27 July 2015 – An exciting fortnight awaits Gauteng North’s Danielle du Toit and three other leading South African juniors Ivanna Samu, Kaleigh Telfer and Woo-Ju Son, who will make their debut in prestigious international championships in Europe this August.

Samu, the country’s leading junior, and number two ranked Telfer will compete in the annual Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden and the Girls’ British Amateur Open Championship in Scotland.

Son and Du Toit, respectively ranked third and seventh in the Womens Golf South Africa’s Junior Rankings, will line up in the Global Junior Golf Tour’s RB German Junior in Germany.

Womens Golf South Africa president Karen Olivant said the four juniors are a credit to South Africa and will aspire to do the country proud.

“It is a measure of the high standard of junior golf in this country that our players received invitations to compete in the Annika Invitational Europe and the RB German Junior,” Olivant said.

“We were extremely pleased to learn that Ivanna and Kaleigh were awarded spots in the field for the Girls’ British Amateur Open Championship, which was been oversubscribed with a field size of 144 players. All three championships carry valuable amateur world ranking points and present a wonderful opportunity for our players.”

Olivant will accompany reigning Sanlam SA Women’s Stroke Play champion Samu and 2015 Free State and Northern Cape winner Telfer to Sweden and Scotland.

The fourth edition of the Annika Invitational Europe will be played from 3-6 August at Bro-Bålsta Golf Club, home club of tournament host and World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam.

The Gauteng pair will then travel West Kilbride for the Girls’ British Open Amateur Championship from 11-15 August.

The prominent international showpiece, which was first played in 1919, annually attracts the cream of the world’s young golfing talent and has produced a number of formidable champions, including Major champion Suzanne Petterson and multiple LPGA and Ladies European Tour winners Anna Nordqvist and Azahara Mundoz.

The format for the Girls’ British Open Amateur Championship is a 36-hole Stroke Play qualifier, with the top 64 players advancing to the Match Play.

WGSA vice-president Sally Greasley will travel with Son from Gauteng and Gauteng North’s Du Toit, who will join an equally impressive international line up at Golfclub Heidelberg in Lobenfeld, Germany from 3-6 August.

Olivant said that international competition is pivotal to the development of young players.

“Womens Golf South Africa has always been dedicated to giving players every opportunity possible to campaign on the international stage,” she said.

“It is imperative to their development to compete against top ranked players from other countries, to learn to deal with the rigours of travelling and to gain competitive experience in conditions and on courses dissimilar to what they are used to South Africa.

“These experiences helps them to improve their form and to become more mature, well-rounded players.”

Samu said the quartet are excited about the challenges awaiting them.

“It is such an honour to represent South Africa internationally and we are really thankful to WGSA for giving the four of us the chance to test ourselves on the world stage,” Samu said.

“WGSA are always looking for ways to help us improve and develop and we are determined to give these events our best effort.”

The junior quartet and their respective managers depart on Saturday, 1 August.

PHOTO – Danielle du Toit; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA