CLOSE FINISH TO KZN MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS

South Africa’s No 1 lady amateur golfer, Kim Williams, made up for the disappointment of not retaining her KZN Ladies Strokeplay Championship by beating KZN’s Pam Hayward 1 up in the final of the KZN Matchplay Championship, played at the Umhlali Country Club on Monday and Tuesday March 1 and 2.

Kim went ahead early and was 3 up at the turn but Pam fought back on the second nine. She was 3 down with 3 to play and then won the 16^th and 17^th to keep the match alive going into the last hole.

Her birdie putt just slipped by and Kim sank a 5 footer to halve the hole and win the Championship.

Earlier, Kim had beaten Nicole Becker 2/1 and Pam had accounted for Henriette Frylink by the same margin.

 In the Silver Division Championship, the final between two Durban Country Club players ended with Terri Holloway holing a tricky 10 foot putt on the last green to beat Wendy Fouche 1 up.

 Shelley Sykes won the Bronze Division Championship, beating Lyn Simpson 2/1.

 
The Matchplay Championships, sponsored by The Pro Shop, ended a week of high class golf on the superbly conditioned and challenging Umhlali Country Club course, which saw a course record 64 by Connie Chen in winning the Strokeplay Championship.  The event, a highlight in the Province’s golfing calendar, was run smoothly by the KZNLGA and attracted players from all over South Africa.