Year: 2022

SOUTHBROOM, KwaZulu-Natal – A focused consistency has underpinned the development clinics on the Vodacom Origins of Golf since its inception in 2004, and this consistency shone through on day one of this week’s tournament at San Lameer Country Club on Tuesday.

Around 20 learners from disadvantaged areas on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast attended the development clinic that forms part of every Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament. And Vodacom’s Eleni Kwinana – the Executive Head of Department for Vodacom Business Marketing KZN – was delighted to see young golfers she recognised from a previous Vodacom Origins golf clinic in 2020.

“To give young kids from areas where they would never be exposed to golf the chance to get some professional coaching is very heartwarming, and I even recognised some of the boys and girls from two years ago at one of our previous tournaments. It was brilliant to see them again,” Kwinana said.

“Youth education is one of our key pillars at Vodacom and helping communities has almost become a way of life for us. We don’t see CSI programmes as being something separate from our day-to-day work. Where we see a need we help or we find someone who can help.”

Helping people from all walks of life is par for the course for Vodacom, and golf has enjoyed their patronage and support for longer than most sports with the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series now the longest-running series of pro-am events on the Sunshine Tour.

“We really enjoy seeing the professionals and amateurs connect at our tournaments. Especially in this post-Covid time because people have been starved of human contact,” Kwinana said.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout will join a strong South African challenge for the 40^th edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club from November 10-13, 2022, on a golf course where he memorably etched his name alongside some of the greats of the game.

Bezuidenhout returns to Sun City with fond memories of his triumph in the 2020 South African Open on this golf course, which saw him claim his third DP World Tour title that December.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge is an iconic event for all of us as South Africans and it’s going to be really special to have the fans back and supporting us as we all try and win a tournament that is very close to our hearts. I cannot wait to get back to Sun City and play in such an historic edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.”

“To have won at the Gary Player Country Club is an ambition of any South African professional because it is such a great test of golf, and for me to have done so in the South African Open made it that much more special. I love the golf course and the whole atmosphere of the Gary Player Country Club.”

This will be Bezuidenhout’s second appearance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

The 28-year-old takes his place in the field for “Africa’s Major” at the end of a landmark year for him.

Bezuidenhout finished as the leading South African on the PGA TOUR last season in 51^st place on the FedEx Cup Standings. He came close to a breakthrough victory when he ended tied second in the John Deere Classic.

His consistency, which included making 20 out of 24 cuts, saw him achieve another first in his career when he was selected as one of countryman Trevor Immelman’s Captain’s Picks for The Presidents Cup at the end of September.

Bezuidenhout joins a field that already includes countrymen Dean Burmester and Thriston Lawrence, defending champion Tommy Fleetwood of England and American Will Zalatoris.

Tickets for the Nedbank Golf Challenge, starting at R40 for the Pro-Ams and R250 for Tournament Rounds, are available here, while Hospitality Packages for the Circa Champions Club, Circa Pavilion or Circa 18^th Green can be purchased here. The 2019 edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge delivered record attendance figures and sold-out hospitality.

Dean Burmester, South Africa’s latest PGA TOUR member, has confirmed his place in the 2022 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf from 15-18 December which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Burmester, an ambassador for Mont Choisy Le Golf as well as tournament sponsor Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, returns to Mauritius as a newly minted PGA TOUR member after securing his status for next season through the Korn Ferry Tour. He also achieved another notable first of his best finish in a Major when he ended tied 11^th in the 150^th Open Championship in St Andrews this July.

The two-time DP World Tour champion and eight-time Sunshine Tour winner is looking forward to improving on his top finish of tied 20^th in the 2015 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open as he plays a tournament that is close to his heart.

“I have a proud association with Mauritius through Mont Choisy Le Golf and Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels. Mauritius, and the Trou aux Biches Beachcomber, has always been a destination that I love going to, especially with my family. The fact that this year’s tournament will be played at Mont Choisy Le Golf for the first time made it an even easier decision for me to end what has been a memorable year on the beautiful island of Mauritius,” said Burmester.

“I love what Peter Matkovich has done with his design of Mont Choisy Le Golf and I can’t wait to see how the course plays under championship conditions.”

From his first Sunshine Tour victory in the 2013 Polokwane Classic, Burmester has been a consistent winner on his home Tour. He was able to translate this into his breakthrough on the DP World Tour when he won the 2017 Tshwane Open. The 33-year-old South African added a second DP World Tour title in the 2021 Tenerife Open and has climbed as high as 64^th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open returns to the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour schedules for the first time since 2019 following the Covid-19 pandemic and has drawn a glittering array of blue-chip sponsors including Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Mont Choisy Le Golf, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Jaguar, Rogers, Heritage Resorts, IBL, 3G Mobile, Phoenix Beverages, Air Mauritius, Emtel, Mautourco and Hertz.

