Month: September 2023

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – Former Springbok Breyton Paulse has likened flyhalf Manie Libbok to Tiger Woods in the x factor that he brings to rugby and his ability to put his mistakes behind him.

Speaking at the Sunshine Tour pro-am of this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate, Paulse said the constant questioning of Libbok at flyhalf for the Springboks in their Rugby World Cup campaign in France needs to be put to bed now.

“Whether you like him or not, Manie is doing amazing things on the field. He is a player with that x factor. I would take a player with that x factor any given day. I spoke to John Dobson, coach of the DHL Stormers, recently and he told me how Manie has this incredible ability that when he makes a mistake he forgets it and moves on within seconds. It takes a special athlete to be able to do that. Tiger Woods did it in golf,” said Paulse.

“I think people don’t appreciate enough what Manie does off the ball as well and the way he creates and assists tries. That’s why the Springbok management backs Manie.”

According to Paulse, Libbok and several other players in this current Springbok team make it a more dangerous proposition than the 2019 side that won the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“I believe this team is much more dangerous than the one in 2019. You have players like Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse, André Esterhuizen and Cheslin Kolbe who like to run. So the Springboks will kick because that’s part of their DNA, but when it’s on they will have a go and then you have someone like Manie part of that. Add to the fact that Rassie Erasmus is currently living rent free in the other coaches heads, and with this whole demeanour the other teams are really starting to fear us. That’s a big positive off the field.” – Michael Vlismas

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – A pro-am tee time with the Sunshine Tour commissioner in this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate is enough indication that rookie professional Kyle de Beer has made more than a few people take notice of his strong start on the Tour.

The 25-year-old former top South African amateur announced himself with an incredible debut on the Sunshine Tour in August’s Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge, where De Beer led for most of the tournament before finishing fourth.

That performance earned him a place in this week’s 54-hole Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament, which tees off in the winelands on Friday.

More importantly, it confirmed what De Beer has believed ever since he turned professional.

“I know from my experience as an amateur playing in professional tournaments that I can compete. So as a pro, I knew that if I just stuck to my processes I could compete and score well on the Sunshine Tour,” he said on Wednesday.

There was certainly no doubt about his ability following rounds of 63 and 65 to lead the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge, and it was really just a run of four bogeys over the turn for a final round of 73 that cost him a first victory in his first event as a professional on the Tour that week.

“It was a fantastic week. I was actually just grateful to be there and receive the invitation. To play good golf was amazing. It wasn’t the result I wanted but I learnt a lot. Having been in that situation now, I think I’ll handle it better the next time.”

This week offers another perfect opportunity for De Beer to test himself against a typically strong Sunshine Tour field including eight of the last 11 winners on Tour, and with a selection of the leading women’s professionals on the Sunshine Ladies Tour also competing for the same prize money as part of the series’ groundbreaking move to a mixed event this year.

“I’m really looking forward to it. The course is looking very good despite all the rain they’ve had. I’m just really looking forward to another opportunity to compete on the Sunshine Tour. I’ve got enough proof that I can compete, and it’s just a matter of trying to not feel too intimidated. It’s not a one-on-one situation out here. It’s just a case of reminding myself that it’s not me against 120 other professionals this week. It’s me against the golf course.

“So I’m just focused on taking it one week at a time, and I’ll keep trying to fast track my career with one or two more good performances.” – Michael Vlismas

The winner of this year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will unlock a host of new global opportunities in a tournament that has always played a key role in the career growth of its champions.

Through its status as the final tournament on the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing that marks the start of the new season, the 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the spectacular La Réserve Golf Links from 14-17 December will be the scene of a double triumph come the Sunday afternoon.

Beyond the winner of the tournament, the Opening Swing will also have its own Order of Merit which will conclude in Mauritius. The leading professional on this Order of Merit will win 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 nine high-profile tournaments.

All of which could make a week in Mauritius this December a truly career-defining one.

It’s in keeping with the history of this tournament as the spark behind the rise of the careers of many of its champions.

Every single previous winner of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is now a multiple winner on the DP World Tour, while some have also gone on to win on the PGA Tour.

Danish professional Rasmus Højgaard made his DP World Tour breakthrough when he won the 2019 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, becoming the third youngest winner in DP World Tour history after Matteo Manassero and Danny Lee, and in just his fifth start on the tour. He went on to win a further three DP World Tour titles and was in contention for a place on the European Ryder Cup team this year.

Frenchman Antoine Rozner lost the playoff to Højgaard in 2019 when he was still competing on the European Challenge Tour. He returned in 2022 to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open by a commanding five strokes – the largest margin of victory in the tournament’s history – to cement his status as a rising start of the DP World Tour. The victory in Mauritius marked a personal record of Rozner having won a tournament every year for three years in succession since earning his DP World Tour card in 2020.

South African Dylan Frittelli’s victory in the 2017 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was his second DP World Tour title. It was a win that lifted him to just outside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking, and it put him on a path to winning on the PGA Tour a year later in the John Deere Classic and challenging in the Majors with a finish of tied fifth in The Masters in 2020 and fifth in The Open in 2021.

American Kurt Kitayama claimed his maiden DP World Tour title in the 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on his way to later winning the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour and finishing tied fourth in The PGA Championship this year. He now occupies a place in the top 30 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

For early champions George Coetzee (2015) and Wang Jeung-hun (2016), the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open also formed part of multiple DP World Tour wins in their careers.

The 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open 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, Mautourco and KOHLER.

The Fortress Invitational will celebrate its second season on the Sunshine Tour with a new 72-hole format, an increase in prize money and a bigger field including South Africa’s most promising young stars coming together on the historic fairways of Glendower Golf Club in a month’s time.

