Year: 2022

KATHU, Northern Cape – It’s only his third tournament in South Africa and Englishman Bradley Bawden has already fallen in love with the country and the Sunshine Tour, and it showed as he shared a four-way tie for the lead after Thursday’s first round of the Sishen Classic at the Kalahari Country Club.

Bawden opened with a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to share the lead with South Africa’s Pieter Moolman, Ockie Strydom and Deon Germishuys. Strydom is a previous winner on this golf course in the 2019 Vodacom Origins of Golf.

They are one stroke clear of the in-form Louis Albertse who has top-10s in his previous two tournaments, Malcolm Mitchell and Danie van Niekerk.

“It’s my first time here and this golf course is really nice,” said Bawden, who came through the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School and is playing in only his third tournament on the Tour.

“I’m still very fresh in South Africa and enjoying it. The Sunshine Tour is a growing tour and I see a lot of opportunity out here. The schedule is great and you play a lot of good golf courses, so I just feel you’re going to improve out here. That’s why I decided to come over and play,” said the Essex-based golfer.

And he certainly enjoyed his first look at this golf course.

“You’ve got to hit the ball well and the greens are really rolling nicely. It’s not a course where you just tee it up and rip it down there. You’ve got to think where you’re going to leave the ball and have to put it in the right spots otherwise you’ll be in trouble. It’s nice to play a course where you have to use your brain.”

Moolman was happy with his start on a golf course that has always challenged him. “I’ve always struggled here. On this course you can hit good shots and get some bad luck. But I think most of my shots that were a bit off still worked out fine, so that was a big help,” he said.

Behind them, Albertse made yet another good start for the third consecutive tournament. Albertse has started the season extremely well with a finish of ninth in the Lombard Insurance Classic and second in the FBC Zimbabwe Open.

“It’s always nice starting a tournament well and gaining confidence as you go on. The putter is working for me at the moment, and that gets the momentum going through the rounds. This is such a good golf course, and it tests your game while also rewarding good golf,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

KATHU, Northern Cape – When the young golfer with no shoes arrived with a bunch of other kids to take part in the Sunshine Tour’s golf development clinic at this week’s Sishen Classic, professional Alphius Kelapile felt like he knew everything about that boy without ever having met him before.

“I grew up the same way as these kids. I come from the same communities and the environment is the same as I grew up in. It humbles me,” said Kelapile, who together with fellow professionals Alex Haindl and Henning du Plooy worked with about 40 kids from Kuruman and Kathu and helped them with a few of the basics of the game at the Kalahari Country Club on Wednesday.

These golf clinics are a regular occurrence at Sunshine Tour events. They form part of South African golf’s general development focus that begins with the talent identified and nurtured by the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) and a host of other programmes run by the PGA of South Africa and the foundations of individual golfers such as the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation (EEFF) and others, and at the highest level culminates in professionals who form part of the Sunshine Tour Transformation Class supported by Investec, Betway, VAT It and Credit Guarantee. This week, the partnership with the Sishen Classic and Anglo American is another way for the sponsors to give back to their local Kathu community by giving the kids exposure to professionals at Sunshine Tour events.

And they all have one thing in common – opportunity.

“There is a saying that every child needs one adult to believe in him or her. I see that as my responsibility,” says Anne-Marie Rabie, who runs the Playgolf programme in Kuruman which teaches the kids the basics of chipping, putting, pitching and the full swing.

“It’s all about giving them that self-confidence. When they start to see they can play golf, you can visibly see how they start to believe in themselves more, and they start doing better at school as well.”

It’s this philosophy of having one adult believe in a child which resonates so much with Kelapile. Growing up with his grandmother in tough circumstances in Mafikeng, where he walked 10 kilometres to school and 10 kilometres back every day, Kelapile considers himself “one of the lucky ones” to have had one adult believe in him.

“Golf is an expensive sport so it was tough even getting to a golf course to play. But at the Leopard Park Golf Club in Mafikeng there was a member there – Wandile Bozwana. He was the one behind my talent and who funded me. He identified me and supported me. So it’s a privilege for me to be a part of such a golf clinic. The Sunshine Tour has started the Transformation Class, and it’s becoming easier for players to come through from disadvantaged areas. The Sunshine Tour is doing very well when it comes to transformation.” – Michael Vlismas

KATHU, Northern Cape – It was in the back of a van while being transported to a COVID-19 quarantine facility in Phuket when perspective hit home hard for Toto Thimba Jnr. And it’s this perspective that the Sunshine Tour professional hopes to bring to his first tournament of the new season in this week’s Sishen Classic at the Kalahari Country Club.

