Monday, 3rd September 2007 at 5:45 pm

Golf the secret to WP comeback?

After a dismal start to the season that culminated in Kobus van der Merwe opting to resign/jumping before he was pushed, the Vodacom Western Province hospital job fell into the hands of former London Irish boss Gary Gold, and while it hasn’t been a complete turnaround, Gold has done enough to keep his side in with a shout at the semifinals in the Absa Currie Cup. And it’s all thanks to golf…

Playing in the Pick ‘n Pay Women’s Interprovincial Invitational at Clovelly (which Gold’s fourball, including ’50’s legend Anton Chiat and aging women’s amateur star Jo Lefson, won comfortably), the Province coach made a confession to Feverpitcher: every time he’s played golf in the week building up to a game, the side has won.

Province management will do well to have Gold out on the course before the Sharks game, then; they’d also do well to have a camera, if the coach’s round last week at Steenberg is anything to go by. Stuck in a gushing stream in front of the 17th green with the game at dormie, Gold’s playing partners including the aforementioned Chiat, offered him a thousand rand apiece of he sunk his shot…

…and so, Jean van der Velde-style, the socks and shoes came off, and into the water waded Gold, armed with his lob wedge. The ball didn’t go in, but a no less miraculous shot saw the fall finish six foot from the hole, saving par, but making for a very damp walk down the eighteenth. Feverpitcher is mightily impressed, it must be said - if anyone can save Province’s season, it’s a man who can play a lob wedge out of a foot of running water to make par. Golden touch? We wouldn’t think of saying it…