Tony Pillay and Nathen Govender are now gearing to compete in the national pairs in Johannesburg Nathen Govender and Tony Pillay. Picture: Supplied
AFTER bagging the provincial round of the Standard Bank Private International Pairs tournament at Kloof Country Club on Sunday, Tony Pillay and Nathen Govender are gearing to compete in the national pairs in Johannesburg.
In KwaZulu-Natal, 46 teams battled it out for glory but the first spot was taken by to Pillay, 70, and Govender, 58, from Central Durban Golf Club.
The other legs of the competition were simultaneously held in Rondebosch in the Western Cape and at the Knysna Golf Club. The national tournament in August will be held at the Heron Banks Golf Course in Sasolburg.
Pillay, who played off a 10 handicap, and Govender, off a seven handicap at Sunday's competition, said winning was a proud moment for them and their club.
As a child, Pillay said he loved everything about golf, and while he was in high school, he got a chance to play alongside Papwa Sewgolum.
“I caddied for a long time in what was the Durban Golf Club. Back then, the course was in the Springfield Park area but it moved to where Papwa is now after the floods.
“I always loved the game and played with Papwa when I was part of the caddy team at the club. I was in high school at the time, so they allowed us to play when it was quiet," said Pillay.
“Winning on Sunday was special to me and my club. It’s not often that we get selected or qualify to represent our club at such a high level. Nathen and I came first in our club qualifying round and then we finished first again on Sunday, so I am pleased."
To put the cherry on top of his composed 9 over 79 on Sunday, Pillay shot a hole in one on his charge down the back nine, winning R25 000 in the process.
The duo started their game on the back 9 from hole 10, and played their second 9 from hole 1. When Pillay and Govender got to hole 2, a 143m par 3, they had no idea an ace was on the cards.
With bunkers on either side of the entrance, Pillay opted for a 7 iron to launch it high up and have it come under in the centre of the green, avoiding both hazards, to which he executed perfectly.
“When we got to hole 2, we told the Standard Bank employees who were there to give us the money because we were going to shoot the hole in one anyway. Obviously, we were joking.
“I watched the guy before me play and knew what I wanted to do after that, so I grabbed my 7 iron and played it nice and high to land and roll toward the hole. With my luck, it ended up going in. Those people that were there started screaming and ran onto the green to confirm if it was a hole in one, which it was,” Pillay said.
Govender said Pillay’s plan for the par 3 hole in one “came together brilliantly”.
Govender shot a 15 over 85 with the highlight of his day being a birdie at the 373m par 4 on hole 15.
“That was definitely my favourite hole of the day because of the birdie. I used my driver off the tee, then played a 6 iron onto the green and putted it in for the birdie. The conditions on the course were lovely. It was a bit chilly but the sun was out for most of the day.
“I am extremely proud of the both of us. We are happy to take the next step in the tournament and progress to the national round. It is also great exposure for our club because we have been around for a long time. So this victory is definitely an achievement for us already,” Govender said.
“For the next leg, we plan to arrive in Gauteng a few days before the tournament to get a feel of the course. We played many games in Kloof, so we knew the field and how to play it. For the next leg, we may just do a walkabout of the course before we play,” he added.
Sunny Singh, the public relations officer for the Central Durban Golf Club, said: “This is indeed a great victory for our club. Central Durban Golf Club has been active for more than 40 years. It is one of the first times that our players have progressed through to the next round, so we are all looking forward to them playing."
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