Thimba Jnr. was in Phuket preparing for two tournaments when he tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him into two weeks of quarantine overseas. But he says the time he spent in his hotel room was time he used for deep introspection, and which has given him a new focus for this coming season.

“I’m feeling positive. I feel like I’m starting afresh,” said Thimba Jnr., who after his groundbreaking 2019/20 season where he won his first Sunshine Tour title, finished outside the top 50 on the final Luno Order of Merit last season.

“Those two weeks of quarantine were traumatic. But it gave me time for some introspection to really look at my career and my life. I’m not focused on what happened last season. I know I’m a good player. I’ve won before our here. I just have to start again. It’s obviously disappointing to lose your exemption, but I feel like I can win again this year.”

Thimba Jnr. said that, in a sense, he’s taken inspiration from Tiger Woods and the challenges he’s currently going through just to play the game.

“You have to embrace the struggle. Sometimes I think winning could be dangerous for yourself. Struggling teaches you how to be humble, how to work hard, how to appreciate life. COVID-19 has shown us how unpredictable life is. It has taught me to be patient, work hard and never give up. And you just need one good week to turn it around.”

This week certainly represents that opportunity. The new Sishen Classic is a major boost to the schedule, with a significant R3 million total purse so early in the new season.

Recent champions Albert Venter and Herman Loubser are definitely hoping to keep mining their rich vein of form this season in a town famous for its mining wealth.

The field also contains the winners of the recent Sunshine Tour Qualifying School and Altron Vusi Ngubeni Tournament in Chile’s Matias Calderon and Yubin Jung respectively. – Michael Vlismas

HARARE, Zimbabwe – An excellent day with the putter saw Albert Venter to a superb final-round 66 and a playoff for the FBC Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare Golf Club, with the 26-year-old then sinking a 16-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to claim his maiden Sunshine Tour title on Sunday.

Venter had to hold off Stefan Wears-Taylor, who also shot 66 in the final round, and Louis Albertse (67) in the playoff after the trio all finished the tournament on 10-under-par.

They all parred the 18^th in the first playoff hole, but on their next attempt, Venter spun a sand-wedge from the fairway back to 16 feet from the pin and then nailed the birdie putt, with Albertse and Wears-Taylor unable to make their shorter putts.

Venter’s success with the putter was unexpected because the Silver Lakes golfer struggled with the short stick in the third round.

“I knew I needed to just keep grinding today, follow my processes, and my goal was to just get in contention on the back nine,” said Venter, who began the final round five shots off the lead.

“I was playing with the American, Dan Erickson, and he was off to a flyer – six-under after seven holes. So he was the guy to catch and I just tried to stay in touching distance of him. Then I caught fire on the back nine and I just kept following my processes, just keeping the ball in play, hit the greens and make the putts.

“Yesterday [Saturday] was a really bad putting day – 31 putts – so last night I spent an hour or two on the green and I found something. The putter paid off today with the prize,” Venter said.

Venter finished runner-up (his best finish on tour) in last September’s Sunshine Tour Invitational at Centurion Country Club, but two missed cuts in October probably cost him a top-50 finish in the final 2021/22 order of merit.

His victory on Sunday means none of that matters now and he said his big breakthrough felt surreal.

“At the moment, it’s still kind of surreal. To get to this professional level is hard enough, but then to win is a whole another level. It’s about belief and I can only thank my supporters, my coaching staff and family, who felt I was good enough. I would not be in this position without them,” Venter said.

Erickson was still in the lead when he birdied the par-three 15^th, which Venter bogeyed, but the American was knocked out of contention by a bogey-bogey finish.

Wears-Taylor birdied 16 and 17 to claim the outright lead, but then bogeyed the last to force him into a playoff, with Albertse staying alive as he birdied 18.

Venter’s round was built around three successive birdies from the seventh hole, and he then burnt up the back nine with a run of four straight birdies from the 11^th hole. Despite dropping a shot at 15, he stuck around to the bitter end.

Overnight leader Luca Filippi finished in seventh position after shooting a 75, while Louis de Jager and Jaco Ahlers joined Erickson in fourth place, two shots behind, after they both made 70s on Sunday.

HARARE, Zimbabwe – The third round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare Golf Club will not be fondly recalled by Luca Filippi, but the good news for the 23-year-old is that he still leads going into Sunday’s final round despite his 74 on Saturday.