PENNINGTON, KwaZulu-Natal – Jaco van Zyl is close to getting back to his best as he ended a six-and-a-half year winning drought by claiming the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge title at Selborne Park Golf Club on Saturday.

Van Zyl began the final round with a one-stroke lead and finished strongly to shoot a three-under-par 69 and post a 14-under-par winning total, finishing two shots clear of Hennie Otto.

In a thrilling finish, Otto was close behind but a bogey at the par-four 13^th and then a string of pars coming in saw the veteran fall just short after a final day 70.

Sean Bradley also flirted with the lead, but a double-bogey six at the penultimate hole put paid to his chances, a birdie at the last seeing him claim third place on his own on 11-under after finishing with a 69.

Pieter Moolman pushed hard too, but a pair of double-bogeys on the back nine saw him finish in a tie for fourth on 10-under with Jaco Ahlers (68).

Van Zyl gave them all a sniff when he faltered with a bogey at the par-four 14^th, but he showed his composure of old as he then birdied the par-three 15^th and then followed up with another birdie on the 17^th.

“I was playing nicely the whole time and I felt I was hitting really good putts but they just weren’t going in,” Van Zyl said. “I actually made a seven-footer for bogey on 14, and it sounds strange, but that got me some momentum.

“On 15 I sank a big putt that turned 15 feet off the left and that really got the confidence going. Then I hit a great wedge on 17 to about two feet, and to have a two-shot lead on the 18^th hole is always nice.

“I’m over the moon with the win, it’s been a rocky road and I’ve been fighting a lot of demons. So it’s a real sense of accomplishment. In golf, it’s a case of how well you are doing both on and off the course, and I can sense I am on the right track,” Van Zyl said after his 16^th Sunshine Tour win and his first title since triumphing at the Eye of Africa PGA Championship in February 2016.

To win an event bearing the Gary Player name was also a tremendous joy for 43-year-old Van Zyl.

“Gary was our team captain at the Rio Olympics in 2016, which was very special for me. I spent quite a bit of time talking with him in Rio and it’s really nice to now win his tournament,” Van Zyl said.

Van Zyl is now up to 14^th in the Luno Order of Merit and is going to be taking renewed confidence into the lucrative summer events on tour.

PENNINGTON, KwaZulu-Natal – First-round leader Brooklin Bailey spoke about feeling comfortable on the Bermuda Grass of the Selborne Park Golf Club and feeling right at home was also the author of Jaco van Zyl’s success on Friday as he claimed the lead after the second round of the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge.

Van Zyl fired a tremendous seven-under-par 65 on Friday to go into the final round on 11-under-par, one stroke ahead of another multiple Sunshine Tour winner in Hennie Otto.

The 43-year-old Van Zyl has played the short, but challenging Selborne course many times, having previously lived further down the South Coast in Port Shepstone.

“I lived in Port Shepstone for five years after school and I won provincial tournaments here, so I have good memories. It’s a great golf course and it suits me down to the ground. You don’t need to bomb the ball 350 metres here, you just keep it in position and manage your way around,” Van Zyl said.

The Pretoria-born golfer, who shot 68 in the first round to trail Bailey by four strokes, made the ideal start to his second round as he birdied the first three holes. He parred his way to the turn and then went right back on to script with three birdies in four holes from the 10th. A three-putt on the sloping par-three 15th green cost him a bogey, but Van Zyl finished strong by birdieing the 16th and 18th holes.

“You need to capitalise on the first few holes here, fortunately I did that and then I knew that there was a low score out there. On 15 there was just a very tough flag right on the slope, and even though I hit the ball pin-high and made what I thought was a good putt, the ball still went six feet down the hill and I missed that one coming back,” Van Zyl said.

The Benoni resident made a bungle of his last two Sunshine Tour events, missing the cut at the SunBet Challenge Time Square and the Vodacom Origins of Golf Highland Gate, but he made a strong start to the season with three top-20 finishes before that.

Van Zyl has been through a tough time over the last couple of years, but he felt that Friday’s 65 was the first time in a while that his score has reflected how well he has been hitting the ball.

“I’ve been struggling for the last couple of years with injuries and some personal issues, but now it all seems to be falling into place. My game has been there, but my scores just haven’t reflected it. But that’s what makes this game so challenging: You think you’re heading in the right direction but then you find yourself on a dirt road for a couple of weeks. So it was nice to be back on the tar today, and hopefully that will become a double-lane road and then a four-lane highway soon,” Van Zyl chuckled.

