South Africa secure second World Cup win in three years

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2003 World Cup | Wrap | 17 Nov 2003

South Africa’s win in the 2003 World Golf Championship’s World Cup of Golf at Kiawah Island was achieved without their two leading players, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, even turning up.

Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini combined beautifully to dominate the event from half way through round two when a faltering Germany, who had led after the first round, fell away over the back nine and allowed the South Africans to take a lead they would never surrender. A third round of 63 took them virtually beyond reach and even though the English team of Paul Casey and Justin Rose made up six shots on them in round four, the final deficit was still four shots.

Immelman has always shown immense promise. He was the US Public Links Champion in 1998, a title which earned him the right to play the Masters as a 19-year-old amateur in 1999 where he made the cut. He has blossomed over the past eighteen months with wins in this year’s South African Open and a runner up berth at the Volvo PGA Championship behind Ignacio Garrido. Sabbatini has become a very good player also on the USPGA Tour in recent years with wins in Canada in 2000 and in 2003 at the FBR Capital Open. He has earned over $US1.6 million this year in the US alone. This event, however, is not about individual skills as much as it is about the capacity to combine well as a team and the two relatively young golfers, Sabbatini is but twenty-seven, did just that.

This is the second time South Africa has won the World Cup in three years having won it in Japan in 2001 when Els and Goosen took the title.

England stormed home to grab second just ahead of France with Germany fourth.

The Australians were perhaps disappointing eventually finishing 15th and both Leaney and Appleby will be on their way to South Africa for the Presidents Cup. New Zealand also shared 15th with Australia.

The US team of Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard were the favourites for the event but could only manage fifth.