WGSA (Womens Golf South Africa)

Course Rating Survey - February 2018 We have now rated all of the golf courses in South Africa using the USGA Course Rating System, including Slope. We are conducting a short survey on th...

NEWSFLASH

As of the 1st February 2018 we are merging the WGSA (Womens Golf South Africa) and the SAGA pages into one Golf RSA page.

Please go to the Golf RSA page to follow all the news - and please do LIKE the page.

Full story below...

29 January 2018: In line with Golf RSA's mandate to unify amateur golf in South Africa, we are merging the SAGA and WGSA (Womens Golf South Africa) pages into one Golf RSA page.

The WGSA page will remain in the interim, while we migrate the WGSA posts and photographs/albums and videos across. But as of 1st February 2018 all posts and photos will appear on the Golf RSA page only.

If you would like to get ahead of the merge - please go to the Golf RSA page and LIKE the page.

Thank you to all our Facebook fans and friends and we look forward to having you following all the women's golf action on the Golf RSA page.

Don't miss the chance to compete in the new Women's Mid-Amateur Championship Series!!
The next event - the Southern Cape Mid-Amateur & Senior Championships at Goose Valley - is only in June, so you have plenty of time to enter!!
View the full schedule below and visit www.golfrsa.com for more details!

In line with GolfRSA's mandate to unify amateur golf in South Africa, we are merging the SAGA and WGSA (Womens Golf South Africa) pages into one GolfRSA page.

The WGSA page will remain in the interim, whilst we move the WGSA articles and photographs/albums and videos across.

However, as of 1st February 2018 all posts and photos will be appear on the GolfRSA page only.

If you would like to get ahead of the merge - please go to the GolfRSA page and LIKE the page.

Thank you to our Facebook fans and friends and we look forward to having you follow all the women's golf action on the GolfRSA page.

In line with Golf RSA's mandate to unify amateur golf in South Africa, we are merging the SAGA and WGSA (Womens Golf South Africa) pages into one Golf RSA page.

The WGSA page will remain in the interim, while we migrate the WGSA posts and photographs/albums and videos across. But as of 1st February 2018 all posts and photos will appear on the Golf RSA page only.

If you would like to get ahead of the merge - please go to the Golf RSA page and LIKE the page.

Thank you to all our Facebook fans and friends and we look forward to having you following all the women's golf action on the Golf RSA page.

A picture is worth a 1000 words.. PURE JOY for 5-time Sunshine Ladies Tour champion Stacy Bregman after a four shot triumph in the season-opening 2018 at Pretoria Country Club.
READ MORE AT:
http://sunshineladiestour.com/bregman-banks-canon-ladies-tshwane-open-title/

Sunshine Ladies Tour | Bregman banks Canon Ladies Tshwane Open title Stacy Bregman claimed her fifth Sunshine Ladies Tour title with a dominant wire-to-wire performance in the Canon Ladies Tshwane Open at Pretoria Country Club on Thursday.

Amateurs enjoy Sunshine Ladies Tour start

PRETORIA, 24 January 2018 – Pretoria amateur Danielle du Toit and 13-year-olds Kiera Floyd from Benoni and Bloemfontein’s Gabbi Venter had a great time starting the 2018 Sunshine Ladies Tour season in the Canon Ladies Tshwane Open at Pretoria Country Club on Tuesday.
Like most of the field on opening day, top ranked Du Toit found the going very tough.
However, the 18-year-old was reasonably chuffed with a two-over-par 74 return after learning that just one player in the 78-strong international field broke par at her home course.
Du Toit will start the second round in a tie for 11th with big-hitting Bonita Bredenhann from Namibia, England’s Rachael Goodall, local pro Francesca Cuturi and fellow amateurs Casandra Hall from Ekurhuleni and Brittney-Fay Berger from KwaZulu-Natal.
“It’s such a privilege to have this tournament right here on my doorstep and to have the chance to play with top international professionals,” she said.
“This course is always very tight and the greens are a lot faster than normal. It’s not the kind of course where you can just let rip with the driver. You have to keep it in play and avoid the 80-plus pot-bunkers.”
Du Toit won the 2017 All India Ladies Amateur Championship at the Eagleton Golf Resort in Bangalore in December barely three weeks after she sat her matric exams at Menlo Park High School.
With five distinctions to her name, Du Toit will be heading to Indiana in the United States later this year where she will be taking up a golf scholarship at the University of Perdue. But first, she has some lofty goals to pursue here at home.
“I would like to win a one or two of our provincial events to build up for the Sanlam SA Women’s Stroke Play, so it’s “It’s such a great opportunity to play on the Sunshine Ladies Tour to gain experience that I can take into the amateur events before I leave,” said Du Toit
Floyd, who currently sits in sixth on the WGSA Junior Rankings, was three under through six holes, but turned one-under after a trio of bogeys from the 15th. Two bad holes on her back nine saw the Ekurhuleni golfer home in 78 strokes.
“I was a little mad with myself for letting it slip, but this is all new to me and it’s a steep learning curve,” said the Grant Veentra Academy player. “I had a double at the first and tripled the last and without those two holes, it could have been a 73.
“This course punishes bad course management, so I’ll try to take a more conservative approach in the second round and plan my shots better. Hopefully I’ll improve enough to make the cut.”
Gabbi Venter, the cousin of Springbok centre Francois Venter, is the second youngest starter in the field and just five months older than Floyd.
The teenager opened with a 10-over 82 at the tree-lined Waterkloof layout in her Sunshine Ladies Tour debu.
Dad Kosie, a former top Free State cricketer, was on the bag and give Venter a lot of positive reinforcement. Not surprisingly, the grade eight UNISI Girls High School scholar was not in the least disappointed.
“For me this week is all about gaining experience and improving my course management skills,” said the Quintin Williams Golf Academy player. “It was really cool to play with Francesca (Cuturi), because she handles herself really well on the course. It was an eye-opener to see how the pros approach the greens and plan their way around this course. The pins were tucked and the greens are small, so they tee shot was really important.”
Four-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner Stacey Bregman shot one-under-par 71 and will start today’s second round with a one shot lead over defending champion Kiran Matharu from England, Spain’s Maria Beautell and Swedish pair Alexandra Lennartsson and Sofia Gronberg-Whitmore.