Otto started his round on the 10th, and an eagle-two on the par-four 18^thhole saw him go out in 32, but the veteran dropped three shots on the front nine to finish with a 68. But he is right in the mix on 10-under-par, as are Pieter Moolman (69) and the in-form Albert Venter (70) on nine-under.

Bailey also started on the 10th and birdied the par-three 11th hole, before back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13 set him back. The American would go on to drop five more shots, including a double-bogey on the par-four eighth, but he also collected six more birdies to finish with a 72 and share fifth place on eight-under, just three strokes back, with Sean Bradley (71).

PENNINGTON, KwaZulu-Natal – American Brooklin Bailey shattered the peace at the Selborne Park Golf Club on Thursday with a thunderous start as he cruised to a 64 and the first-round lead in the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge.

Bailey eagled the par-five first hole on the course adjoining the Indian Ocean and then picked up birdies on the next two holes for a phenomenal four-under start through three holes, and although his run was ended by a bogey at the par-three fourth, he parred his way through to the turn.

The 28-year-old then cruised through the back nine in five-under 31 to post an eight-under-par 64, finishing the first day one shot ahead of the South African trio of Ruan Korb, Sean Bradley and Albert Venter.

The dropped shot on the fourth hole was Bailey’s only blemish as he collected seven birdies and an eagle to post his lowest round since joining the Sunshine Tour last year.

The Texan seems to have found some form after his maiden top-10 finish in the Sunshine Tour’s previous event – the Vodacom Origins of Golf Highland Gate tournament at the end of August.

Bailey worked his magic after Korb and Bradley, playing in the same three-ball, had already posted their 65s, so he did well to go under their marks.

Bailey said after his round that he just felt right at home from the get-go in the R1.2 million event.

“It’s the Bermuda Grass for me, we play on it in Texas and I just love it, my confidence just gets higher when I’m on it. Playing in the wind is also something we do a lot of in Texas, so all-in-all it was helpful for me,” Bailey said.

“You need to be patient on the Selborne course and I like that as well, but I also like being able to give it a go when you can. I like to know you can push it when you want to as well.

“I’ve just fallen in love with the Sunshine Tour, I think there are great opportunities here. The tour does a fantastic job of providing opportunities to advance our careers. Everyone here just wants to see you thrive and it’s healthy competition.”

The tournament is a tribute to the late wife of South Africa’s greatest golfer and the continuation of Gary and Vivienne Player’s legacy through the work of their foundation.

Bailey feels a connection to the nine-time Major champion and recognises the lustre of the event bearing the Player name.

“I actually watched Gary, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer play the Par-Three Tournament at Augusta for the last time together, so to be in contention in this event, attached to a golfer like Gary, is amazing.

“It makes me really want to sketch my own name in golfing history as well,” Bailey said.

Korb’s round caught alight after he began with three straights pars – despite both the first and third holes being par-fives – as the 28-year-old fired off four birdies on the trot from the fourth hole, and then also birdied nine and 10 for good measure. After his only bogey of the day, on the par-three 15^th, he finished birdie-birdie for his joint-best round of the season.

Bradley started his round birdie-birdie and picked up another shot at the par-four ninth hole, and also completed his round birdie-birdie after gaining successive shots on the 12^th and 13^th holes. It was the Royal Cape golfer’s best round of the season.

The in-form Venter, who is second on the Luno Order of Merit after his victory at the SunBet Challenge at Time Square last month, also reached seven-under-par as he blazed home in five-under 31.

Five players, including veteran Hennie Otto and amateur Kyle de Beer, shot six-under-par 66s.

Thriston Lawrence, who this past weekend won his second DP World Tour title, will make his debut in this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from November 10-13, 2022, in what has already been a season of memorable firsts for the South African.

Lawrence broke through with his maiden DP World Tour victory in the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club in November 2021. It was an historic victory as he became the first winner in the new DP World Tour era. He then added a second triumph in the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland this past Sunday, where he beat Matt Wallace in a playoff.

The Joburg Open also forms part of The Open Qualifying Series, and Lawrence’s victory there earned him a place in his first Major at this year’s 150^th Open in St Andrews where he finished tied 42^nd.

The 25-year-old South African will now take up his place in “Africa’s Major” for the first time in his career, and in the prestigious 40^thanniversary of this iconic tournament.

