/ 20 October 1997

SA crowned Dunhill champs

MONDAY, 10.40AM:

SOUTH AFRICA were crowned Alfred Dunhill Champions on Sunday for the first in the history of South African golf. The South African trio of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and David Frost beat Sweden 2-1 in the final at St Andrews.

Goosen beat Jepser Parevik 70-74, Frost went down 69-72 to Per-Ulrik Johansson and Els beat Joakim Haeggman 69-72 to win a double for South Africa after Els and Wayne Westner won the World Cup at Erinvale late last year.

South Africa started the day by winning their semi-final encounter against New Zealand by 2-1 before hammering Sweden in the afternoon. Goosen, who won all his five matches in the tournament, beat New Zealand’s Michael Long 67-72, Els lost 70-66 to Frank Nobilo and Frost registered an important 72-76 win.

Els praised Goosen, who was voted Man of the Tournament after winning all his matches. “Frostie’s experience was invaluable, I was pretty solid out there but Retief was the star of the week. He never lost a match and is one of the new stars in the world golf. he proved that here at St Andrews,” he said. “I guess you can say we rule the world,” he added. They each pocketed 100 000 (sterling).