PHOTOS – Danielle du Toit and 13-year-olds Kiera Floyd and Gabbi Venter enjoyed their first Sunshine Ladies Tour experience of the season at the Canon Ladies Tshwane Open; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of GolfRSA, a SAGA and WGSA Not-For-Profit company.

In line with its mandate to unify amateur golf in South Africa, Golf RSA will soon be merging the SAGA and WGSA pages.
In the near future, you will be redirected to the GolfRSA page, where we look forward to presenting one page for all amateur golf in South Africa.
Note: There may be some timeline confusion on the GolfRSA page over the next few days as we will be copying over our important archived posts and photos.
Thank you all for your support.

Womens Golf South Africa hosted their first bootcamp for the 2018 GolfRSA Elite Squad at Bryanston Country Club this January.
The squad consists of Kajal Mistry, Woo-Ju Son and Symone Henriques from Gauteng, Zethu Myeki from Border, Kaylah Williams from Western Province and Ekurhuleni's Caitlyn Macnab.
The girls were put through their paces by National Coach Val Holland and assistant coach Anna Becker-Frankel, physiotherapist Sandra Winter and renowned sport psychologist Maretha Claasen.

GOLFRSA ELITE SQUAD ALERT
There is a fantastic vibe at GolfRSA Elite Squad boot-camp at Bryanston Country Club!
SA's top ranked senior trio Kajal Mistry, Woo-Ju Son and Zethu Myeki and top ranked juniors Symone Henriques, Caitlyn Macnad and Kaylah Williams in attendance with sessions being presented by National Coach Val Holland, Assistant Coach Anna Becker Franckel, specialist physiotherapist Sandra Winter and renowned sport psychologist Maretha Claasen.

Rothman qualifies for Bridge Fund finals

CAPE TOWN, 17 January 2018 - Jordan Rothman, a 15-year-old pupil at Curro Durbanville, has become the first girl to qualify for the finals of the Bridge Fund Managers Junior Series, a national series of 18 events sanctioned by GolfRSA.
In the finals in April 2018, Jordan will compete against some of the country’s best U-19 boys for the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to the USA to play in the prestigious Junior North and South Championship at Pinehurst.
Jordan, who only took up the game just over three years ago and already plays off a scratch handicap, qualified for the finals after finishing third in the juniorseries.bridgefm.co.za event at Durbanville golf club on 5 January 2018.
She was in sizzling form, making birdies on the first two holes and grabbed the tournament lead when she birdied the sixth hole to go 4-under par. A gale force South Easter put paid to a record-breaking round, but Jordan bravely battled the conditions and had a putt for birdie on 18 to take the tournament lead at 3 under.
A disastrous four putts later she had to settle for an even par round, that momentary lapse costing her the tournament win. The good news was she still qualified for the finals because the first and second place finishers, Tyran Snyders and Sam Simpson, had already won events in this year’s Bridge Junior Series.
Jordan, who starts Grade 10 in 2018, is a sporty girl who loved playing netball: “But I kept breaking my fingers and twisting my ankles.”
Her sporting life was transformed when she discovered golf.
“My dad plays and I thought if I started playing I’d get to spend more time with him,” says Jordan. “So, I went to the driving range with him and when we got home he said to my mom ‘this girl can really hit a ball’. He told me if I’d prove my commitment to the game by hitting 1000 balls at the practice range, he would sign me up for lessons.”
Just two months later she eagerly reported to her dad Ian Rothman that she had hit 1400! The lessons began and so did her speedy rise up the national rankings.
Jordan’s career highlights so far include beating WGSA senior number 1 Kajal Mistry in the second round of the Sanlam SA Women's Amateur last year and being part of the title winning Western Province team at the SA Women’s Interprovincial Championship in 2017.
Four putting the 18th at Durbanville was a painful reminder of the cruelty of the golfing gods, but Jordan has an unusual way of coping with inevitable miss-hits: “I am a big daydreamer on the course, which keeps my mind off the bad shots.”
Speaking of dreams, Jordan’s goal is to hone her craft on the challenging college circuit in the USA, before turning professional. She got invaluable career advice from South Africa’s greatest woman golfer and Major champion Sally Little.
“I met Sally Little at Kuils River Golf Club last year. She congratulated me on my play and invited me join her for two rounds at Metropolitan Golf Club, which was a privilege,” says Jordan.
Her goal of competing in the USA could come sooner than planned if Jordan brings her A-game to the Bridge Junior Series finals in April 2018. The nation’s best boy golfers will need to keep a watchful eye on their skirt-clad daydreaming rival.
“We got involved with the series to boost junior golf and we have been delighted to see several players from the SA Golf Development Board excel in the nine events held so far,” says Paul Stewart, Executive Director at Bridge Fund Managers. “It has also been terrific to see the likes of Crystal Beukes and now Jordan Rothman flying the flag for girl golfers. Providing opportunities for this rich pool of young talent will ensure a very bright future for South Africa golf.”

