The host union secured promotion in the A-Division with a commanding performance at Rustenburg Golf Club in 2013, but for the tournament hosts to win this year’s matches at Glendower Golf Club, the team has to perform convincingly against Central Gauteng, Western Province, Southern Cape, Boland and Eastern Province.
Ekurhuleni will face Western Province in the first round, while defending champions Central Gauteng will battle 2014 B-Division winners Eastern Province.
Southern Cape is also chasing a first top draw victory and will be looking for a fast start in their opener against Boland, who triumphed in 2007 and shared the title with Province in 2013.
“We will definitely hope to exploit our knowledge of the local conditions and the layout at Glendower Golf Club to gain the advantage this week,” said Ekurhuleni team manager Hugo Delport.
“Glendower is widely acknowledged as one of the more difficult and demanding courses in South Africa. Accuracy and extreme control is critical to scoring at this course with its narrow fairways, cunningly sited bunkers, water hazards and tricky greens.
“We’ve had four official practice rounds and some of the players even played extra rounds to prepare for this week. We are ready to get our challenge underway.”
Ekurhuleni Golf Union president Martin Saaiman believes the combined experience of Delport, Rowan du Press as skipper and assistant manager Tristen Strydom will guide the host union to a podium finish on Friday.
“Hugo captained our team to victory in the SA Mid-Amateur Inter-Provincial in Middelburg last year and proved himself an extremely capable leader.
“Between Hugo and Rowan, they have many years of experience in this format at all levels and they combine very well in terms of their leadership style.
“Tristen was out with a back injury and not available for selection, but we pulled him to assist Hugo. He has played a number of inter-provincials at junior, under-23, challenge and premier level and was a key contributor to our promotion in 2013 and last year at Westlake Golf Club.
“He is a great conduit with the juniors on the team.”
Delport has no doubt that his team can go the distance this year.
“It is always tough to predict how things will go in this format, but I definitely believe my team has the artillery to produce the result this week,” Delport said.
“I have a lot of faith in Rowan, who is a veteran of 12 premier, five mid-amateur and four under-23 inter-provincials and has the experience to guide the team, while Ernest also brings experience and maturity to the side.
“The rest of the team is young and very hungry, but between Paul Boshoff, Dylan Mostert, Sentanio Minnie, Teagan Moore and Angus Ellis-Cole, who recently won the Mpumalanga Open, they have competed in 10 premier, 12 under-23s, 12 junior and four challenge inter-provincials.
“They may lack experience at premier level, but they more than make up for it in other areas and in individual achievements.”
In the B-Section, Gauteng North - the champions in 2013 - is looking to reverse last year’s relegation and former champions KwaZulu-Natal are also eager to overturn their 2013 demotion.
FIRST ROUND DRAW – A-SECTION:
Central Gauteng vs Eastern Province
Western Province vs Ekurhuleni
Southern Cape vs Boland
FIRST ROUND DRAW – B-SECTION:
Gauteng North vs Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal vs Free State
North West vs Mpumalanga
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association.
