Golfer Siyanda Mwandla breaks through for overdue win

GRATEFULNESS was probably the emotion that emerged most strongly after Siyanda Mwandla won the Ilembe Golf Federation Open Championships at Umhlali Country Club last Sunday.

The lanky 22-year-old from Mount Edgecombe CC started fast, with a morning 66, and followed it up with a solid enough 71 to finish the day on -5 and four shots clear of Calvin Steinhobel of Royal Durban Golf Club.

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Surprisingly, it was Mwandla’s first official KZN Golf Union tournament victory.

That’s if you exclude wins in U23 tournaments and being the leading qualifier at the KZN Amateur at Margate CC last year.

What made it especially pleasing for him was that it happened at Umhlali, where his golf began.

“Yes, that’s where it all started,” he said. “I know the course very well, but tried to lower my own expectations and treat it the same as any other tournament,” he said.

He said the course played “tough” with flags tucked away and the wind blowing fairly hard from early on.

Mwandla was thankful to numerous people for helping him advance his career, but especially to Alan and Sue Mellor, and his coach Shaun Coetzee.

He acknowledged that without their contributions, he would not be in the position he is in at the moment.

In terms of his ball striking, he felt he hadn’t hit the ball that well in the morning round, but struck it superbly in the afternoon.

He has been working on taking the club back more to the outside, as opposed to pulling it back on the inside. “It’s been too high, too steep,” he said.

Mwandla had nine birdies on the day, including a run of six in eight holes in the morning, from the 7th to the 14th.

His only real blunder was a tiny putt for eagle which he missed on the 10th in the afternoon.

“I hit a 5-iron in there to three feet, I was six under for the day at that stage so it was quite exciting. Unfortunately it stayed out,” he said.

Mwandla is now looking forward to playing in the Big Easy event at Houghton GC in Johannesburg, where he’ll meet up with his KZN teammates Matt Saulez and Malcolm Mitchell among others.

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It starts today (Tuesday).

Evergreen Murray Gilson (Durban CC) showed he hasn’t lost his competitive edge, with a third place finish on 143.

“Could have been better, chipping was horrendous,” he said, enjoying the 10 birdies he made, but worried Lee Westwood or Martin Kaymer may text him commiserations over his lack of short game dexterity.

Thomas Lovett (Prince’s Grant) was fourth on 146, followed by David Brown (Mount Edgecombe CC) on 147.

Derek Scullard (KwaMbonambi) was tied sixth on 148 with Sean Baker (Margate CC).

Clayton Mansfield (Durban CC) was eighth was on 153, tied with Graham Dickinson (Maritzburg Golf Club), as well as Dale Burraston (Mount Edgecombe CC), Koenie Erasmus (Umhlali CC) and Sabelo Majola (Royal Durban).

Next on 154 were Dave Watson (Kloof CC), Michael Algie (Simbithi CC), Greg Smith (Umhlali CC) and Darryl Trodd (Maritzburg GC).

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