Empangeni choke under pressure

THE Empangeni ‘ladies’ stepped out the kitchen to teach the big-talking Richards Bay ‘men’ a lesson in the annual Zululand Ryder Cup golf challenge.

They came close, but after three days of exciting and tough action, and with the Bay Braggards on their knees at one stage, it was back to the stoves and recipe books.

The action began on Thursday at the Richards Bay Country Club where the two teams squared up for the foursomes challenge.

For the first time in many a year the Empangeni Country Club skirt brigade team showed some fighting spirit to take and early lead by 2.5 to 1.5 points.

Friday proved no better for the RBCC outfit in the better-ball encounter on the Empangeni golf course.

Empangeni produced their best game and gave the Bay Boys another spanking, scoring 3 to 1 points and holding a handy 5.5 to 2.5 points lead before Saturday’s singles.

This prompted ECC captain Shaun ‘The Talker’ Francis telling the RBCC team at Friday night’s function that they would not be taking the trophy back to Richards Bay.

Well, enter Saturday afternoon and the Bay bullies all pitched up.

In a one-sided match they ‘klapped’ their rivals to level the score, tie the match up and retain the trophy.

Francis could not get over the fact that his team had been put to rest by the wily Richards Bay chaps once more.

He blamed Richards Bay for employing dirty tactics, leaving their youngest team-member in Empangeni on Friday evening to entertain the ECC players until the early morning hours.

But it was ECC’s match to take and the Bay squad remarked Empangeni repeated the folly of sending women (the Kitchern Team) into battle instead of men.

ECC players nevertheless said it felt like a victory compared to last year when they were totally annihilated.

18 OCTOBER

Empangeni wins first round

WHEN golfers head for the fairway at Empangeni Country Club today, it is the home team who are in the lead, by one point.

Yesterday saw an action-packed day in the rain on the Richards Bay course with Empangeni scoring 2 and a half points compared to Richards Bay’s 1 and a half.

In the first game, Empangeni golfers, Shaun Francis and Richard Allan beat Steve Smith and Ryno Martyn. Richards Bay’s Bruce Sloley and Mark van Niekerk hit back in the second game beating Herman Brits and Attie Barrington. The third round saw Lourens Gouws and Greg Smith (R Bay) draw with Jeff McGregor and Kevin Jordan. The last game was won by Empangeni golfers, Spider Muller and Sweis Louw who beat Jeffrey van der Merwe and Pieter Knoetzen.

Today another four points will be up for grabs in the annual Zululand Ryder Cup.

17 OCTOBER

Golfers gloves off today

IT is time again to dust off the clubs, tie the shoelaces and hold onto the brollies for the big annual Zululand Ryder Cup golf challenge between Richards Bay and Empangeni.

Golfers tee off today (Thursday) at Richards Bay Country Club, then on Friday they hit the fairways at Empangeni Country Club and the tournament winds down on Saturday back at Richards Bay.

Last year saw Richards Bay Country Club (RBCC) lads a few light years ahead of the Empangeni chaps and, as predicted before the tee-off, were far too strong for the inland visitors.

It will not be forgotten though, that Empangeni hit back with their ladies putting up one heck of an after-party, which proved they were better off with oven gloves and an apron in the kitchen than out on the golf course with the men.

This year’s Bay team show limited changes, which they say again points to a predictable outcome.

The Empangeni team have brought in ‘big gun’ Kevin Jordan, but one man does not make a summer the Bay boys point out and confidently predict another year of crocodile tears for their opposition.

‘At least Empangeni have had a change of attitude by fitting in one team practice four days before tee-off. But this clearly points to very weak captaincy as the RBCC squad have been at it for at least four months,’ said a Bay spokesperson on condition of anonymity.

Strong-minded, athletic and charming Lourens ’95’ Gouws will lead the talented RBCC squad, while the Empangeni team will once again have Shaun ‘Big Talker’ Francis spearheading the charge. Richard Allen, Kevin Jordan, Sweis Louw, Spider Muller, Jeff McGregor, Attie Barrington and Herman Brits will make up the Empangeni side.

Francis indicated that he wanted to play for RBCC this year, but eventually found the necessary sponsorship to keep him in his team.

Francis and Allen were then seen at the RBCC last week trying to poach some actual golf players, but were driven off.

High prices were offered to certain RBCC members, but they stood true to their club colours, except for some ‘Blue Bull guys’ who considered the treachery.

Empangeni has emphatically denied ‘these unfounded and scandalous rumours meant to distract our focus’.

Gouws’ squad consists of Steve ‘Silver Fox’ Smith, Pieter ‘Onderbroek’ Knoetzen, Jeffrey van der Merwe (who replaces Kevin Stobart, who stood down to give Empangeni a chance), Bruce Sloley, Greg Smith, Ryno ‘Basher’ Martyn and probably the weak link in the team, surfer boy Mark van Niekerk.

Spectators are welcome to follow this one-sided match on twitter and facebook.

On a more serious note, the order of play is as follows: Day one – Thursday Foursomes Format at RBCC, tee-off at 11am; Day two – Friday Better Ball Stableford at ECC, tee-off at noon; Day three – Saturday Singles at RBCC, tee-off at 11am.