HOLE 18 chip error cost Tanzanian top golfer, Madina Iddi dearly as it helped her South African opponent Kaylah Williams win a single shot in Women’s Match Play Golf Championship at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club in South Africa yesterday.
Organised by the Women Golf South Africa (WSGA), the tournament that climaxes tomorrow, drew together 32 top finishers of the 2020 South African Women’s StrokePlay Championship that ended on Tuesday at same course.
Speaking to the ‘ Daily News’ after the match from Johannesburg on Wednesday, Iddi said her opponent was lucky to progress with one up score and that came in the last hole.
“I was in the right direction as I managed to hold my opponent in all 17 holes before losing in the final 18th hole. I had a bad chip at that par-5 hole, though still I managed to get a par. My opponent won by a single shot after she got a bird. “It was one of the toughest matches of the day, Williams admitted at the end that I am a good player who gave her a stiff challenge, but was not lucky to win the game,” she said.
Iddi improved much at matchplay as she hit 13 pars, two birdies and three bogeys to finish with oneover par 73 as her opponent Williams had to hold nerve and finish with par level 72.
Still, she was the most successful East African in the whole tournament due to the fact she was the only one from the region to qualify for the championship’s match-play category.
Madina was the top placed East African at the South Africa Strokeplay Championship after finishing 29th overall.
She carded aggregate 235 (83,77,75), while her opponent Williams finish overall 3rd with 4-under 212 (70, 70, 72) at the event whose winner was South African Caitlyn Macnab carded aggregate 7-under 209 (69,72, 68).
Other East African golfers at the event were Ugandans; Irene Nakalembe and Peace Kabasweka, but none of the two managed to advance to the match-play they tied at 40th place.
Nakalembe from Entebbe Golf Club, however, got a walkover against hosts Nelia Swanepoel at first round while Kabasweka beat Erica Chen by two up and both were in action for a second round yesterday afternoon.
Over 75 golfers from Switzerland, Reunion, Uganda, Tanzania
