Revenge of the 9-iron: Club hits golfer
The young golfer may want to hit his low irons a little 'easier' in future.
GRAHAM Fabricius (22) has done some interesting things on the golf course in his time – like win tournaments, shoot the odd 90, and play 72 holes in a day – but he has never been hit by his own club.
True story.
It happened during the first round of the strokeplay qualifying of the eLAN KwaZulu-Natal Amateur at Margate Country Club last week.
On the 5th hole, he was battling to pull his club out of the bag. He pulled …nothing. Pulled harder …still nothing.
Then he gave it a rip … and it came free with such enthusiasm that it smacked him on the nose, causing him quite the nose bleed.
He nearly knocked himself out. And now has new respect for his 9-iron!
“It wasn’t sore,” he lied, before adding that his nose finally stopped bleeding halfway down the 6th fairway.
Still he went on to shoot 69 and followed it up with 74 the next day to qualify in 16th position.
“The swing felt a bit dodgy but I was just managing to put a score together. The putter was hot, luckily,” he said.
In the first round of the matchplay he beat Dylan Mostert (State Mines CC), a current SA junior player, 2/1.
Then he beat Richard Joubert (Silver Lakes CC) 1-up, making birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th to stun his opponent.
His shot of the day came on the 17th after he had hit his tee shot into the trees on the right.
“I had about 225m left to the flag and hit a big cut to about two and a half metres from the hole. I was very surprised,” he said.
Unfortunately he lost 8/7 to Matt Saulez (Durban CC) in the quarter-finals.
“He killed me. He was four or five under par but also I didn’t play well. My only highlight was coming inches from a hole-in-one on the 2nd. Matt hits it miles. He nearly drove the 1st hole and hit driver then wedge on the 5th and 9th, both par fives.”
Matt ended up losing to Kyle McClatchie (Serengeti Golf Club) in a hard-fought final, 3/2 over 36 holes.
Of the local golfers, Sean Baker (Margate CC) made it to the matchplay stage but lost in the first round.
Gavin Sole (Southbroom GC) missed the cut with scores of 78 and 71.
Margate CC’s trio of Robert Mavundla (75 75), Doug Sima (79 88) and Sydney Shingange (84 78) all missed the cut.
Gavin, Sean, Graham and Robert will all be playing the Champion of Champions at Kloof this weekend.
Wild win for Jaco Ahlers
JACO Ahlers won the Wild Coast Sun Challenge at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club – and his fifth on the Sunshine Tour – on a score of -17.
It was a fairly comfortable win in the end, by three strokes from Danie van Tonder and Ruan de Smidt.
Margate CC’s pro Andrew Curlewis started to find some rhythm after an opening 73, with an improved 66.
“I was lucky to make the cut,” he chirped. He finished off with a 69 for a tie for 25th position.
He was happy with his progress after recent surgery, feeling that he was trusting his wrist more.
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