This past weekend 4 and 5 May 2024 saw the top eight players from the Mascor St Cathryn’s club championships, play the House of Golf match play finals. Concerns were raised, that the pin position placings on the greens were unfair and very difficult. However the myth was dispelled because there were run away results in the match play format with most of the games going to the wire, and had the placings been severe, many of the games would have ended in nine to eleven holes.

Mr Andre Liddermore Plate winner (on the right) with Piet Nel St Cathryns Chairman, telling a very funny story about his golf round!
St Cathryns House of golf Match play Champion: Matt du Preez with last years Champion: Fanie van Wyk.

The players had handicaps from low ones and two’s to low twenties, and the two scholars in the field had to contest against their head master and the sports co-ordinator, and they triumphed – that all bids well for the Penrose golf academy from Hermannburg school.

Players were allowed to play on carts because of the 36 holes that were ear marked to be played on Saturday and then the 18 holes for Sunday. The players that lost in the first round of the tournament went through to the Plate section and this made for a very interesting result in the plate section.

Round one played in the morning, Troy Gifford ( current club champion) lost to Matt Reed 5&3, Gareth Larkan beat Merwin Rabe by one, Josh Gifford beat Andre Liddemore 3&2 and Matt du Preez beat Dieter Meyer 2&1.

The semi finals of the championship saw Matt Reed beat Gareth Larkan 3&1 and Matt du Preez beat fellow scholar Josh 4&3, whilst in the plate section Merwin Rabe beating Troy Gifford 5&4 with Andre Liddemore sending Dieter Meyer home with a nail biting 2&1.

Sunday morning, with some tee box markers changing places, the course was set up for a real thriller for the finals. Matt du Preez took his headmaster Matt Reed down to the last hole and winning the House of Golf match play championships on the last hole. In the plate section, Liddemore from Seven Oaks, took Rabe from Salt Rock to the 17th hole.

At prize giving the current match play champion Fanie van Wyk put the “Nel blue jacket” on to Matt du Preez.

During the tournament a good spirit prevailed and some of the big names that didn’t make it, du Plessis, Moore, van Wyk, Nel and Groenewald will be inspired to perform better next year.

Next Farmers Agri-care Monthly Mug: 18 May 2024 and the Arcadia golf day to be played over two days and sharing golf courses with Greytown: 25 and 26 May 2024.