Month: August 2023

PRETORIA (24 August 2023) – It’s well known that team golf brings a different dynamic to a professional’s strategic thinking, whether it be in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, or this week’s Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship at Pretoria Country Club. But what about their caddies?

With a rare team format on the Sunshine Tour this week that will see the pros compete over four rounds of betterball, foursomes, foursomes and betterball, the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship also requires a different focus from the caddies.

“It’s absolutely a different week for us as caddies as well,” says Chase Manna, caddie for Brandon Stone who this week is paired with JJ Senekal.

“I’d say it’s a week where you play more aggressive so you make those kinds of decisions. A lot of the process is still the same, namely selecting the shot, visualising and then agreeing on it and picking a line. But you will caddie a little more aggressively this week compared to a normal week on tour.

“The betterball aspect you deal with on the spot because one pro will be aggressive while his teammate might not. So it all depends on who’s teeing off first. If he’s in play then you can probably work with your own player to attack more if its viable. Foursomes is tough though because that’s out of your hands. It’s more a collective decision based on the circumstances.”

Stanley Joob, the caddie for Dylan Naidoo who is paired with Keenan Davidse, agrees that this is the one week where a caddie and his pro can afford to be a bit more aggressive than in a traditional stroke play tournament.

“It’s a fun week for the pros and caddies. The strategy is definitely different in a team event because your pro’s partner can contribute. So the decision-making becomes more of a team effort amongst all four of us. You can definitely be a bit more aggressive, but overall, your aim stays the same – executing the right shot at the right time.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (23 August 2023) – After experiencing his first taste of Major championship golf at The Open this year, Kyle Barker has returned to the Sunshine Tour determined to use every bit of that experience and to play his way back onto that stage again.

Barker looked as relaxed as ever walking around a sun-drenched Pretoria Country Club on Wednesday in the pro-am ahead of Thursday’s first round of the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship.

It’s a month since he qualified for his first Major – The Open at Royal Liverpool. 

“My goal was to play my first Major at the age of 30. To achieve that five years earlier than I expected is a dream come true. It was unbelievable. It was better than I’d ever dreamt it would be,” said Barker.

It’s a different approach this week as the Sunshine Tour professionals compete in a team format involving betterball and foursomes, and Barker has the experienced Ulrich van den Berg as his partner.

“I’m playing with Ulrich who is probably one of the best iron players I’ve ever seen. It’s a fun week this. It frees you up a bit to go for shots you wouldn’t normally go for because you’ve got a partner to count on,” said Barker.

That freedom combined with his experience at The Open could prove a potent combination, and Barker produced his trademark smile as he reflected on what playing in a Major has done for his mindset.

“What I learnt was just unbelievable. Watching the top professionals and how they work and structure everything around their rounds was incredible. I watched Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas to name a few. It was eye-opening to see how they go to work on the course, but perhaps more importantly off the golf course and just how hard they work.

“They go to gym twice a day, they stretch, they go through their routines, and they work so closely with their entire teams. I’ve definitely taken what I learnt from there and started to apply it to my daily routines. Having that experience in a Major just makes me believe in myself even more when I come back to the Sunshine Tour.”

The team format this week is certainly something the Sunshine Tour professionals are looking forward to.

“It’s a really fun format with the betterball and the foursomes,” said James Hart du Preez, who is paired with Rupert Kaminski and who knows this course exceptionally well having grown up on these fairways.

“This course plays probably two to three shots more difficult in winter. The greens get very firm here. The tricky aspect of this course is that it looks like it’s right there in front of you but if you get out of position it can bite you because you’re left with a bunch of tricky chip shots around these greens.”

And Dylan Naidoo is also looking forward to a fun week with partner Keenan Davidse.

“It’s a fun challenge deciding on the different strategies for betterball and foursomes. And this is such a nice golf course. It’s always in great condition and you need to have your strategy on point for this week.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA, Gauteng – A strong back nine saw Malcolm Mitchell cruise to a remarkable four-stroke victory in the SunBet Challenge Time Square at Wingate Park Country Club on Friday and claim his maiden win on the Sunshine Tour.

After turning in one under for his round, Mitchell made five birdies on the back nine for a final round of 66 to win on 14 under par. He finished well clear of second-placed Louis Albertse, who had a great last day with a 65 to end on 10 under par.

