TUESDAY, 11.00AM:
ERNIE ELS, David Frost, Retief Goosen and Gary Player were the only South Africans who did not have to qualify for the British Open. Apart from them, only one South African — Wayne Westner — won one of the 52 places available for 480 would-be qualifiers. Another 11 South Africans failed to make the grade on the tough west coast courses at Glasgow Gailes, Irvine, Kilmarnock and Western Gailes.
Zimbabwe will be represented by the 1994 champion Nick Price and Mark McNulty. Two other Zimbabweans did not qualify.
South African Warren Schutte was among eight players who did not show up for the qualifying rounds. “It is a serious matter because simply not turning up could deny somebody else the chance to play in the Open,” said Royal & Ancient secretary Michael Bonallack.
SPORT BRIEFS
CHARITY SPECTACULAR DRAW The teams to play in the Iwisa Charity Spectacular were drawn on Tuesday. Defending champions Kaizer Chiefs will play Mamelodi Sundowns at 10am in the first semi-final of the the annual Spectacular, at the First National Bank stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday. Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows meet at noon in the second semi-final. The winners will meet in the final at 4:15pm.
SITTING ON THE FENCE The sole South African entry in the veterans’ world fencing championships, Piet Oosthuizen, 55, finished 14th in his category at the Culemborg Centre in Cape Town on Sunday.
HERBERT VS MATETE SOUTH AFRICA’S 400m hurdles champion Llewellyn Herbert will face Zambian Olympic silver medallist Samuel Matete in his first Grand Prix 1 meeting in Nice on Wednesday.
SURF SAFARI SOUTH AFRICA’S junior surfing team finished second in the Bali International junior tournament in Indonesia recently. None of the South Africans reached an individual final, but they put up a strong team performance on the final day to finish ahead of Indonesia and New Zealand.
PUTT A FOOT WRONG NATAL scrumhalf Kevin Putt has been suspended for three matches after being found guilty of punching in a Currie Cup match against Griqualand West in Kimberley on Saturday. The sentence will only come into effect if Putt commits another offence during the 1997 season.