The inaugural Absa Ladies Captains Cup took place over the past weekend at the Bloemfontein Golf Club, with 60 players taking to the field to showcase the golfing ability of the city’s women golfers.
Golf is traditionally a sport dominated in numbers by male players, but it is rapidly gaining traction and support on the women’s side of the game, as witnessed by the vast crowds that now surround players on the ladies’ pro tours.
Lynette Kitching, the coordinator and organiser of the Bloemfontein Ladies Captains Cup, saw an opportunity to grow the women’s game in the Free State. The tournament breaks new ground in the city, as Kitching explained, “It’s never been done before”.
Despite Bloemfontein Golf Club already boasting an existing ‘Captains Cup’, Kitching decided that it was time for the ladies in the club to have the same. “At Bloemfontein Golf Club the men’s Captains Cup is one of the most prestigious events,” she explained, “so I took that concept and wanted to do something special and prestigious for the ladies”. The event took Kitching four months to organise and plan, but she already has plans to make it even bigger than the first instalment.
“My plans for next year’s event is to double the amount of players entering,” she said, “and make it even bigger and better than this year’s event”. To achieve the goal of increased participation and a bigger field, Kitching said she “will be changing the format slightly next year to make it even more enjoyable”.
While golf in its raw form is already a game enjoyed by many in South Africa, being able to play the different formats that the game offers, allows for an even more pleasurable experience for those who love the sport.
Warren Hawkins
warren@mahareng.co.za