Mitchell’s victory was his first on the Sunshine Tour in his 73^rd event, and comes after he was the runner-up to Estiaan Conradie in the same event at Wingate two years ago.

Starting the final round two strokes behind overnight leader and travelling companion Jaco van Zyl, Mitchell was still trailing the leaders when he reached the turn in just one-under for his round, despite making an eagle on the par-five second.

But a birdie on the par-four 10^th kicked off an astonishing back nine that saw him pick up further shots on the 13^th, 14^th, 15^th and 18^th holes as he pulled clear of the field.

“I was absolutely in the zone after I woke up this morning – just feeling good and happy. I know I play well here. There’s something about this course that just suits my eye. I just love it here and it’s one of my favourites.

“I spoke with Estiaan on the morning of the final round and I said the event two years ago actually brings me a lot of confidence. It might have looked comfortable today, but the first nine was actually very hectic and I made some very good up-and-downs.

“But then on the back nine I just felt the calmest I have ever felt in my life. My ball striking was unbelievable. I was making putts, and before I knew it, I opened my eyes and I had three birdies in a row from nowhere,” Mitchell beamed.

His caddie, the well-travelled Zwelithini “Terence” Ngoma, also had reason to feel delighted.

“It might sound arrogant, but I have this thing with my caddie. I have a very nice watch at home which I told him I would give to him when I get my first win on tour. And I don’t know why, but I actually packed it in the car this morning, I just had a feeling, I guess,” Mitchell explained.

Behind him, a fierce competitive streak is one of Albertse’s prime traits and starting the day seven strokes behind Van Zyl did not bother him. A tremendous start saw Albertse birdie seven of the first eight holes to claim the lead. The Pretoria local bogeyed the par-four ninth hole, but birdied 10 and 11 to regain the lead. But dropped shots at the 12^th and 15^th holes ended his brave challenge.

Ryan van Velzen also mounted a charge on the back nine, with an eagle on the par-five 15^th leaving him on five-under for the round. But he bogeyed the 17^th and could only par the par-five closing hole to finish with a 68 and alone in third place on nine-under.

Overnight leader Van Zyl stumbled to a 75 in the final round, with just one birdie, finishing in a tie for sixth place on seven-under-par.

PRETORIA, Gauteng – Jaco van Zyl will go into the final round of the SunBet Challenge Time Square tournament at Wingate Park Country Club with a one-stroke lead, but he says whether he nets a 16^th Sunshine Tour title on Friday depends on whether the same golfer that shot 68 and 66 in the first two rounds pitches up again on the third day of the R2 million event.

Van Zyl posted a brilliant six-under-par 66 in the second round on Thursday to climb to 10-under-par for the tournament, heading out in the afternoon and surpassing the superb 64 posted by Anthony Michael which lifted him to nine-under alongside JC Ritchie (68).

“It depends on who pitches up: the head-in-the-clouds me who just wants to fly, or the feet-on-the-ground me who is here to play golf. Fortunately the golfer in me has pitched up these first two days and I’m very excited about the final round,” Van Zyl said on Thursday.

“I will just take it hole-by-hole and see what the golfing gods have in store for us. This is one of those golf courses where if you are really on song then it feels easy, but if you are a bit off your game then it can really bite you.

“But I’m playing nicely and putting very well. It’s good to be in this position on this golf course because it has not treated me very well in the past. I’m very chuffed,” Van Zyl said.

South Africa’s 2016 World Cup of Golf representative said a tip from a fellow competitor earlier this week had helped alleviate the previous frustrations he has experienced on the greens at the Wingate course, while the help of a biokineticist has him feeling in rampant form physically.

“I’ve always battled on these greens but then Malcolm Mitchell said at the start of the week that I must just look at the grain because that plays a big role on these greens. I started doing that on Monday and it was a ton better already, and I’ve put in plenty of hard work on the greens to get it right.

“And my body is feeling unbelievable since I’ve started working with a biokineticist, Bianca Bloemhof. I’m just trying to save as many swings as I can, and I’ve been doing mostly maintenance, but my body moved like I was 22 again today,” the 44-year-old said.

Michael started his round on the 10^th hole and started sedately with three straight pars, but then roared to nine-under-par in his next nine holes with eagles on the par-five 15^th and second holes, as well as five birdies. His only dropped shot came on the par-four fourth hole, but his eight-under 64 is the low round of the tournament and he will be confident of being in with a shout of claiming his second Sunshine Tour victory after his breakthrough win at Highland Gate almost exactly a year ago.

