Month: March 2023

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – The Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City next week will be the final opportunity this summer for a group of young South African professionals to test themselves against a world-class field on home fairways, and the trio of Jayden Schaper, Casey Jarvis and Martin Vorster in particular cannot wait.

The $1.5-million tournament, which tees off at The Club at Steyn City next Thursday, is the last in the current run of Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments played here until they return again later in the year.

With strong performances by the likes of Schaper, Jarvis and Vorster over the past few weeks, they all know the kind of opportunity the Jonsson Workwear Open represents for their careers.

“Each week out here can change your life,” said Schaper. “Since I turned professional in 2020 I’ve been fortunate to play in a few DP World Tour events, and in the co-sanctioned tournaments through the Sunshine Tour you get some really good opportunities at home. They’re big events and you’ve just got to take your opportunities when they come.”

The young star has had four top-10s in Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments in his career, and says he’s adopted a new focus as he continues to push for a win.

“I’ve learned to become more patient. When I first came on tour in 2020 I was putting too much pressure on myself. I’ve learned to just trust myself and stick to my process. You’re always going to have ups and downs out here, but you’ve got to keep driving yourself and pushing yourself forward. You’ve always got a chance out here, and the next week could be the best week of your life.”

Both Jarvis and Vorster are still in their rookie seasons. To date, Jarvis’s best finish in a Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament is tied ninth in last November’s Joburg Open and he says a growing consistency in his game has given him confidence in the bigger events.

“I’ve learned to manage my game pretty well, and that consistency is key when you just turn professional. I think I’ve found a bit more of that, which is really what I’m looking for,” he said.

Vorster has shown his potential with top-10s in two European Challenge Tour events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour recently, and the Jonsson Workwear Open would be a great test of his confidence at higher level of the game.

“When I turned pro, I knew I was good enough, but it was almost as if you don’t really believe it until you test yourself out here. Now I just want to climb the steps, stay in my process and patiently work my way up. I want to get to the DP World Tour as soon as I can, but I’ve given myself three years for that goal.”

Vorster has the perfect example of that patience in one of the DP World Tour’s star performers this season – fellow South African Ockie Strydom.

“I’ve been fortunate to play a few rounds with Ockie, and then to see him go and win two DP World Tour events so quickly this season is amazing. That just shows you. If you can win here in one of these, you can win anywhere in the world.”

ST FRANCIS BAY (Eastern Cape) – As world golf’s prize money increases to record levels this year and the privileges in the professional game do so as well, there are still those who wake up at 5am to make sandwiches for a group of kids they will later collect in some of the poorest areas, and take them to play golf in the hope it will also change their lives.

Some of those kids, as part of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB), were at the SDC Championship at St Francis Links earlier this week for a golf clinic with the professionals who have gathered in this seaside village for an historic first Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament at this course.

They are a constant reminder of the power of the game at its core to transform lives.

Granwell Gelderbloem, the coach of the Gqeberha Chapter of the SAGDB and specifically the Varsvlei and Kuyga areas, knows this as well because he was one of these kids. And that memory is what drives his passion for the work he does with the SAGDB.

“I do it because I was one of these kids. I was also a young golfer and my mother wasn’t working so I know the process and the struggles. I was also blessed to have people support me and give me pocket money for tournaments,” he says.

“I live in Sanctor in Gqeberha, and the field where I started playing golf is just behind my house. There is gangsterism in the areas where these kids grow up, or they just hang around the streets asking for money and eventually get involved in selling drugs for the gangs. This game is keeping them off the streets. The photos and videos we are able to show the parents in these communities of the clinics we do at Sunshine Tour events makes them send their kids to us to learn the game.”

Like so many of the SAGDB coaches and managers around the country, Gelderbloem is totally immersed in his desire to see these kids use golf to impact everything from their social circumstances to their academic performance.

“Sometimes you have to be a parent to them because not all of the kids have parents who are involved. Often when the kids come to a tournament they haven’t had a meal, so we make them food ourselves or we have sponsors who help us. My mother and her friends actually help to make food for some of the kids. We have sponsors or parents who help us to pick up the kids from their homes and transport them. Often we start at 5am to get the kids together and get them to tournaments or to courses to practice.”

It’s with the constant hope of something better that golf can provide these kids that Gelderbloem and his team wake up in the morning and do their work. And for the moment, the kids they teach are not playing for trophies or ranking points. On any given afternoon, they may just play for a bag of crisps or a lollipop.

“It’s just a little extra motivation for them. I’ll give that to the winner or maybe the top three will each get a lollipop,” says Gelderbloem, who knows that on this afternoon, that’s one less kid on the streets and one more on a golf course. – Michael Vlismas

ST FRANCIS BAY (Eastern Cape) – As a major DP World Tour event comes to the seaside village of St Francis Bay for the first time with this week’s SDC Championship, the main topics of discussion amongst the players are the impressive quality of the St Francis Links course, and Thursday’s wind forecast.

The Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour have brought an international golf tournament to this Jack Nicklaus Signature Course for the first time in its history, and a course ranked fourth in South Africa has certainly caught the attention of this field. And so too the wind forecast for Thursday’s first round, which is predicting gusts of up to 65km/h.

“I think it’s one of the best golf courses in the country,” young South African Casey Jarvis said during Tuesday’s pro-am. He knows this course well, having finished second in the 2022 South African PGA Championship which was played here.

“It’s just a really good golf course, and a challenging one in the wind. It’s quite soft around the greens so doesn’t play like a true links, but the overall layout is just really really good.”

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay was equally impressed with his first look at this golf course.

“The landscape around here is beautiful and I’m really impressed with the course. It’s a gorgeous piece of property. You can see that if you’ve played this course before you will have an advantage. I’ve always loved coming down here to this part of the world and I’ve been on holiday with my family here before.”

Ockie Strydom, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour this season, also has fond memories of this golf course where he finished second in a Sunshine Tour event last year.

“I’ve done well on this course in the past. I feel like this course owes me one and hopefully that’s this week. There are a lot of good players here, but we’ve all got the same job – to keep it low and under the wind.”

The wind can certainly turn this golf course into a proper test this week, and most of the field are already bracing themselves for the challenge it will bring on Thursday.

“I’ve been watching the wind forecast, and especially the predictions for Thursday. You can definitely see the course has been built for a breeze and it’s no secret that this part of the country has wind that will flatten flagsticks. The wind will certainly change how this course plays. But I have to commend the greenkeeping staff here because it’s in fantastic condition considering they’ve been in a long drought in this region,” said Brandon Stone.

“This is a great golf course, but it all depends on the conditions. I’m hoping for a bit of wind to test us all,” added Shaun Norris.

CENTURION, Gauteng – Stefan Wears-Taylor claimed his maiden win on the Sunshine Tour with a one-shot triumph in the Mediclinic Invitational at Centurion Country Club on Saturday.

Wears-Taylor went into the final round three shots off the lead held by George Coetzee and he surged through the field with an incredible eight-under-par 64 on the final day – including four consecutive birdies over the turn – to win on 25 under par overall.

“I feel on top of the world. The calibre of player out here on the Sunshine Tour is so good, and to be able to say I’m a winner is surreal,” said Wears-Taylor.

Jake Redman finished second on 24 under par with a final round of 67, while George Coetzee was third on 22 under par with a closing 70.

Playing his home course, Wears-Taylor teed off in the final group and immediately made his presence felt with a birdie at the par-five first hole. He played incredibly composed golf as he added a further seven birdies and not a single bogey on his way to victory.

“I didn’t even know what I was on in terms of score. I was just sticking to my gameplan. Being my home course I’ve got a good idea of where I want to hit it. So my focus was to just stick to the process and play the best golf I can, and to make good decisions and commit to them. But yes, for me to be able to shoot 17-under for the weekend is very pleasing.”

Wears-Taylor said he felt like his game was headed for a breakthrough before this week.

“I started feeling that I’ve got the game to win, but it was just about piecing four days together. That’s been the difficult part to do. Behind the scenes I’ve been working hard on consistency in all areas of my game, whether it be mental or technical. And it’s paid off.” – Michael Vlismas

CENTURION, Gauteng – George Coetzee eased his way into a one-stroke lead in the Mediclinic Invitational with a composed 65 at Centurion Country Club on Friday.

Coetzee heads the field on 20 under par, one stroke clear of Jake Redman who signed for a third round of 64 on Friday. Stefan Wears-Taylor, Louis Albertse and Ruan Korb are all currently tied for third on 17 under par.

Coetzee was naturally delighted with his round of seven under – his second of the past three rounds – but for a different reason than just what it means for his score.

“I’ve been trying to post a score of seven under every day like my team did last Sunday,” Coetzee said with a reference to his beloved Liverpool Football Club and their 7-0 victory over Manchester United.

His scoring is also testament to just how comfortable he feels on this golf course.

“It’s been a good couple of days and I’m happy with the way things have gone. I basically grew up here, practised here and was coached here for many years. I know the course very well.”

Coetzee has certainly made an art of returning home to local fairways on the Sunshine Tour and winning. Since 2014 there has only been one year – in 2017 – when he has not won at least once on the Sunshine Tour.

“I’m quite fresh mentally and am trying to just stay in the moment this week. That’s all part of the psychology of the game and it’s something I’m always working on. The golf feels solid but I’m not relying on anything specific. I’m just plodding along.”

As much as he’ll be a favourite in the final round, Coetzee is taking nothing for granted against a quality field behind him.

“There is nothing comfortable about leading tournaments. It’s a grind but it’s exciting. You don’t get this opportunity too often in the game and I’m excited to learn and get better at trying to seal the deal.” – Michael Vlismas

CENTURION, Gauteng – Pieter Moolman continued his good form of the past few weeks and claimed a share of a four-way tie for the lead through 36 holes of the Mediclinic Invitational at Centurion Country Club on Thursday.

Moolman signed for a 64 to join Ruan Korb (63), James Mack (64) and Ryan van Velzen (64) on 14 under par. The quartet are one stroke clear of George Coetzee, with a group of five players further back on 11 under par including first-round leader Jake Redman and Dylan Naidoo.

Moolman’s consistency over the past few weeks has seen him finish 14^th, ninth, third and 28^th in his last four tournaments. It’s been the kind of consistency that has lifted him into eighth place on the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca Rankings, and which has suggested he isn’t too far from adding to his Fortress Invitational victory on the Sunshine Tour last year.

Moolman’s 64 on Thursday was also a perfect case of the vagaries of golf where his exceptional putting helped when his ball-striking was not what he would’ve liked it to be.

“I don’t feel like I’m hitting the ball as well as I’d like to, but I’m making more putts and that’s helping a lot. In this game, I believe if you are making all of your putts inside 10 feet and are just an average ball striker, you are capable of being in the top 30 in the world,” he said.

The consistency of his past performances is also not lost on Moolman.

“I think that’s all you want as a professional golfer, is to just have a chance. You just want to have that chance to be in contention and to win a tournament. I feel like I’ve been playing really well and my game is good enough that when the putts drop I can win. That’s all I’m trying to do – is to give myself a chance to win every week I play. If I can combine how I putted today and how I struck the ball at a tournament a few weeks ago, I’ll shoot great scores.”

Moolman says he foresees the low scoring to continue over the final two rounds.

“I find the golf course quite scoreable. If you look at the whole field the scoring is really good.” – Michael Vlismas

ST FRANCIS BAY (Eastern Cape) – The inaugural SDC Championship has drawn a strong selection of the most in-form players on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour for this $1.5 million tournament at St Francis Links from 16-19 March.

On the latest list of entries for this event, the Sunshine Tour’s stars include nine out of the top 10 on the current Luno Order of Merit, with four out of the top five players having won locally or internationally in the last three months.

The DP World Tour players include 12 out of the top 30 on the current Race to Dubai Rankings, with five of the last 11 winners in the DP World Tour’s current season. South Africa’s Ockie Strydom will tee it up as a two-time winner on the DP World Tour this season already and who is ranked first on the Luno Order of Merit and fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings.

The field in St Francis will also include six out of the current top 10 on the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca Rankings, including every single winner on the tour this season.

Every winner of either a Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament, or a Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournament since November 2022 will tee it up, namely Dan Bradbury (Joburg Open), Thriston Lawrence (Investec South African Open), Ockie Strydom (Alfred Dunhill Championship), Antoine Rozner (AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open), Benjamin Follett-Smith (Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open), Oliver Bekker (Dimension Data Pro-Am), JJ Senekal (SDC Open) and Dylan Mostert (Nelson Mandela Bay Championship).

This will be the first time that St Francis Links hosts a tournament of this magnitude, which is also one of the biggest sporting events for the region.

The SDC Championship enhances the Skills Development Corporation’s (SDC) already strong presence in golf through the SDC Open on the Challenge tour, and this new elevated tournament makes it one of six tournaments on the DP World Tour’s schedule in South Africa. – Michael Vlismas

CENTURION, Gauteng – Jake Redman finished with an eagle and two birdies for a 64 that earned him a one-shot lead after the first round of the Sunshine Tour’s Mediclinic Invitational at Centurion Country Club on Wednesday.

Redman’s opening round of eight under par put him one clear of the group of George Coetzee, Dylan Naidoo, Luke Brown, Trevor Fisher Jnr. and Keagan Thomas.

“It’s been a while since I’ve gone quite low and I’m very happy with the way things went,” said Redman, who certainly enjoyed the Centurion Country Club course.

“It’s a nice estate golf course. There are one or two demanding tee shots, but you can’t be too unhappy with the golf course shooting eight under par. I didn’t hit myself into any trouble and kept the ball in play.”

Teeing off the 10^th, Redman admits the 64 caught even him by surprise as he came through 15 holes on four under par.

“It felt like it came a bit out of nowhere. I didn’t make many putts over the first 15 holes, which was frustrating. But I was also hitting it quite close. Then I came to the last three holes and made a huge putt on the par-five seventh hole for eagle, a long putt for birdie on eight and then on in two for a birdie at the last. All round the game was solid and I’m happy with the way things went today.

“It’s been frustrating not to shoot a really low round because I’ve put myself in a good position to do so before. So it was nice to get it done today. When I was four under through 15 I felt like I could’ve been eight or nine under then already. So it was nice to get that reward at the end of it.”

With three rounds still to go, Redman is not getting ahead of himself. But it is a timely point in the season to hit good form, with two big DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments to come this month in the SDC Championship and the Jonsson Workwear Open.

“We’ve got some good opportunities to come over the next few weeks, but I’m taking it one step at a time.” – Michael Vlismas

CENTURION, Gauteng – Ockie Strydom is back on home fairways following a life-changing past few months as he tees it up in this week’s Mediclinic Invitational at Centurion Country Club, which starts on Wednesday.

After breaking through with the biggest victory of his career in December’s Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, Strydom claimed his second DP World Tour title in six starts in February’s Singapore Classic.

Strydom is currently fifth on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings and first on the Sunshine Tour’s Luno Order of Merit as he returns to South Africa for this new Sunshine Tour 72-hole event featuring a purse of R2 million.

Strydom is back as a vastly more experienced golfer with a new level of confidence in his ability as he joins a field including George Coetzee and Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year leader Martin Vorster.

“The two DP World Tour victories have given me the self-belief to know I belong out here and that I can compete against the top players in the world,” he said.

“It’s just the mindset that is changing at the moment where you know you’ve been in this situation before and you know you can do it again.”

After a well-publicised collection of 19 runner-up finishes in his career, interrupted by his victory in the 2019 Vodacom Origins of Golf in Sishen, Strydom admits he wondered if he would ever break through on a bigger stage.

“It was always on my mind – if I would ever win on the DP World Tour. Especially after so many second places. I just focused on what I could control. Technically, my coach Doug Wood and I worked on my clubface in the week of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and to square it up as it was closed at the top of my swing. And then Willie the physio helped me get through the week physically. My back was under big pressure and I was in quite a bit of pain that week.

“Then in Singapore I was really calm throughout the final round. My chip on the final green to win was probably one of the best chips that I have ever played under pressure. To be honest I didn’t think I would ever win the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Then to win again in Singapore was amazing.” – Michael Vlismas

Jonsson Workwear has elevated its partnership with the Sunshine Tour as this year’s Jonsson Workwear Open (JWO) becomes a DP World Tour co-sanctioned event. The tournament will tee off at the iconic Steyn City from 23 – 26 March 2023, leading a field of local & international professional golf players to compete for an increased prize of $1.5 million. The workwear & apparel brand leader prides itself in hosting this sporting extravaganza which forms part of the Sunshine Tour’s lucrative start to the 2023 season and the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.  

As a joint venture between South Africa’s Sunshine Tour and the European Challenge Tour, the inaugural event took place last year at the Durban Country Club (DCC) which is undergoing renovations, following the devastating floods which took place in April 2022. JC Ritchie won the first incarnation of this tournament, having notched an impressive hole-in-one, and set a 54-hole Challenge Tour record score of 25-under along the way.

Both humbled and proud to host this major tournament again, CEO & Chairman of Jonsson Workwear, Nick Jonsson said, “We’re incredibly grateful to be able to grow this tournament into a prominent event on the South African sports calendar. Last year’s event played out to be a great success and we’re thrilled to continue providing players and spectators with an unforgettable golfing experience. I’d like to extend my gratitude to Steyn City for opening their doors and working with us to piece this prestigious event together. We value the hard work and peak performance affiliated with both this tournament and our brand. It’s also a delight to bring this tournament to the Gauteng province which is home to eight of our retail stores, distribution centre and customisation facility.”

“It is an enormous privilege to host an event of this calibre on our course,” says Steven Louw, CEO of Steyn City Properties. “Around South Africa, The Club at Steyn City is known to offer not only beautiful surrounds and a challenging layout, but also outstanding service. Being selected as a host of a DP World Tour event validates our belief that these attributes are of a world standard, and we are delighted to be able to share them.”

With all roads leading to one of the best courses in the country, the Jonsson Workwear Open is expected to become a magnet for eager spectators to witness greatness in action.

Excited to join forces with Jonsson Workwear again, the Sunshine Tour’s Commissioner, Thomas Abt said, “We are extremely proud to welcome the Jonsson Workwear Open to our list of tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour. This was a journey we began with Jonsson Workwear on the Challenge Tour, and it has now grown into a major international tournament offering even greater opportunities for our member professionals. Jonsson Workwear shares our belief in the greatness inherent in South Africa and its people, and we’re proud to be able to even further showcase this greatness and continue to take this message to the rest of the world.”

“We’re delighted to welcome the Jonsson Workwear Open to the Race to Dubai in 2023,” said Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour. “The tournament is a perfect example of the value of our Strategic Alliance and our longstanding partnership with the Sunshine Tour as it represents the real growth of an event from its debut on the European Challenge Tour to a DP World Tour co-sanctioned event.”

Viewers will be able to catch the 4-day tournament live on SuperSport, and for the first time, spectators will get access to the 18-hole Nicklaus Design championship golf course at Steyn City.