PHOTO - Western Province 15-year-old Jordan Rothman is the first girl qualifier in the 2018 Bridge Fund Managers Junior Series, a national series of 18 events sanctioned by GolfRSA; credit Doug Carew.

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SA duo impress in Annika Invitational USA

ST AUGUSTINE, Florida (12 January 2018) – South Africa’s top female amateur talents – Kajal Mistry and Woo-Ju Son – gave a superb account of themselves in a top field at the prestigious Annika Invitational USA, presented by Rolex, in the United States.
Mistry, the country’s top ranked senior, weathered freezing conditions to close out a top six finish at the World Golf Village in St Augustine on Monday, while South Africa’s number one ranked junior Son tied for 29th on 12-over 228.
The 72-strong field that contested the 10th edition of the tournament, hosted by the American Junior Golf Association tournament, was loaded with the top juniors from 15 countries, including the host nation, Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and Thailand.
Mistry and Son were drawn together for the opening round at the Slammer & Squire Course.
Pars were rare in the cold and windy conditions and only two players managed to finish in red figures. Mistry opened with a 73 to start the second round six shots of the pace. The reigning Sanlam South African Women’s Amateur champion produced a 75 to move into joint eighth.
In Monday’s final round, the South African junior offset a trio of bogeys round with four birdies for a final round 71 to tie for sixth alongside American Yealimi Noh ad Ching-Tzu Chen from Taiwan on three-over 219.
“I loved every minute of it and this tournament rates right up there with the highlights of my career, but it was also a huge test of patience and perseverance,” said the 17-year-old Randpark golfer.
“The first thing that struck us was the weather. We left South Africa in high summer and landed in freezing cold weather, with the temperature between eight to 12 degrees Celsius. It was like playing in the middle of winter in Joburg and really tough to keep your hands warm.
“The altitude was another big surprise. We had to take at least two and half clubs more than we would need in Joburg to hit it the same distance. The course played really long due to the strong wind and the wet fairways. I had to use hybrid, 3-wood, 4-iron and 5-iron to hit my approaches on all the par fours and par fives.
“I had a few highlights, but my best shot of the tournament was at the very tough par-three 13th hole in the final round. It played 122 metres, but the wind straight into us. I had to take a 7-iron and I hit it to give. I literally tapped in for birdie.”
Meeting World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam was the ultimate highlight.
“Annika participated in everything,” said Mistry. “The tournament is incredibly well organised and really well supported by the American Junior Golf Association. Annika made a point of meeting every player. She hosted a clinic, a seminar and all the dinners. She drove around the course and watched the action and she was just everywhere. I was very young when she competed, but Annika is an idol to every female golfer who is serious about golf as a career.
“To finish on the final hole with the World Golf Hall of Fame as the backdrop was really inspirational, but seeing Annika waiting for behind the 18th green in the final round was the cherry on the cake for me. My heart was literally racing like a Formula 1 car.
Pint-sized Son had an especially tough time with the altitude and the strong wind. The Country Club Johannesburg golfer opened with a 77, shot 76 in the second round and closed with a 76.
“It was a fantastic experience,” said Son. “I need to work on gaining more distance, because it was a real struggle in the altitude. Still, I’d do it all over again, given the chance. Kajal and I can’t thank GolfRSA and Womens Golf South Africa enough for giving us the opportunity to compete against these top golfers and to meet Annika.”
Lei Ye from China birdied 12, 15 and 16 to win the 10th annual edition on two-under 214. She defeated American Lucy Li by two shots and finished three shots ahead of the 36-hole leader, Mathilde Claisse from France.

PHOTO – Woo-Ju Son (left) and Kajal Mistry (right) with Major champion and tournament host Annika Sorenstam at the Annika Invitational USA, presented by Rolex; credit GolfRSA.

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of GolfRSA, a SAGA and WGSA Not-For-Profit company.