Mitchell, Jaco Prinsloo and Rhys West are sharing fourth place on eight-under-par, while South Africa’s highest-ranked golfer, Thriston Lawrence, roared up the leaderboard to three-under-par with a 65 on Thursday.

The magnificent new La Réserve Golf Links will make its international championship debut when it hosts the 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open from 14-17 December, opening its fairways to the leading professionals on the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour.

As the first and only contemporary links in the Indian Ocean, co-designed by Major champion Louis Oosthuizen and Peter Matkovich, La Réserve Golf Links is the latest and most keenly anticipated offering in Heritage Resorts’ golf portfolio, offering an unparalleled experience of pure golfing drama.

The new course’s professional tournament debut coincides with the 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open now occupying an even more prominent place on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour schedules as part of a newly created Opening Swing of events that usher in the DP World Tour’s new season.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will be the final tournament on this Opening Swing, with La Réserve Golf Links set to be the stage where two champions are crowned in that week.

Beyond the winner of the tournament, the Opening Swing will also have its own Order of Merit with the leading professional at the conclusion thereof winning an extra $200 000 and, if already a member of the DP World Tour, an invitation into the DP World Tour’s next scheduled Rolex Series tournament as well as a spot in each of the DP World Tour’s Back Nine series of tournaments.

“The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is a source of tremendous national pride and mirrors AfrAsia Bank’s vision to not only affirm Mauritius’ status as a major international financial centre with a robust banking system, but also a vibrant epicentre to invest, work, live or retire. To partner this vision with the exciting news of a new host venue as acclaimed as La Réserve Golf Links reinforces our belief of doing what others said cannot be done, and connecting local possibilities for a global impact,” said Thierry Vallet, Founder Executive of AfrAsia Bank.

La Réserve Golf Links adds significantly to the already world-class golf offering in the south of Mauritius and on the renowned Bel Ombre estate, with Heritage Golf Club having hosted the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on three previous occasions on its critically acclaimed Le Château Golf Course. This new addition transforms Heritage Resorts into the only 45-hole golf destination in the Indian Ocean, establishing the south of the island as a true home of golf.

“The 2023 edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (ABMO) is set to be like no other,” said Thierry Montocchio, Executive Director and CEO of Rogers Hospitality. “Although we have previously hosted the event, the dramatic setting of La Réserve Golf Links promises to captivate players, viewers and spectators alike. Visitors to Heritage Resorts will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in our distinctive blend of luxury, sustainability, and the inherent beauty of Mauritius, assuring a memorable stay that’s both indulgent and enriching, be that on or off the golf course.”

This will be the fourth new host course in the seventh edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open as the tournament continues to support the tourism objectives of Mauritius, with a global broadcast reach in excess of 550 million households showcasing what has become known as “Golf’s Most Beautiful Week”.

“We look forward to hosting the professionals and their families for a week that is indeed a highlight of the golf calendar. The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is a key partner for Mauritius tourism as it brings the eyes of the golf world to our island and showcases our unique blend of spectacular golf courses and outstanding hospitality. We have a history in the game that stretches back over a century, and we are proud to be able to support the constant innovation in this industry that is represented by this tournament, and which reflects Mauritius as an island of energy and adventure,” said Arvind Bundhun, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA).

Since its debut in 2015, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open has also worked closely with the Mauritius Golf Federation (MGF) to grow the game on the island as Mauritian professionals vie for a place in the field.

“The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open creates a strong aspirational effect for Mauritian golfers as they can see in a tangible way, right on their own doorstep, the wonders of this game and the doors it can open for them. The tournament provides key playing opportunities for our local professionals who have qualified to play in it, and at the same time it supports our development drive as we host the annual golf clinic during the event with our young golfers and the visiting professionals,” said Yannick Merven, President of the Mauritius Golf Federation.

The tournament has once again drawn a glittering array of blue-chip sponsors, including AfrAsia Bank, Rogers Group, Rogers Hospitality, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, IBL, Beachcomber Resorts and Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Phoenix Beverages, Jacobs Coffee, Pro Carts and Mautourco.

