The DHL Stormers once again challenged the Sunshine Tour professionals in a three-hole match on the eve of this week’s Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at the Royal Cape Golf Club on Wednesday. And once again it was the rugby boys who emerged victorious.
Led by Steven Kitshoff, the team of Damian Willemse, Neethling Fouché and Ruhan Nel successfully defended the title they also won last year when they beat the professional team of Jaco Ahlers, Keenan Davidse, Benjamin Follett-Smith and Dylan Mostert.
The rugby players did have the benefit of playing a scramble format while the professionals had to each play their own ball. But they nevertheless delivered with some quality golf in very windy conditions that even impressed their professional opponents.
“After last year’s good win for the DHL Stormers we were very excited to take on the Sunshine Tour pros again. It gave us a lot of bragging rights during the year,” said Kitshoff.
Ahlers captained the Sunshine Tour team and said while a successive defeat was hard to swallow, it was another great contest. “It was great fun, especially taking them on on our turf. I think if we played rugby against them we’d definitely come second. But it’s great to have them out here and supporting the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open as well.”
The tournament will be played from Thursday to Sunday with the first two rounds on both the Royal Cape Golf Club and Rondebosch Golf Club courses, and the final two rounds played solely at Royal Cape.
Photo: Sunshine Tour professional Jaco Ahlers (left) led his team of professionals against Steven Kitshoff’s team of DHL Stormers rugby players in their second match ahead of this week’s Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at the Royal Cape Golf Club on Wednesday, and which the DHL Stormers won. Credit: Sunshine Tour
