Golf, by TourMiss

Surprisingly, it’s been 13 years since my first  and then only visit to South Africa for two events in Johannesburg on the 2000 European Tour schedule. Anthony Wall captured still his only Tour victory in winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship and Sweden’s Mathias Gronberg won the South African Airways South African Open. During the fortnight I had the pleasure of meeting champion South African cricketer, Graham Pollock who then enjoyed the second hightest Test batting average behind ...

Scott Jamieson is hoping to finally get his hands on a victory trophy after muscling his way towards a double Durban success in the Volvo Champions event. Jamieson snatched nine birdies in wet and miserable conditions on the Durban Country Club course in a score of 64 to be tied in second place on 11-under par. South African Louis Oothuizen holed a 30-foot birdie putt at 18 in a round of 64 to move one clear of the 33-player field on 12-under par. The current World No. 6 actually won a car when he ...

Shane Lowry had applause in holing an eagle shot from a bunker at the par four last hole drowned out by loud music already coming from the 101st anniversary rally taking place on Saturday in the close by Kings Park Stadium in Durban. Lowry’s three under par 69 to move to five under par sees him in a six-way tie for fourth but also six shots behind Scotland’s Scott Jamieson (64) and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (68) in second on 11-under par. South African’s Louis Oosthuizen birdied his ...

Darren Clarke confirmed he is considering withdrawing from next Tuesday’s Players Committee vote in Abu Dhabi to select the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain. The former British Open champion and Ireland’s Paul McGinley are the two nominations to replace Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal. Also interested in being appointed Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, the victorious 2010 European Team captain. However after a good end to his 2012 season, including a best result in some 18 months by finishing eighth ...

Louis Oosthuizen holed a lengthy birdie putt at the final green to snatch a one shot lead and also earn himself an excavator on day two of the Volvo Champions event in Durban. The South African posted an eight under par 64 on a rain-softened Durban Country Club course to move to 12-under par and one shot clear of Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, who signed for a similar score and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (68) on 11-under par. Jaidee and Jamieson, who won last month’s Nelson Mandela Championship ...

If talk circulating the Durban Country Club is correct than Paul McGinley could be elected unopposed at next Tuesday’s 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy selection meeting. It was committee man Henrik Stenson who indicated:  “I would have thought Darren (Clarke) and Paul (McGinley) are the two nominees but there has been some information in the last couple of days that we might consider it differently so I still think it’s more open.” If so, that ‘information’ could relate ...

Volvo Champions competitors will be afforded police escorts from their hotels on Saturday to avoid any disruption caused as an expected 80,000 crowd gather in Durban to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Africa National Congress (ANC).  South African President Jacob Zuma will address the crowd in the Kings Park Stadium located across the road from the Durban Country Club course.  The stadium is home to the Rugby Super 15 Natal Sharks and two playing fields beside the arena have been roped ...