For the images of La Réserve Golf Links, please credit: Jacob Sjöman

PRETORIA, Gauteng – The Wingate Park Country Club was a worthy test for the majority of the field on a windy day in Pretoria on Wednesday, but a trio of golfers in JC Ritchie, James Hart du Preez and Luca Filippi managed to shoot 67s to share a one-stroke lead after the first round of the SunBet Challenge Time Square.

Du Preez set the tone in the morning with a tremendous bogey-free round, with Ritchie and Filippi then matching him with their own five-under-par rounds in the afternoon as the wind stiffened.

Filippi started with a bogey on the par-four first hole, but recovered with three birdies on the front nine and then finished strongly with three birdies over the last five holes.

Ritchie, a 10-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, was back on home fairways after campaigning in Europe, and started superbly with five birdies on the front nine. But he bogeyed the par-four 10^th to cede some momentum, and came home in level-par after a birdie on the par-five 15^th.

“The par-fives allow the longer hitters to really take advantage and there could be lots of eagles coming up, but the rest of the course is really set up for guys who hit the ball straight,” Ritchie said

As much as the power game dominates at present, Ritchie does not believe that the big hitters will necessarily be at an advantage in this R2 million event that ends on Friday.

“I hit the ball really solid and only missed two greens all day. It was nice to get something going on the front nine and I made some nice putts. I thought I played brilliantly on the back nine too. I like it so it was strange not to score well, but I don’t know what happened to my putter, so I lost a bit of momentum.”

Ritchie was also relishing being back home.

“It feels good to be back home, although it’s a bit strange playing on ‘my’ grass again. I always seem to do quite well after long breaks,” Ritchie said.

Further down the leaderboard, Heinrich Bruiners finds himself in contention for the second week in succession following an opening 69.

Ockie Strydom will make his Nedbank Golf Challenge debut as the first South African confirmed for the 2023 edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ and takes his place in a field that already includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and Major champions Justin Rose and Justin Thomas.

Strydom qualified for the November 9-12 showpiece at the Gary Player Country Club after winning the 2022/23 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy in what was a groundbreaking season in his career.

He joins the exclusive 64-man field chasing the US$6,000,000 prize money as well as the increased number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points and a possible place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a tournament every South African professional grew up watching and wanting to compete in one day. It’s one of those iconic sports events that has witnessed incredible moments in golf over the years, and to be able to make my debut and be a part of this is another very special moment in my career,” said Strydom.

Tournament Host Gary Player said he looked forward to welcoming Strydom onto the first tee at the Gary Player Country Club.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge has always had an aspirational effect on South African golf. Generations of young South African golfers have grown up watching this tournament and dreamt of playing in it one day. They’ve seen all of our great South African golfers progress from the Sunshine Tour to international success, and the reward of then securing a place in this exclusive field. That will always be one of the great legacies of ‘Africa’s Major’ – its ability to inspire greatness. In my own career, I realised full well the power of having a target to aim for and a goal to achieve. Ockie has now realised this dream for himself, thanks to the opportunities provided by our Sunshine Tour and the strong alliance with the DP World Tour.”

Strydom secured his place at Sun City thanks to a remarkable 2022/23 season in which he won twice in the space of three months on the DP World Tour in the Alfred Dunhill Championship and Singapore Classic.

“There was a time when I wondered whether I would ever win on the DP World Tour, and then to win twice in three months was incredible for me. It’s given me the self-belief to know I belong out here and that I can compete against the top players in the world. I can’t wait to test myself against a very strong field and in front of the South African fans,” said Strydom.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the South African sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with defending champion Tommy Fleetwood among a glittering list of winners including South African golf icon Ernie Els – a three-time winner of the event – the legendary Seve Ballesteros, and Major champions Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman and Danny Willett.

The 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge will once again be included on the DP World Tour schedule in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International and will be the penultimate event before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

The Sunshine Tour has announced a summer of world-class international golf that includes six co-sanctioned tournaments and their prime positioning within the newly announced Global Swing schedule of the DP World Tour, offering even greater opportunities and incentives. The Sunshine Tour also confirmed an increase in its minimum prize money throughout the other tournaments on its 2023/24 schedule.

The six Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments will begin with the Joburg Open at Houghton Golf Club from 23-26 November 2023, followed by the Investec South African Open at Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate from 30 November to 3 December 2023, the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek from 7-10 December 2023, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the spectacular new La Réserve Golf Links from 14-17 December 2023, the SDC Championship (venue to be confirmed) from 29 February to 3 March 2024 and the Jonsson Workwear Open (venue to be confirmed) from 7-10 March 2024.

