Big Fish not fried just yet

DEFINITELY my last year. That was Gavin Sole’s response after being named as captain (again) of the KwaZulu-Natal golf team.

Those that know the Southbroom golfer will say: “Yes, we’ve heard this song before” and not really believed it as the Big Fish has subsequently and inevitably made himself available the following year.

But this time around he sounds more serious than in years gone by. “I’ll have one last shot at getting KZN back into the A section,” he said.

Sole has been under-golfed in terms of tournament golf this year, even struggling to play in big events on the coast.

Some of the main tournaments unfortunately coincided with important events at Southbroom Golf Club where he is the manager.

At the age of 46 he has played in more IPTs than all the other players in the team put together.

There’s no doubt the SA Interprov is getting younger. To back this up, SAGA scrapped the U23 Interprov.

Last year four of Sole’s teammates were still in school. He was older than some of their parents. “I had a beer while the rest ordered milkshakes,” he laughed.

It prompted the nickname ‘Coelacanth’. To be fair to the grizzled veteran he can still produce some great golf.

He draws inspiration from pros like Phil Mickelson and even Ernie Els, still very competitive on the wrong side of 40.

Then there’s his young son Graham, now 12 but growing fast – and eager to outdrive the ‘ol man’.

While mid-amateur golf could always be an option he has resisted it to date saying that he likes to test himself against the best.

A number of young bucks have come unstuck by underestimating him at Interprovincial tournaments.

One year a prominent youngster was pitted to play him and said “shouldn’t you be with the mid amateurs?”

This irritated the Fish, who gutted the ‘kid’ pretty quickly.

Last year he played a golfer ranked in the top three in SA.

Sole’s caddie overheard his opponent tell his own caddy “this will be over by 2.30pm”.

That was a mistake. Fish came to hear of it and beat his opponent on the 17th.

The team for this year’s Interprovincial is Malcolm Mitchell, Clayton Mansfield, Matt Saulez, Luke Mayo, Greg McKay, Siyanda Mwandla and Jason Broomhead.

Ivan Curlewis (Margate Country Club) returns as manager.

His calming presence is regarded as a 15th club or secret weapon in a way and it won’t be a surprise to this writer if KZN wins the B section at the Interprov.

Sole played in the KZN Closed at Kloof last weekend. “Toughest conditions I have ever played medal in. Cold and rain,” he said.

He had rounds of 71, 76, 77 and 80. Not his best ever effort.

“Game had to be spot on to do well. Lots of work to do,” he said. Still, hopefully he got rid of some of the rust.

This year the Interprov is at Fish River Sun. If it really is to be his swansong he couldn’t have picked a venue with a more suitable name!

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