That lead is a tenuous one, however, with Wynand Dingle firing an excellent four-under-par 68 to climb within one shot of Filippi, who is on nine-under-par overall.

Things looked to be progressing smoothly for Filippi, who took a five-shot lead into the weekend, as he birdied three successive holes in the middle of the front nine. But a bogey at the par-four eighth started the trouble and a double-bogey six at the 10^thhole was a bitter blow.

The Milnerton Golf Club representative did manage to collect a couple of birdies on the back nine, but a bogey, double-bogey finish put the seal on a tough afternoon at the office.

“It felt like a very long day and it was tough going out at 12.30pm in the swirling wind,” Filippi admitted. “So three-under through six holes was a great start.”

“But then the double on 10 set me back, and I unfortunately had two bad holes to end too. But I thought I hung in nicely on the back nine. It was a nice start in conditions that were not easy and I thought I was building a nice lead, but golf thought otherwise and instead I just have a one-shot lead,” Filippi said philosophically.

It is only a one-shot lead thanks to Dingle, who is also seeking his first Sunshine Tour win, finishing birdie-birdie.

And it is not only the 37-year-old that Filippi has to worry about, with the vastly-experienced Jaco Ahlers (71) and Louis de Jager (72) both on six-under, while the in-form Louis Albertse (72) and Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya (72) are both one further stroke back.

But Filippi has a good head on his young shoulders and it’s not only about winning his maiden Sunshine Tour title in the final round for him; whatever happens, he sees it as another learning experience in an exciting professional career that was only launched a couple of years ago.

“The FBC Zimbabwe Open is a massive event, one of the bigger tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, and I’ve never had a one-shot lead going into the final day of a four-round event before. But regardless of the outcome, I would have learnt a lot after tomorrow’s round and I look forward to see what the day has in store for me,” Filippi said.

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Just about every golfer chats about bringing an aggressive approach to the course, but it doesn’t always translate into reality or a low score. But it did for 23-year-old Luca Filippi on Friday in the second round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open as he fired a superb seven-under-par 65 at Chapman Golf Club to claim a five-shot lead heading into the weekend.

Filippi, who began the day in a tie for fifth after shooting 68 at Royal Harare Golf Club on the first day, was just one-under-par through nine holes on Friday, but he knew he was playing well and stuck at it. Even missing a short birdie putt on the 10^th did not derail him and he then exploded into action with successive birdies on the 11^th and 12^th holes, an eagle on the par-five 14^th, and further birdies on 16 and 18.

“I played nicely from the start, even though I was only one-under on the front nine,” Filippi said. “I had some nice opportunities for birdie and then missed a short one on 10, but it was great to then start making putts. I was especially happy about my eagle on 14 because I had only played the par fives in level par on the front.

“I wanted to be aggressive and on both courses they’re using for the tournament you’ve got to hit your driver very well. If you position yourself well off the tee then there are lots of birdies out there. I was doing that well today, although the putting was a little tricky at Chapman – the greens aren’t rolling quite as pure as at Royal Harare. But I knew there was definitely a low score out here.

“I will keep my gameplan pretty much the same over the weekend, shooting four under at Royal Harare on the first day was a good start. I need to keep being aggressive. I can’t afford to sit back and relax. I need to keep my foot on the pedal, be aggressive off the tee and give my putts a chance,” Filippi said.

The Milnerton Golf Club representative, who is on 11-under-par at the halfway stage, will need to keep an eye on second-placed Louis de Jager (-6), who it must always be remembered did the South African Amateur Championship double in 2007, has won five times on the Sunshine Tour and competed in over 100 DP World Tour events.

All that experience has come to the fore in solid back-to-back rounds of 69 by De Jager, while in-form first-round leader Louis Albertse is with a group of five golfers at five under par after shooting 74 at Chapman GC.

Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya kept himself in the top three with a level-par 72 on the same course, while veteran Jaco Ahlers shot a 69 at Royal Harare to also go five-under for the tournament. Albert Venter and American Dan Erickson are the other golfers on that mark.

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Louis Albertse will remember with fondness the first three holes of the Royal Harare Golf Club as he birdied them all en route to a superb seven-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open on Thursday.

The Dundee Golf Club representative also birdied holes five through seven, giving him a tremendous start of six birdies in his first seven holes.

But the back nine of the parkland course In Zimbabwe’s capital did bite back a bit, with Albertse dropping shots at the 10^thand 16^th holes.

The birdies also kept coming, though, with the 25-year-old making a four at the par-five 12^th hole, a three at the 14^th and then finishing in style with another birdie at the par-four 18^th.

