Women Professional Golf Association

Men emerge victorious at battle of the Sexes Pro-Am

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The mens team made up of PGA professionals and their male amateur partners emerged victorious over the WPGA professionals and their female amateur teams at the recent Battle of the Sexes event, sponsored by Pilsner Uruell and Sarita. This first of its kind even was held at Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro from the 25th-27th October and has been created as an annual event to commemorate the anniversary of the official opening of Euphoria in 2008

The battle of the Sexes Pro-Am was made up of three competitions. An overall betterball competition, an individual professional competition with make and female professionals teeing up on their respective tees set up by the PGA and the main contest was for the overall winning gender. The Pro-Am was well represented with Michelle de Vries, President of the WPGA and Dennis Bruyns, President of the PGA, competing alongside other professionals such as Kenneth Dub, Tandi Cunningham, Mandy Adamson, Paul Cunningham and Betty Mokoena.

30 teams teed up on Monday the 26th October for the first round in a very sunny but windy conditions. The course played long, with amateurs playing ogg the professional tees and testing their skills on the bushveld links course, designed by former number once lady, Annika Sorensta. Day 1 saw the men’s team leading by 9 shots and Tandi Cunningham and Carel Fourie topping the leader board for the individual professional competition.

An early start followed on Tuesday 27th as the teams battled it out in the hot bushveld sun. Some great golf was seen as the fourballs, made up of male professional / amateur team and a female professional / amateur team contested for the dominant gender. Letitia Moses-Roestoff ended her round with an albatross on the tough par 5 18th hole and excitedly voiced her enthusiasm for the event and the fun that was had by all.

The ladies team finished with a better score on day 2 over the men, however it was not enough to win the overall. The men ended victorious and were awarded the trophy for the winning sex, accepted by Andrew Gunn on behalf of the PGA. The ladies also managed to take home a trophy, with Tandi Cunnigham firing 34 points on day 1 and 35 points on day 2 to take the 1st place prize fund in the individual professional competition.

Natalie van Blerk, Sales & Marketing Manager at Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro, is looking forward to growing this event for years to come with the support of the PGA, WPGA, the professionals and the sponsors. “SAB showed their buy in of this event from the moment we presented the concept to them and came to the party with the competing male and female brands of Sarita and Pilsner Urquell to cleverly tie in with the Battle of the Sees concept. We appreciate their ongoing sponsorship to help create this Pro-Am that forges synergy amongst the golfing organisations and brings together males and females, professionals and amateurs in a unique format to compete fairly against each other.

For additional information please contact:

Natalie van Blerk

Marketing Manager – Euphoria

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Dennis Bruyns

President – PGA

Michelle De Vries

President – WPGA

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WPGA Statement

18th March 2009

The President of the WPGA of South Africa and her board would like to make the following statement. This statement is made following the recent controversy that has emerged since the airing of the Carte Blanche program on Sunday 15th March 2009.

The WPGA’s prime objectives have always been:
1.To promote interest in the game of golf in general and particularly amongst women professional golfers.
2. To establish and maintain high standards in the promotion, conduct and development of ladies professional golf activities and to provide our members with opportunities in teaching and tournament play.
3. To co-operate with organizations engaged in golf promotions whose objectives are compatible with those of the WPGA’s.

As per our objectives, Tania Fourie is a golf promoter and the WPGA have contracted her services in the past and largely with great success. We have also used other golf promoters and what we require from any promotor, is a guarantee of prize fund and a sanction fee. The promotion of the event is left up to the promoter and the WPGA’s role is to provide players and to run all things pertaining to the golf itself . The WPGA has always shown values of good governance, transparency and honesty at these events, and has created a platform for all lady golfers - both amateur and professional to go forward in their careers.

With regard to the Women’s World Cup of Golf, this event is a Ladies European Tour and Ladies Professional Golf Association (the USA professional body) co-sanctioned event and the WPGA’s involvement was in a minor role. The WPGA was included only in the first year as one of the official sanctioning bodies and subsequently has been involved in the selection of the South African Team as per the criteria laid out by the LPGA and LET. The WWC has been a great boost to the growth of the game in South Africa and has brought the world’s top golfers to our shores.

Like most professional golfing bodies, the WPGA is a member owned organization, where the members themselves elect the board. The board then elects a President and a Vice President. Each of the board members has a portfolio for their office term. We have built up a good reputation withour sponsors and the many overseas players who have supported us year on year. The WPGA, like the Sunshine Tour have worked towards providing a place for our local Pro’s, overseas players and amateurs to compete. The hard work put by the WPGA, promoters and sponsors has allowed us to have in 2009 six South African players with full playing rights on either the Ladies European Tour or the LPGA.
The WPGA promoted and operated the SA WOMENS OPEN last week, which was a great success and we have received positive feedback from sponsors, who believe in our product (Women’s Professional Golf) and are ready to commit to our 2010 tour.

May we go forward and grow this game.

Michelle de Vries
President of the WPGA
Mobile +27 (0)82 453 7298
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Results for SA Womens Open

Final Results