“The next few days are going to see roughly 300 players complete about 700 rounds of golf, more than half of them being visitors"
It’s all systems go at the Kimberley Golf Club as hopefuls from near and far are preparing to tee-off this morning when the 29th annual Barney Barnato Festival gets under way.
Despite fewer rounds than is tradition, there will be no shortage of entertainment, enthusiasm and excitement during this latest installment of the ever popular event with all the action squeezed into only four days.
This compacted version of the festival will leave no margin for error, as every putt will count, with this year’s overall order of merit winner to be determined over a mere 72 holes. In the previous years the tournament was played over a week.
Simply the best
The tournament, commemorating one of Kimberley’s most memorable mining legends, is played according to the Individual Stableford format and has become “simply the best” amateur golf tournament of its kind on the African continent.
The format has remained unchanged throughout the tournament’s history, daily individual stableford tournaments capped by the tournament grand prix prizes at weeks end.
On Friday October 5 1990, 28 years ago, final preparations were under way for the very first Barney Barnato. Little did the organisers realise that in 2018 final preparations for the 29th edition of this remarkable tournament would be under way.
Speaking to the DFA yesterday spokesperson for the KGC and event organiser, Dave Wilson said that they were expecting a successful tournament. “This year’s Barney may be shorter but we are confident that the compressed format is going to prove to be a resounding success,” he said. “The next few days are going to see roughly 300 players complete about 700 rounds of golf, more than half of them being visitors.
“While everybody is eligible to walk away as the overall champion, there will also be a women’s order of merit on offer for the woman who returns the best score, come Saturday,” he added.
While the sporting side of this festival makes for plenty of action, for many participants, it is the social aspect of the event that draws them to Kimberley with every day’s play concluding with a prize-giving before an assortment of live entertainment allows for the real festivities to begin at the 19th hole.
Speaking to visitors to the club president of the KGC, Michael Doherty, said that he hoped everyone will enjoy the time in Kimberley. “On behalf of the Kimberley Golf Club it is my privilege to welcome the 2018 participants to the 29th edition of the prestigious Barney Barnato,” he told the gathered audience.
“I trust that you will all enjoy the occasion, both on and off the course as well as the evening entertainment that has been laid on during the tournament. Hopefully new friends will be made as well as old acquaintances renewed.
“My sincere thanks to all the Sponsors for their generosity, which affords us the opportunity to present a tournament of this kind,” he added, before concluding with the call to arms: “May you all enjoy yourselves Swing high!”
TODAY’S TEE-OFF TIMES
Morning
First Tee
7:00 – S Alexander, G Lee, V de Vos, N Alexander
7:28 – H Johannes, F Johannes, D Jacobs, J Beukes
7:56 – L Maree, C Schoeman, D Whitebooi, G van der Merwe
8:03 – A April, G Riddles, R Conner, B Modise
8:10 – C Alexander, I Flemming, C Jacobs, G Peterson
8:24 – A le Grange, D Benjamin, M Drude, T Salo
8:31 – M Haai, C Malherbe, H le Roux, N Solomons
8:38 – C Charnley, A Jansen, K Brown, W Lourens
8:45 – G Oliver, W Jampies, A van Rooyen, W Delport
Morning
Tenth Tee
7:00 – F Richards, N Sonqishwe, F Mahri, B Turton
7:56 – B Seleke, T Sibhono, A Botes, R Stander
8:10 – M Liebenberg, B Meyer, C Pofadder, Z Lakay
Afternoon
First Tee
11:30 – T Whitten, W Riddles, M Suliman
11:37 – R Boughan, S Boughan, R Oliver, L Kourie
11:44 – A Prins, S Swartz, D Josephus, P Layman
11:51 – A McLaren, R Engelbrecht, D Hlakudi, N Page
11:58 – P McBride, M Cronje, P Jansen, W Uys
12:05 – Captains Time x 4
12:12 – S Arthur, B Marthinus, N Langley, I Coetzee
12:19 – G van Zyl, K Collings, D du Plessis, S Wiid
12:26 – J O’Connell, E Nortje, J Griffith, Darsha
12:47 – T Snyman, N Barnard, B Heckroodt, A Scholtz
12:54 – F Schoeman, J Pienaar, G du Plessis, Darsha
13:01 – T Gallie, S Cross, R Marinus, D Fillis
13:08 – M Hannie, R Hunter, G Jansen, R Kika
13:15 – H Kruger, C Swanepoel, F Engelbrecht
13:22 – A Rodrigues, I Kidson, A van Niekerk, B de Klerk
Afternoon
Tenth Tee
11:30 – A Adonis, S Davies, R Calvert, E Adams
11:37 – J Neethling, G Roux, D van Heerden, B Schoeman
11:44 – M Rens x 4
11:51 – S Solani, B Nortje, I Jacobs, J Sefudi
11:58 – F Norman, G Norman, S Mahri, C van der Ross
12:05 – B Burger, B Claasen, B van Zyl, K Bester
12:12 – V Hall, M Fick, V Wrighton, D Hall
12:19 – G Aysen, G Aysen, S Salo, C Jacobs
12:26 – T Manyetsa, L Poonawassy
12:40 – M Doherty, J Lankester, L Allen, S Schonegevel
12:54 – R Barlow, J van Wyk, C Fortune, P Salo
13:01 – K Anderson, F Rantoa, W King, E Panker
13:08 – D Pillay, B Gengan, M Naran, B Ramsuran
13:15 – J Cilliers, G Poonawassy, LJ Thomane, C Cilliers
13:22 – G Delport, N Steyn, S Ralph, W Kok