Herman Loubser, the winner of the Lombard Insurance Classic last weekend at Arabella, shot a 66 at nearby Chapman Golf Club, the other course being used for an historic tournament that unfortunately could not be played for the last three years,  to claim second place on the first day of one of the premier African tournaments on the Sunshine Tour schedule.

Keagan Thomas and Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya were in third place, having shot five-under-par 67s at Royal Harare.

The 121-year-old course was kinder to them on the back nine than it was to Albertse, with both Thomas and Muthiya coming home in just 33 strokes.

Albert Venter, Luca Filippi and Ryan van Velzen were all on four-under-par on a congested leaderboard, with 34 golfers shooting under-par to showcase the exciting young golf talent in Southern Africa.

Albertse challenged strongly at Arabella last weekend after shooting 66 in the first round, but his last two rounds (73, 75) did not work out quite as he had planned.

But he is obviously a young man building on the confidence of a groundbreaking 2021/22 season on the Sunshine Tour in which he finished in the top 50 on the Luno Order of Merit for the first time in his career, including a maiden victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Mount Edgecombe.

The FBC Zimbabwe Open is a title that’s been held by two former world number ones and multiple Major champions, and this week one of the premier African tournaments on the Sunshine Tour schedule makes its return after a three-year absence.

The celebrated Royal Harare Golf Club and Chapman Golf Club will jointly host the FBC Zimbabwe Open, which tees off on Thursday.

The tournament’s long history with the Sunshine Tour began in 1984, and it has seen Vijay Singh and Nick Price amongst its most celebrated champions, while Tony Johnstone and Mark McNulty have added to its pedigree as former winners.

Most recently, Jbe’ Kruger has been a two-time champion, and both Darren Fichardt and Dean Burmester won here on their journeys to the DP World Tour.

It was the first victory of Jean Hugo’s celebrated Sunshine Tour career of 19 wins, and which he achieved in 1999 in his rookie season on the Tour. Hugo is in the field this week, as is another former champion in Lyle Rowe, who claimed the 2016 title when he beat PGA Tour campaigner Dylan Frittelli. Jaco Ahlers and Neil Schietekat have returned from their recent sojourns to Asia for this year’s tournament.

And rising star Dylan Naidoo makes his debut in the FBC Zimbabwe Open this week as he looks to keep building towards his Korn Ferry Tour campaign later this year.

“I’ve never been to Zimbabwe before but I’ve heard really good things about the golf courses and the greens and courses, so that’s exciting. Playing the FBC Zimbabwe Open fits into the plans I have for the year. With the new season starting on the Sunshine Tour, I had planned to get some good tournament golf in and get myself as high up as possible on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit before heading off to the Korn Ferry Tour later this year. Starting in Zimbabwe is part of that plan,” he said.

KLEINMOND, Western Cape – Herman Loubser claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title when he beat Ockie Strydom in a playoff for the Lombard Insurance Classic at the Arabella Country Estate on Sunday.

The Modderfontein golfer, who had to qualify for this tournament and did so with a second-place finish, came through regulation play tied for the lead with Strydom on seven under par. Strydom closed with a 68 while Loubser signed for a 69.

Playing the par-five 18^th again as the first playoff hole, both golfers made par. But on the second attempt, Loubser found the birdie he was looking for as he chipped in for the title.

“It hasn’t kicked in yet. But I had a drink from the trophy, and it tasted so sweet,” said Loubser.

Keith Horne finished third on six under par with a final round of 74.

Loubser turned professional in 2017 after winning the Qualifying School. He was a winner on the Altron Big Easy Tour in 2020 but had to return to the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School after losing his card just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“That was tough. I sat out for two years watching my friends do well on tour and knowing I had the game to be there as well. I worked hard last year and felt like I came into this event ready,” he said.

Going up against the more experienced Strydom in a playoff was also a further test of Loubser’s resolve.

“I know Ockie really well and have played with him a lot before. He’s such a great ball striker and it was intimidating. I also haven’t had a great record in playoffs before this. But I got it done,” said Loubser, who leaves on Monday for the next Sunshine Tour event in the FBC Zimbabwe Open.

And he does so as a Sunshine Tour champion.

“I’m into the bigger tournaments now which is massive for me. I can plan my schedule a bit better. You don’t know if you’re good enough to do it out here until you do it. Now I know I’m good enough to be out here, and hopefully there will be a few more,” he said. – Michael Vlismas