Cape Town’s well-kept secret is nestled against the Silvermine Mountains and showcases an 18-hole championship golf course with quaintly designed holes and elevated greens. A unique feature of this course is the Silvermine River, which meanders through it, as well as numerous strategically placed lakes and a constant south-east wind which presents many challenges to golfers.

A thrilling finale took place at Clovelly Country Club, with the best of the best vying for the overall Order of Merit titles.

The Premier Amateur Tour (PAT) season finale this year included the following qualifiers:

• In the open section, thirty players (and ties) will be eligible to participate in the stroke play finale, which will be played over 36 holes.
• In the mid-amateur section, nine players (and ties) will be eligible to participate in the stroke play finale, which will be played over 36 holes.
• In the women’s section, nine players (and ties) will be eligible to participate in the stroke play finale, which will be played over 36 holes.
• In the senior section, fifteen players (and ties) will be eligible to participate in the stroke play finale, which will be played over 18 holes.

A mere few points separated the top three players in each of the four sections. These players were racing to reach the finish line in order to earn the ultimate honour. In a poetic manner, the final script of the year was characterized by the presence of Mother Nature and tucked-away pins as players navigated the course and attempted to execute precise shots.

The Open section was won by Matthew Cooper (Clovelly), who capped a stellar year with four PATs, an impressive accomplishment, particularly considering the 25% winning margin. Upon completion of the season, Matt finished with 1018.75 points, 105.25 points ahead of the runner-up, Jack Buchanan (Milnerton).

The Mid-Am section was won by Philip Taberer (Erinvale) who trailed Chris Helmbold (Westlake) by 30.50 points heading into the Finale. Philip put forth his best effort and outperformed his opponents with rounds of 74 and 71. This enabled him to take advantage of the double points offered in the final round. Thus, Philip won the overall order of merit with 254 points, 77 points more than his nearest competitor.

As the finals approached, Kim Albertus (Atlantic Beach) held a very slim lead over Isabella Crafford (Strand) by only 20 points. Ultimately, the title would be decided by who was able to maintain their nerves under pressure and eliminate unforced errors. As a result of her rounds of 90 & 90 in the final, Kim accumulated 242 points overall, adding only five more points to her tally. Isabella managed to steer the ship in the right direction posting two consistent rounds of 86 and 85. Upon gaining 40 points, she reached 257 points, surpassing Kim by 15 points and capturing the women’s overall order of merit title.

In the Senior Section, Craig Poulton (KDM) emerged victorious with 543.50 points. His season concluded with a runner-up finish, coupled with two wins, which provided him with sufficient momentum to cross the finish line first. He was followed closely by runner-up Greg Woodbridge (Atlantic Beach Links) by just 11 points

Final results

• Open section
• Mid-Amateur Section
• Women’s Section
• Senior Section

PAT Final results

To view the final day’s results, please click on the link Golf Tournaments & Results | Western Province Golf Union.

In no particular order, we would like to thank Peninsula Beverages, Subtropico, Stellenbosch Vineyards and Srixon/Cleveland Golf for their contributions to the success of this year’s Premier Amateur Tour and Senior Series.

Attached please find the winners of their respective sections.