Siyanda does it again and emerges victorious in the Ladysmith Open

Monday, December 16, saw the arrival of Cyril Ramaphosa to Bergville, which I believe caused quite a stir, much like Thami Sithole did at Ladysmith Country Club with his much-awaited Thami Sithole & Associates Ladysmith Open. With an entourage bigger than CR’s, the tour bus rolled into the club carrying  58 golfers and six professionals, from all over the country, to challenge Siyanda Mwnadla for the title of Ladysmith champion. I wish that some of our local golfers had arrived earlier to see how the top golfers prepare themselves for the day, instead of arriving with one or two minutes to go before they tee off and then thinking they can play like Tiger Woods or Ernie Els. The field got away on time, thanks to starters Colin and Mandy Woodall, and the efficient organisational skills of Zuzu Dlamini.

The B Division, playing 36 holes IPS, proved to be a bit of one-way traffic, with Q Sithole playing quite brilliantly to take an early lead with a staggering 44 points. This is nine shots better than his handicap.

The rest were hoping that he would perhaps have too much lunch, get lazy and blow out the second 18, but this did not happen and he had another sub-par round to win the division quite easily from B Khanyile and B Xaba. One of the competitors was asked if there was any way he could have been beaten on the day and he said: yes, we should have tied him up in the change room before the game.

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The A Division was a similar affair, with Siyanda Mwnadla from Mount Edgecombe (playing off a +5 handicap) taking the title of Ladysmith champion for the second year running. Siyanda and others made light work of our course, which had been set up at its most difficult, with some heavy rough and difficult pin placings to catch out the players.

This made no difference, as Siyanda strode majestically over the course to come home with a five-shot advantage over Riaan Albertse, who played off a +7 handicap. Siyanda shot a gross 136, which is five under par, and never looked in any trouble.

He dealt with all obstacles in his way with class and ease, and it’s easy to understand why he is such a good golfer and ambassador for his club. It is a joy to watch these really good amateur and professional golfers make mincemeat of the course and drive a golf ball to distances most of us just dream about. To witness their course management and club selection was such a pleasure that it made one’s eyes water. In third spot was V Ntanzi.

Thanks to his handicap, he also won the best nett with a two-round nett of 139. He was followed by S Mgobhozi and Zuzu Dlamini. The Pro competition proved to be a lot tougher, with M Mazibuko and L Albertse ending in a tie on 139 gross. They were forced into a play-off down the 18^th, which they halved and with the sun setting faster than Usain Bolt, they decided to share the money in true sportsmanlike fashion. This left T Simon in third spot.

With prize-giving over, the players sat down to a fantastic roast meat supper. The golf committee would like to thank Anna and the staff for all the work they did from six in the morning to 10 that night, making food and serving drinks. Not forgetting Pier and the course boys, who were at work at five to ensure that the greens were cut, the pin placings changed and bunkers raked. Thanks also to the golf captain for his organisation and help in ensuring that the day went smoothly, and to Stuart for helping with scoring and marshalling during the day.

To Thami Sithole & Associates, a great big heartfelt thanks for giving us the opportunity to host such a great tournament and being able to showcase our club to other players from KwaZulu-Natal and Jo’burg. It is a big day and we hope we met your expectations. We look forward to hosting your company and wonderful golfers again this year.

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