IVAN Curlewis (65) turned back the clock (again, after turning it back two years ago) to win Margate Country Club’s strokeplay championships for the 35th time.
This time around, he beat a quality field, that included the likes of Jan McDermott and Sean Baker, who have both played for the KZN country districts team.
He carded a pair of 73s, which may not have been a career-best, but was enough to get it done by two shots.
Ivan did receive a lot of help, as the field disintegrated around him.
“It was unexpected, believe you me.” he said.
Patrick Mavundla, who has been in the form of his life this year, held a sizable lead but fell apart on the home stretch, with a double bogey on 14 and 17.
McDermott also took an untimely double bogey on the 17th.
But Ivan rolled back the years while all this was going on, finishing with two birdies.
On the 17th, he nailed a driver off the tee into the wind, followed it up with a 3-wood onto the green, and holed the putt for a birdie.
His son Andrew, a pro on the Sunshine Tour, was impressed. “Driver, 3-wood, putt – thanks for coming. That’s special,” he said.
Ivan followed this up with a chip-and-putt birdie on the par five 18th.
He felt that had been ‘lucky’. “I wasn’t really thinking about winning it to be honest, I was just trying to post a reasonable score. I didn’t have a great idea of who was doing what,” he said.
At no stage did he ever feel any pressure. “I didn’t feel I had to hole the four-footer on the 18th. I was just ambling around doing my own thing,” he said.
Ivan first won this event way back in 1967, when he was still a teenager. “Now I’m a pensionable age,” he joked.
Results:
A division: 1 Ivan Curlewis 73 and 73; 2 Jan McDermott 76 and 72.
B division: 1 Sbu Ntozakhe 76 and 77; 2 Jim Finn 84 and 80.
C division: 1 David Jenkinson 45 and 32 points; 2 Dave Morrison 38 and 32.
Women:
Club champion – Wondra Bothma 184.
Silver – 1 Helga Wepener 185; 2 Maureen Ogilvie 186.
Bronze – 1 Wondra Bothma 184; 2 Evelyn Burls 195.
Copper – 1 Beryl Williamson 200; 2 Rina Rito 204.
At Southbroom …
June 3: 1 Janet Humphrey 37 pts; 2 Jeanne Powell 33 pts; 3 Jean Purtell 32 pts; 4 Allyson Thomas 31 pts.
Individual Stab – 1 Osie Osborne 42 pts; 2 John Lison 42 pts; 3 Roy Deakins, Dave Neilson, both 40 pts.
June 6: 1 Eileen Neilson, Mari Fielden, Margie Sherratt and ghost (Janet Humphrey) 93 pts; 2 Geraldene Treherne, Ruth Mosburger, Jean Corfe and ghost 93 pts.
Men – 1 John Scott, Bob Clark, Simon and Derrick Shusha 98 pts; 2 Erwin Schanda, Stuart Janvier, Dave Page and Gerald Fitzgerald 93 pts; 2 Bruce Matthew, Derrik Matthew, Osie Osborne and Malcolm Greenland 93 pts.
June 7 (Casa Toscana Mixed Alliance): 1 John Lison, Sandy Luus, Karl and Ruth Mosburger 95 pts; 2 Gerald and Sandy Fitzgerald, Bob and Allyson Thomas 90 pts.
At Port Shepstone …
June 3: 1 Gerald Koch 42 pts; 2 Phil Myburgh 40 pts; 3 Graham Fabricius 39 pts.
June 6: Individual Stableford – 1 Yzelle Greyling 38 pts; 2 Jane Lind 36 pts.
A division – 1 Ian Stewart 65 nett; 2 Ganes Munsami 69 nett.
B division – 1 Marius Grobler 67 nett; 2 Christo Janse van Vuuren 67 nett.
C division – 1 Dick Mol 66 nett; 2 Mark Smith 67 nett.
Best gross – Daan Swanepoel 72. Mug winner – Daan Swanepoel 61 nett.
At Port Edward …
June 4 (Ladies Open Day): 1 Gill Carr and Marcell Scott (they won a half sheep each, donated by Saverite); 2 Helga Wepener, Rina Rito. Raffle – Lass Davis.
June 6: 1 Mark Smith, Dave Witherup, Alan Stead and Frank Carr 95 pts; 2 Pieter Bezuidenhout, Kevin Murray, Johan Greeff and Fella Albertyn 91 pts.
Two-clubs – John Fourie (7th), Rodney Lowe (7th), Johan Greeff (14th), Fella Albertyn (16th).
Almost there: Simoné Ferreira (9) of Margate is close to realising her dream of flying to the USA to play in the US Kids’ Golf World Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in July. After months of organising, all that remains is to pay for a portion of the air tickets. Anyone who would like to assist can contact her father Petrus at 081 3071250 or the family’s pastor, Abrie Myburgh, of Doxa Suid Kus at 083 4537135, who is managing the fund.
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