Fine weather & light winds greeted the players who took part in the first round of the 2021 Club Championships on Saturday 20th March. A near-capacity entry of 119 players was remarkable considering the distinct lack of ‘swallow’ members this year.
Players were greeted with golf towel gifts from the main sponsor (PSG Wealth), ball markers, fruit & bottled water kindly supplied by Tooty Frooty.
The course was in fine condition & the field moved smoothly with a welcome beer for the men & a refreshing Brutal Fruit ‘alco pop’ for the ladies being handed out on the 18th & 9th greens – generously provided by SAB.
Sunday morning’s second round couldn’t have been more different. Unexpected overnight & morning rain forced the 8am start to be delayed by two hours. After a quick course inspection, a team of caddies volunteered to ‘squeegee’ the puddles on the worst affected greens.
Meanwhile, most players consumed coffee, snack, breakfasts & a tot of sherry while they waited, while others passed the time playing backgammon & dominoes!
But patience paid off. The rain eased off, skies began to clear, the greens were once again playable & the afternoon proceeded without a hitch – all thanks to the hard work, dedication & good humour of management & staff alike.
A fine array of silverware was on display, augmented by bottles of wine for the nearest-the-pin prizes, sponsored by Green Solar Enterprise.
Many congratulations to our 2021 champions (for the best gross score over the two rounds).
They were:
Ladies’ Champion: Lizzie Lightley (77) (80) 157 gross
Runner-up: Shelly Colananni (82) (90) 172 gross
Men’s Champion: Norman Beggs (72) (69) 141 gross
Runner-up: Errol Siebrits (74) (77) 151 gross
Ladies’ Bronze Division Winner: Bev Mckenna (96) (95) 191 gross
Runner-up: Topsi Stevens (97) (97) 194 gross
Men’s B-division Winner: Samuel Kamfer (80) (82) 162 gross
Runner-up: Krisjan Leen (77) (87) 164 gross
Ladies’ Copper Division (Stableford) Winner: Lauriol Kiebler (37) (32) 69 Points
Men’s C-Division (Stableford) Winner: Tony Pilgrim (34) (34) 68 points
Runner-up: Graham Ive (34) (33) 67 points
Men’s Senior Champion: Errol Siebrits (74) (77) 151 gross
The top eight players in both the men’s & ladies’ event will now be entered into a newly-introduced matchplay knockout competition at a later date to crown the “Champions of Champions”.
Despite Knysna’s legendary unpredictable weather, the event was incredibly well organised & a huge success. The high spirits & camaraderie both on & off the course is a testament to the club’s members & staff.
Very well done to everyone involved!
