Invitational brings out the best in its guests

True to form, the wind showed up and made play on the rolling hills of Zimbali Country Club a little more challenging than most players would have wanted at the 2015 Zimbali men’s invitational on September 23.

Not to be outdone, golfers produced some top tier golf, considering the top eight four balls scored between 83 and 89 points in the four ball alliance competition, with four positions being determined by count out.

Top honors went to Sashi Maharaj, Pregs Naidoo, Nolan Naicker and Suraj Marajh who trumped Louis Peens, Manu Beauregard, Jason Bruwer and Mason Bizzell by one point, finishing on 89 points. Tony Pitham, Shane Douglas, Deon Fourie and Richard Firbank bent the knee to the Peens four ball on a count out. Both carded 88 points.

Mano Beauregard had a particularly good day, carding four four-pointers. Barry Trollip contributed 40 of his fourball’s 87 points, one better than Thobani Msimang’s 39 points. Shane Douglas was zoning, returning to the clubhouse on a very respectable 70 gross for 38 points. Zimbali’s handicapping chairman, John Allan also contributed 40 points to his four ball’s tally.

With four nearest to the pin opportunities on the fifth, ninth, 11th and 14th, the competition was on to see who could master their short to medium irons best form the par three tee-boxes. Accuracy was key and Bradley Georgiou, Eric Huang, Sathie Govender and Patrick Brewer each exacted the best position from the tee-box on the respected short holes.

Not everybody had such a good day though. The tough course with its ups and downs, impossibly thick rough and fairways heading in different directions, changing the wind play, got the better of Dave Peatfield, Peter Wilson, George Morley-Jepson and Dorian Emmett who had the longest day and played the most shots for the least number of points.