Gideon, Abraham claim Texas Royal crown
Gelson Gideon and Claud Abrahams became the first champions of Windhoek Golf Club’s Texas Royal Scramble after carding a nett 63 to claim overall honours in the 44-player event held in the capital recently.
Gideon and Abrahams combined for a seven-under-par gross 65 in the two-player scramble format.
However, Likius Nande and Caleb Volschenk recorded the lowest gross score among the podium finishers, completing the round in eight-under-par 64, one stroke fewer than the eventual champions.
Nande and Volschenk’s handicap allowance of 0.25 reduced their total to 63.75 nett. Gideon and Abrahams received a larger two-stroke allowance, which lowered their gross 65 to 63 nett and carried them to the title by three-quarters of a stroke.
The adjustment overturned Gideon and Abrahams’ one-stroke deficit on gross scoring and placed them at the top of the handicap-adjusted nett standings.
Under the scramble format, both members of each pair tee off before selecting their preferred shot. Both golfers then play from the chosen position, with the process repeated until the pair holes out.
Reflecting on becoming the event’s first champions, Gideon said “special” and “honoured” were the first words that came to mind.
“[This achievement] is something we’ll always be proud of. We gave it our best from the tee to the final putt and made every shot count,” he said.
Defining moments
Gideon said one of the defining moments of their victory came after they played the front nine in three under par.
“We knew the first four holes on the back nine were our best scoring opportunities. Once we birdied the first two of those holes, we started to feel like we had a real chance of being in contention,” he said.
The pair said the biggest momentum swing came when they reeled off three consecutive birdies from the 15th through the 17th hole.
Asked what underpinned their winning nett 63, they attributed the performance to careful planning and communication throughout the round.
“It wasn’t just about who hit the closest shot, [but also about making] the best use of the allocated nine tee shots and finding the right balance throughout the round,” they noted.
Asked whether they would return should the tournament be staged again next year and added to Windhoek Golf Club’s annual calendar, the pair answered without hesitation.
“Absolutely! The experience and exposure we gained from this event were invaluable. We believe we can come back stronger next year,” they remarked.
Other honours
Elsewhere in the standings, Kirsten Viviers and Kobus Wilders completed the A Division podium with a one-under-par gross 71. Their 3.6 handicap allowance reduced their total to 67.4 nett, leaving them 4.4 strokes behind the winning pair.
Riehanré Haccou claimed the nearest-to-the-pin prize on the third hole, while Todd Parker took the honour on the ninth. Ferdi Graupe finished closest to the pin on the 13th, with Justin Mwamba claiming the prize on the 17th.
Inklous Suze, Willie Trieghardt and Wee Junbog each received biltong sponsored by The Corner Butcher through the tournament’s lucky draw.
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