Ruimsig Classic and Ladies Diane Kruger Trophy heat up winter air at Ruimsig Country Club
Just over 90 players in two men's divisions fight for two days in annual winter competition.
The kings of the fairway need equal prowess as the queens of the greens.
Members of Ruimsig Country Club (RCC) set out to chase the trophies in ideal conditions at men’s and women’s events. Commonly known as the winter champs, the two-day Ruimsig Classic was held on Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31 while the women got their round in on the same Saturday in the 2022 Ladies Diane Kruger Trophy.
Playing under the individual medal format, men’s players would be split into an A and B division based on their handicap, and scores would be calculated using the player’s total number of shots played, minus that handicap. The overall champion would come from whoever in either division could card the best handicap-assisted scores, levelling the playing field and turning up the tension.
At the end of day one, the overnight lead in the A division belonged to Marco Verwey whose 68 gave him a two-shot advantage over the chasing Wikus Otto. In the B division, Gary Smith’s first round net score of 67 would see him start day two in front, just one shot better than Wade Palmer. Verwey and Smith both carded a net 72 on day two to earn first place in their division, but one of the chasing pack would pip them to the overall title.
The 2022 Ruimsig Classic Champion would come from the B division, as newcomer Palmer’s second round net score of 69 gave him a total of 137, two better than his nearest rival. In the ladies event, the Betterball Stableford competition saw the team of Pam Suttle and Laura Theunissen top the leader board with 48 points, just one point better than the pairing of Jenny Hodge and Estelle Harris’ 47.
A special colour dotted the course throughout the weekend, as players wore red in honour of a member who had recently passed. Gavin Martin was a loyal RCC member for 24 years and due to his love of the Golden Lions and Manchester United, members dressed in the colours of those sporting institutions.
RCC Golf Director, Graham Smith, was pleased at the weekend turnout, saying, “We thank all our members who participated and we are proud that our club is growing. We had a larger field than last year so it was a big success. Congratulations to all our winners, especially to our 2022 Champ, Wade Palmer, who recently joined the club.”
