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Breanne Loucks wins coveted double at South African Amateur Championship

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Welsh golf star, Breanne Loucks, winner of the 2008 South African Womens Strokeplay Championship beat Monique Smit on the 35th hole in the final of the 2008 Matchplay tournament, fought over 36-Holes, at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington East Course.

Loucks had a fight on her hands as Smit, having been selected to represent South Africa at the All Africa Challenge Trophy to be played at Katameya Heights, Egypt, was not going to let go easily.

The duel started early, when Smit (pictured below) had a brief lapse of concentration and Loucks took advantage to go 1up on the 2nd hole. Smit answered this with her own birdie on the 3rd hole to level the playing fields.

Quick birdies on the 5th and 6th for Loucks got her to 2up and then a birdie for Smit on the par 5 - 8th hole got it back to 1 down. Both players bogeyed the 9th hole, so Loucks turned 2up with many holes left to play.

The next nine saw a some fantastic golf when Monique birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th holes to snatch the lead by one from Loucks but then couldn’t answer Breanne’s birdie on the par 4 -13th and 15th holes, to maintain her momentum.

Loucks was given a run for her money by one of South Africa’s top ranked junior player, Smit when she birdied the 21st hole (3rd) and then she had a bogey on the 9th before settling back to par on the 28th hole (10th) leaving her at 2up. Both girls giving every thing they had and going head-to-head down this final stretch where Loucks’ experience at an international level finally paid off when she beat Monique on the 35th hole, 3 and 1.

Loucks is to make her second appearance at the Curtis Cup, a biennial match against USA at the historic Old Course, St Andrews from 30 May to 1 June 2008.

Having won all her Curtis Cup matches in 2006, the Wrexham player is certainly the most experienced player in the Great Britain and Ireland side.

In addition to representing Wales in the Home Internationals in 2007, she represented GB&I in the Vagliano Trophy and Acer Five Nations Commonwealth Tournament played at De Zalze. A win at the 2007 Welsh Ladies (Closed) Amateur Championship; a joint fourth finish at the 2008 Portuguese Women’s Open Amateur Championship and she reached the quarter finals of the 20007 ladies British Amateur - giving her an excellent run-up to this years South African event

It’s not been plain sailing for Loucks. She has been suffering with injury but her coach has been instrumental to her comeback when he changed her technique after an injury late last year.

Smit, who won the Ernie Els Invitational by 11 shots recently was motivated to do well in the championship to impress national selectors in order to make the national side, to defend South Africa’s title in the World Amateur Team Championship in Australia later this year.

Leanke Vlok, a 17 year-old golfer from Porterville Golf Club, Boland beat Bridget Rodrigues to win the B Division Matchplay Championship after her 36-hole final.

Issued on behalf of Women’s Golf SA by Christine Iliadis 0824513395 – iliadis@iafrica.com.

Website: http://www.womensgolfsa.co.za.

For further information or enquiries

Mrs Paddy Goodwin, Tournament Secretary
Tel: 021 8631052 Fax: 088 0218631052 Cell: 0834097056
e-mail: womensgolfsa@mweb.co.za.