UK tour beckons for golfer Matt Saulez

MATT Saulez (Durban Country Club) is getting closer to winning a national tournament.

He’s also getting closer to the number one ranking in the country.

He is now placed fourth, up one from fifth after the Western Province Amateur at Westlake where he qualified in third in the strokeplay and reached the quarter-finals in the matchplay (where he was beaten by Malcolm Mitchell of Kloof CC).

But that’s not foremost in his mind at this stage.

Instead, he is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime, having been named as one of eight players in a South African squad to tour the United Kingdom.

The squad will play in a series of tournaments there, including Irish Amateur, French Amateur, Scottish Amateur, The Links Trophy and the British Amateur.

Thereafter, he and good friend Kyle McClatchie of Serengeti Estate and ranked number one in the country at the moment, will of their own accord travel to the USA to play in four tournaments there, namely Players Amateur, Southern Amateur, Western Amateur and US Amateur.

“I feel my confidence (belief in myself) is as high as it’s ever been. I’m also just loving being on the golf course and competing… haven’t enjoyed my golf as much as I am at the moment,” he said.

While Saulez was thrilled to be chosen it was a bittersweet moment as Mitchell (Kloof CC), who is ranked fifth in SA, did not get the nod.

“Malcolm was very unlucky not to make it. It’s harsh on him, I feel quite sad for him,” he said.

At this stage, KwaZulu-Natal now have three players in the top nine which could be a record.

The likes of Jared Harvey, Michael Hollick and Stephen van Heerden may have come close seven years ago but it’s doubtful they played quite as many national events.

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There are two big tournaments in the province this week, the Prince’s Grant Invitation from May 1 to 3 and the KZN Open Strokeplay at Selborne Park from May 5-7.

* In premier league action, Cotswold Downs took advantage of home territory and a team missing Saulez, Clayton Mansfield and the Broomhead brothers to pip Durban Country Club 6,5-5,5.

Umhlali CC crunched visitors Southern KZN 8,5-3,5.

The Cotswold-DCC result was a massive result in the context of the league as Cotswold now only need to beat struggling Southern KZN at Port Shepstone on May 21.

This shouldn’t prove too difficult as Southern KZN have close to woeful this year.

It will then mean they’ll top the pool and most likely play Mount Edgecombe CC in the final.

This however, will depend on the result of the Northern KZN-Mount Edgecombe game at Mount Edgecombe on June 4.

Still, it should go in favour of the home team.

In the other pool, hosts Northern KZN beat Kloof 8,5-3,5.

At Beachwood, Durban CC ‘2’ halved 6-6 with Maritzburg Golf Club.

Next round is on May 21.

* The KZN seniors had a tough time at Simola last week, doing just enough to avoid relegation.

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