Zebula Golf Estate (30^th July – 2^nd August 2012)

The National Finals of the Old Mutual International Pairs SA was held at Zebula Golf Estate and Spa between the 30^th July and 2^nd August 2012 thereby bringing the qualifying process for 2012 to a conclusion.  This was the seventh year of the tournament and the second year in which the event included two “divisions” being the Club Championship Series and the Invitational Series.  This again proved to be a popular approach that allows more ordinary golfers the opportunity to experience a tournament that is run along the lines of a Professional Golf event. With one pair qualifying from the Invitational Series and two pairs from the Club Championship Series it meant six players would travel to Loch Lomond in Scotland to represent all South African amateur club golfers at the International Pairs World Finals. 

Sixty-four golfers gathered to compete for the right to represent South Africa and despite the drought, the green keeping staff presented a course in very good condition with superb greens that were running at much the same speed as they had been for the Sunshine Tour event held there a few weeks before.  The scene was set and a challenging yet fair golf course awaited the players from all around the country.  The entire golfing staff at Zebula supports the tournament superbly and put in as much effort to make the event a success as they do for the Professional tournament with pins and tees changed each day.

On behalf of the Tournament Promoters, the officials and the players, Golf Notions would like to thank the management and green keeping staff for hosting us and for once again providing us with such a superb layout.

Round 1

Sunshine and warmth greeted the golfers for round one and with very little wind the conditions were conducive to good scoring – which proved the case with a closely bunched overnight leader board in both the Club Championship Series and the Invitational Series. 

In the Club Championship Series half the field of 24 pairs was within five points of the leading three pairs who were on 4-under par 40 points.  Two pairs from the Western Cape and a pair from Gauteng led the field with the Free State and Eastern Cape a point or so behind.    A mix of more golfers from the Western Cape along with players from KZN, the Southern Cape and Eastern Gauteng made up the top half of the leader board.  It should be noted that the KZN Ladies’ pair from Mount Edgecombe CC were only a single point further back and giving a great account of themselves. 

The Invitational Series was also competitive although the leading pair from Gauteng did have a fairly significant overnight lead.  It is worth mentioning at this point that this leading pair of Jaco Bakkers and Skip Scheepers ended up withdrawing from the tournament on the second day due to an unfortunate error with Jaco’s handicap.  The lesson that can be learnt is for anyone changing golf clubs, to double check that the handicapping administrator of the new club has ensured that all scores from one’s previous club and from the preceding 60 months are in the system and included in one’s new handicap calculation.  It was obviously an extremely unfortunate situation but the pair should be commended for taking the action they did based on the Handicapping Rules and ultimately the Rules of Golf.

Round 2

With greens still running at around 11 on the stimpmeter, there would be some players who would continue to struggle but many in the field would now feel a great deal more comfortable on them.  Eighteen new pin and tee placements meant that a “new” course faced the field on a beautiful day on which the sun shone and little wind meant it was again going to be very warm out on the course. 

In the Invitational Series the Mpumalanga pair of Teddy Mathebula and Solly Mmila – off a scratch and a four handicap respectively - continued their steady golf of the first day and again made 38 points.  Their “four better than two’s” 76 points was sufficient for them to win the Invitational Series by a single point from Jaco van der Merwe and Piet van Zyl of the Western Cape to claim the right to represent South Africa at the World Finals.  It was a fantastic outcome in that it would be the first time that a pair of golfers from Mpumalanga would represent South Africa at the International Pairs World Finals!

Meanwhile the battle in the Club Championship Series was heating up although a fantastic nine hole charge from Craig Sinclair and Ivan Schutte of East London unfortunately petered out about midway through the back nine.  Another charge from the Stilbaai pair of Frikkie Zeelie and Jacques Cloete bettered their first day 35 points by six and having been in 8^th place overnight, they were now the leaders in the clubhouse on a “four better than two’s” 76 points.

Three pairs had led the field overnight and very little changed over the front nine with never more than a point or two between them.  Two of these pairs - Strati Zitianellis and Nico de Lange from the Metropolitan Golf Club in Cape Town and Terence van Straaten and Remo Poretti of Kyalami Country Club – made it a three way tie when they both finished on 76 points and a play off seemed likely.  This was not to be, however, as Renso Nel and Irvin Kellerman from Paarl finished strongly ending on 38 points and ultimately claiming second place.

The performance of the day was the spectacular 42 points made by the Bloemfontein Golf Club pair of Hendrik Burger and Niekie Reyneke that elevated them from fourth place overnight to the Club Series Champions of 2012.

The second-placed Paarl pair would also join these Club Series Champions and the winners of the Invitational Series in Scotland between the 1^st and 3^rd of October to make up the South African team to contest the World Finals on the Carrick course in Loch Lomond.  We wish all these players well as they represent all South African amateur club golfers in Scotland!

In 2011 a team component was introduced to the National Finals to ensure that the golfers who may have fallen away on the first day still have an incentive in round 2.  It proved to be very successful and a similar format was included again this year.  The result of the team event was:

For the seventh year Dale Hayes entertained the room of golfers at the Champions Dinner where we all honoured those who would be representing South Africa at the World Finals.  We thank all the players for representing their clubs and regions so well and we sincerely hope that all our Regional and National Finalists will become great ambassadors for the OMIPSA Tournament.

Words cannot describe what Old Mutual does for amateur golf and the ordinary club golfers in particular and we would like to express our sincere gratitude on behalf of all the players to Old Mutual for making it all possible -  THANK YOU.

We would also like to offer our most sincere and extreme thanks to Srixon / Cleveland and to all the golf industry stakeholders who helps us maintain the integrity of the tournament and to add the value that we try to provide to the players - your help and support is greatly appreciated. 

We look forward to working with everyone again in 2013 so “cheers for now and see you next year!”

Very best regards

Paul and Brit Adams