Lawrence adds to a field which already includes defending champion and European Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood, PGA TOUR winner Will Zalatoris, and fellow South African and multiple DP World Tour champion Dean Burmester.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining such a quality field for the 40^thanniversary of the Nedbank Golf Challenge. My breakthrough DP World Tour victory in the Joburg Open opened so many doors for me this season, and to follow that up with a second victory in the Omega European Masters is very pleasing. I also played in my first Major, which was an historic one with it being the 150^th Open in St Andrews. I feel just as privileged to be teeing it up in the historic 40^th edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ at Sun City this November,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence’s Joburg Open victory set him up for a strong season on the DP World Tour. He had a run of three top-10s in three consecutive DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned tournaments when he finished tied second in the Magical Kenya Open, tied ninth in the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood, and tied eighth in the Steyn City Championship. He followed this with a third-place finish in the Horizon Irish Open and tied eighth in the D+D Real Czech Masters before breaking through with his victory in the Omega European Masters which has carried Lawrence into the top 10 on the DP World Tour Rankings.

Tickets for the Nedbank Golf Challenge, starting at R40 for the Pro-Ams and R250 for Tournament Rounds, are available here, while Hospitality Packages for the Circa Champions Club, Circa Pavilion or Circa 18^th Green can be purchased here. The 2019 edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge delivered record attendance figures and sold-out hospitality.

South African professional golf enjoyed one of its most successful weekends in history with multiple triumphs around the world.

On the DP World Tour, Thriston Lawrence claimed his second win this season when he beat Matt Wallace in playoff for the Omega European Masters. The win moved Lawrence into the top 10 on the DP World Tour Rankings and into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

“It’s a privilege to be able to take this victory. There’s so much history around this event, all the past champions. It’s a dream come true (moving into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking). Growing up, you always want to be in the top 100 in the world and to achieve it is quite emotional,” Lawrence told the DP World Tour media.

On the Legends Tour, veteran Sunshine Tour professional Adilson da Silva claimed his maiden victory in the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship.

“To be very honest about it, me and my wife we sat down a couple of months ago…we were considering opening a driving range and that’s how things were going. We had some tough times and I’m glad that we hung in there and she gave me quite a lot of support to try the Legends Tour and hang in there, so I was very fortunate,” Da Silva told the Legends Tour media.

On the LPGA Tour, Paula Reto broke through with her first victory in the CP Women’s Open. “I’m really so excited. I know I’m going to celebrate and everything will kick in, but I’m really happy and it’s been such a long time. I was like, I hope one day I’ll win. But it came true,” Reto told the LPGA Tour media.

“Ashleigh (Buahi) was such an inspiration, especially being the AIG Women’s Open champion. She was so calm and so great on those playoff holes. I told myself, you know what? I can also do it. I also want to do it. Being able to win on the LPGA is such a dream, and even being from South Africa.”

Dean Burmester capped a memorable weekend by securing his PGA TOUR card for the next season.

“Boom! I love it. I’ve got goosebumps,” a delighted Burmester told the media. “It’s been a long road. Now I’ve got goosebumps of where I’m heading to – the number one tour in the world and the best job in the world. I’m just excited.” – Michael Vlismas

Thriston Lawrence claimed his second DP World Tour title of the season after beating Matt Wallace in a tense play-off to win the 2022 Omega European Masters.

DULLSTROOM, Mpumalanga – After 12 years on tour and more than his fair share of close calls, heartache and injuries, Anthony Michael finally claimed his first victory on the Sunshine Tour in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate on Saturday.

Michael signed for a final round of 69 to win on 10 under par, one shot clear of Herman Loubser and Wynand Dingle. Dingle had a four-foot putt on the last to force a playoff with Michael but missed.

“I’m over the moon. After so many years and so many runner-up finishes, I felt like I wasn’t carrying just a monkey on my back anymore. It felt like a gorilla,” said a relieved Michael.

Even as he stood on the 18^th green with Dingle about to putt, Michael was steeling himself for another missed opportunity. “I’ve been in that position so many times where I’ve missed a putt and given away the tournament. So I was preparing myself for the playoff. When Wynand missed there was just massive relief.”

The victory comes after a tough period in which Michael has battled his way through a painful elbow injury and the recovery process.

“I was playing through the pain up to the point where I could barely hold a golf club anymore. I went for treatment and it put me out for four months. It was a tough time because this is how I earn a living, so it put a lot of pressure on me. I’m also getting married in two months’ time, so there were those financial considerations as well. But my sponsor Betway has been unbelievable in their support of me.

“I’m just so relieved. I’ve seen all my friends on the Sunshine Tour win, and after 12 years of being on tour you wonder if it will ever happen.” – Michael Vlismas