In addition to the current four European Challenge Tour events on the Sunshine Tour schedule, these six co-sanctioned tournaments will form part of the DP World Tour’s new Global Swing structure of its schedule which was announced today. The Global Swing will consist of an Opening Swing, International Swing, Asian Swing, European Swing and Closing Swing.

The first four co-sanctioned tournaments (the Joburg Open, Investec South African Open, Alfred Dunhill Championship and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open) will fall under the Opening Swing. The SDC Championship and the Jonsson Workwear Open will be grouped together with the International Swing.

Each Swing will have its own Order of Merit, with the leading professional at the conclusion of each Swing winning an extra $200 000 and, if already a member of the DP World Tour, an invitation into the DP World Tour’s next scheduled Rolex Series tournament and a spot in each of the DP World Tour’s Back Nine series of nine tournaments.

Upon the culmination of the Global Swing, the leading 10 professionals on the Race to Dubai Rankings will share in a $1 million bonus pool.

“This is going to be a summer unrivalled international golf on Sunshine Tour fairways, with world-class fields competing on some of our best golf courses and for major new incentives,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“Our alliance with the DP World Tour means we can keep strengthening the global pathway that the Sunshine Tour offers, and these new incentives will further boost our fields and offer immense value to our co-sanctioned events. With our tournaments forming part of both the Opening Swing and International Swing, it’s a double opportunity for our members to benefit from these opportunities.”

The Sunshine Tour also confirmed a significant increase in prize money across the rest of its schedule, with all of its other tournaments set to offer minimum total purses of R2 million.

The second half of the 2023/24 season will feature the longstanding Vodacom Origins of Golf Series and the SunBet Challenge series, which anchors the winter schedule on the Tour.

The Tour will also continue its tribute to the South African golf legacy of Gary Player, with the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge and the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational tournaments featuring prominently on its schedule in the build-up to the co-sanctioned events.

There are further incentives for the leading professionals at the end of this season.

The Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit points ranking will now be known as the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and the top three professionals at the end of the season will receive an added bonus, with R500 000 going to the first-place finisher, followed by R200 000 for second and R100 000 for third place. This will be on top of their season’s earnings.

Golf fans will be able to keep monitoring the progress of the top three vying for honours, with the leading three professionals set to have the official Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy logo displayed next to their names throughout the season on the official SuperSport broadcasts, while their caddies will also wear bibs displaying the logo and their players’ positions of first, second or third on the ranking.

And in a further drive to develop the next generation of Sunshine Tour stars, the leading rookie professional at the end of this 2023/24 season will receive a bonus of R200 000 as part of the new Fortress Rookie of the Year award.

BELA BELA, Limpopo – Jacques Kruyswijk claimed his third victory on the Sunshine Tour with a one-stroke triumph in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zebula Country Club on Sunday.

Kruyswijk laid the foundation for his win with a final round that saw him at six-under-par through the first 15 holes. It allowed him a bogey at the last as he signed for a 67 and victor yon 13 under par. Heinrich Bruiners took second place on 12 under as he also closed with a bogey for a 70.

The Centurion-based Kruyswijk began the final round two shots behind Bruiners, but three birdies in his first six holes on Sunday saw him overtake the Fancourt golfer and sit handily just one stroke behind his playing partner and new leader Pieter Moolman, who also went out with three birdies in his opening six holes.

Further birdies on the 11^th, 13^th and 15^th holes drew Kruyswijk level at the top, and he had the sole lead in the clubhouse after Moolman was undone by a triple-bogey seven at the 16^th hole.

Bruiners bogeyed the par-four first hole, but thereafter played very solid golf and his fourth birdie of the day, on the 16^th, kept him in the hunt before his bogey on the last hole.

Moolman finished with a 71 to end in a tie for fifth on 10-under-par, alongside Adam Breen (66), Jean Hugo (67), Nikhil Rama (67), Luca Filippi (67), James Hart du Preez (68) and Neil Schietekat (70).

The young duo of Jonathan Broomhead (68) and Gerhard Pepler (69) shared third place on 11-under-par.

In the historic first appearance of the Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals in the same tournament, playing for the same prize money as the men, Cara Gorlei was the only woman to make the cut and she closed with a 75 on Sunday to finish level-par and in a tie for 52^nd place. – Michael Vlismas Media