News from Ashleigh Holmes (Beaut), Pam Hayward (Tannie) and Marne Roos (Boxer) who will play the first round of the Regional All Africa Challenge Trophy at the luxury Inkonyeni Golf Estate near Manzini tomorrow, 1 May 2009.

Gone are the early days of amateur golf development when disadvantaged players, who were selected to participate in the South African Golf Association's (SAGA) Presidents Team, in the Challenge Cup Team tournament, were easy prey for opposing teams.

SA Protea colours were awarded to the players who represented SA at the World Amateur Teams Championship in 2008

For the second time in four days, Nicol van Wyk finished runner up. This time he lost to Matt Jager, of Australia, 6 and 5 in today's 36 hole match play final of the New Zealand Amateur Championship at the Titirangi Golf Club in Auckland.

Orkney Golf Club will once again host the Nomads SA Girls' Championships to be played from 27 to 30 June 2009.

The SAGA continuously reviews its handicapping and course rating system. At the National Executive meeting held on 7 March 2009 at Benoni Country Club, detailed discussions took place led by the Handicap and Course Rating Sub Committee. In this discussion stakeholders' recent comments about the system were taken into account. Some salient points and decisions arising out of the meeting are the following:

South Africa won the 2009 Zone VI International Amateur Golf Team competition after scoring 6, out of a possible 8 points, from their 8 singles matches played during today's final round at Chapman Golf Club, Harare.

Nicol van Wyk, the 24 year old Durbanville Golf Club and Western Province amateur golfer, won both his quarter and semi finals matches today to reach the final of the New Zealand Amateur Championship.

Both Dean O' Riley and Nicol van Wyk successfully negotiated their way through the first two rounds of the New Zealand Amateur Championship, being played at the Titirangi Golf Club in Auckland, to set up an all South African quarter final tomorrow.

Nicol van Wyk, 24 year old Western Province amateur golfer, finished runner up, on conclusion of today's final round, in the 72 hole New Zealand Stroke Play Championship played at the Titirangi Golf Club in Auckland.

When you think of Nohbule Dlamini, certain images come to mind: a toothy smile, dimpled cheecks and a charming demeanor.

At the end of the Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Championship at Royal Cape we can add a formidable opponent in one-on-one tussles after she won the Matchplay Championship at the 37th hole from Lumien Orton.

If there's an alarm clock that goes off when a player turns 50, signalling a diminishing ability to accrue tournament titles, Gilly Tebbutt is deaf to it.

Nicol van Wyk, playing in strong blustery weather conditions, recorded a level par 70, giving him a 54 hole total of 206, four under par, two shots off the lead going into tomorrow's fourth and final round of the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship.

Matchplay golf can be unpredictable and never more so than at the Sanlam South African Women's Amateur at Royal Cape on Thursday.

While former professional Lumien Orton survived the quarterfinals and semi-finals comfortably enough to advance to the 36-hole final on Friday, Western Province's Gilly Tebbutt downed Bertine Strauss before she fell to Swaziland's Nobuhle Dlamini by a one shot margin in the nail-biting round of 18 holes.

Nicol van Wyk recorded a second round 65, five under par, to finish with a 36 hole total of 136, four under par, and a share of the lead at the halfway stage in the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship.

She sets up at the tee, studies the ball for a few moments and swings in a motion that looks effortless. The ball starts off low and then begins to rise, soaring far down the fairway until it hits in the middle.

This isn't an LPGA pro - it's an 11-year-old girl from Johannesburg.

As expected, teenager Bertine Strauss hammered her way to the Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Matchplay quarterfinals at Royal Cape, but it was a day of upsets and disappointments for tournament favourites Kim Williams and Yvette du Plessis.

Both Dean O'Riley and Nicol van Wyk recorded first round scores of 71, one over par, to finish near the top of the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship leaderboard at the end of play today.

Local star Yvette du Plessis held her nerve over the closing holes at Royal Cape to seal the Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship title by two strokes on Tuesday.

Gauteng star Kirsten Campbell enjoyed a memorable triumph when she lifted the B-Division title at the Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Strokeplay Championship on Tuesday.