challenges of a links course where conditions vary throughout the day.

“I think this is what makes Humewood an ideal venue.  The challenges they will face during the week will include the undulations of the greens and fairways, the effect the sea and, in particular, the wind has on the course from hole to hole, and through that the selection of shot that needs to be played.”

A total of 14 teams have entered the tournament, divided into two A and B sections, with eight players in each team.

The divisions will be contested on a round-robin basis, with foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon.

De Doncker said the Mid-Amateur IPT remained a highlight on the annual golf calendar for many players in SA.

“The fact that all provinces will be represented at the event next week shows the high level of enthusiasm in this tournament,” he said.

“It is one of the categories in our annual programme that generates massive interest among the provinces and players.”

Gauteng North will have their credentials tested from the outset as they come up against Western Province and North West on the opening day. WP, in particular, will be hoping to use their knowledge of coastal conditions to their advantage.

Host province EP will also be looking for a strong start when they take on Ekurhuleni and Northern Cape on Monday.

With their players having an insider’s knowledge of the Humewood layout and requirements, it will be the perfect opportunity to lay down a marker for the rest of the week.

The divisions are:

  • A division: Central Gauteng, Eastern Province, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng North, Northern Cape, North West, Western Province.
  • B division: Boland, Border, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Southern Cape
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Port Elizabethan

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