The growth of the tournament will also play a key role in the new Fortress Rookie of the Year battle, with the next generation of Sunshine Tour talent also chasing the R200 000 bonus awarded by the logistics real estate powerhouse to the leading rookie at the end of the current season.

This incentive is open to those who earned their Sunshine Tour card for the 2023/24 season by way of the Qualifying School, the Altron Vusi Ngubeni Development Tournament, the Blue Label Development Tour and the Altron Big Easy Tour. The Fortress Rookie of the Year will be crowned at the Sunshine Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

The tough Glendower Golf Club, the country’s eighth-ranked course and a host of several prestigious amateur and professional tournaments, stands in their way as a worthy new home for a tournament which is also fast entrenching itself on the Sunshine Tour schedule.

“Our partnership with the Sunshine Tour is based on our beliefs of powering growth. We believe in our local players and their drive to succeed, and welcome friends and family from far and wide to witness the unearthing of new talent and the growth of greatness. This is an unforgiving course, with a hotly contested field, and with free entrance for spectators throughout we’re in for a real treat of sublime golf,” said Steven Brown, CEO of Fortress Real Estate.

The list of early entries for the 2022 Fortress Invitational includes the experience of Daniel van Tonder (2021 SA Open winner), Neil Schietekat (FBC Zimbabwe Open winner) and Hennie Otto (SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun City) as well as other champions this year such as Robson Chinhoi (Zanaco Masters), Louis Albertse (KitKat Cash and Carry Pro-Am) and leading rookies Jonathan Broomhead and Gerhard Pepler.

“We’re delighted to see the growth of the Fortress Invitational in such a short space of time. This is a reflection of their passion for golf and belief in the future potential and greatness that is inherent to the Sunshine Tour. This year’s tournament will indeed be a celebration of this growth and a tangible indication of what happens when talent meets opportunity,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

The “Beat the Pro” challenge will be another exciting feature at the tournament, and fans can register at www.sunshinetour.com/beat-the-pro to see if they can beat the tee shots of the professionals and win a trip to Mauritius.

The DP World Tour, Nedbank and Sun International today announce an extended agreement which will see the Nedbank Golf Challenge played in honour of Gary Player for the next three years.

This year’s edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ will be the penultimate event on the 2023 Race to Dubai before the tournament returns to its traditional December date in 2024- forming part of the 2025 Race to Dubai – where it will remain for the following two years as part of today’s agreement.

South African legend Gary Player has been associated with the event since its formation in 1981, when he was part of a five-man field for its inaugural staging, and the event will, from 2024, be officially held in honour of the nine-time Major Champion in recognition of his contribution to the global game, similar to events held on the PGA TOUR in honour of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer with The Memorial Tournament and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  

The 2023 tournament will be held from November 9-12 at Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, and will boast a strong field including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, his countryman and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose and two-time Major winner Justin Thomas alongside a host of stars of the DP World Tour, thus highlighting the global appeal of the tournament.

Player, who has over 150 professional wins to his name during a glittering 70-year career, said: “It is with such a deep sense of gratitude that we can look forward to the future of a tournament that we started with nothing more than a dream, and which now over four decades later is a dream shared and enjoyed by so many.

“The legacy of a tournament such as this reflects the legacy of the many great people involved who through their passion for this event have seen it thrive. ‘Africa’s Major’ is all about the spirit of South Africa to overcome and inspire, and I am truly humbled to be a part of something that for one week every year at Sun City brings us all together in celebration of this spirit.”

Mike Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Nedbank, said: “Nedbank has a long-standing history with the Nedbank Golf Challenge, from being the official banking partner in the tournament’s early days to becoming the title sponsor of ‘Africa’s Major’, and this renewal continues our proud association with this event.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge is one of South Africa’s iconic sport and entertainment events that showcases the very best of our country on the global stage. Similarly, Gary Player has been an incredible ambassador for our country on the global stage for decades and it is a fitting tribute that the Nedbank Golf Challenge is played in honour of the status he has as one of South Africa’s greatest sportsmen and the drive behind this tournament since it was first played in 1981.

“The longevity of our title partnership is a rare occurrence in world sport and reflects a shared interest with our partners Sun International and the DP World Tour for hosting a tournament that is as sustainable as it is successful, and which continues to inspire and excite generations of golfers and golf fans in South Africa and around the world.”

Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive Officer of Sun International, said: “We are extremely excited to announce the renewal of a tournament that has always been at the very core of Sun City’s global presence as one of the world’s leading resorts. The Nedbank Golf Challenge remains one of our flagship events at undoubtedly our flagship resort.

“I’d like to thank our partners Nedbank, the DP World Tour and Gary Player for their continued support of the Nedbank Golf Challenge as we keep moving the tournament forward into exciting new eras in the game and keep showcasing the wonders of not only Sun City but also our beautiful country to our international audience.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour, said: “What Gary Player has achieved both on and off the golf course during his magnificent career is incredible and it is therefore fitting that we are able to hold one of Africa’s most celebrated tournaments in his honour. I would like to thank Mr Player for his commitment to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which would also not be the success it is without the support of Nedbank and Sun International.

“It is a tournament that has been one of the highlights on the DP World Tour since it first became part of our schedule ten years ago and we are delighted that today’s announcement will see the event continue until 2026.”

In addition to exempt DP World Tour members, the 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge, held in December 2024, will look to incorporate leading players from the FedExCup Standings to contribute to a world class field.

On the first tee at this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge will be two icons of this tournament – Gary Player and the famous crystal trophy awarded to the winner of ‘Africa’s Major’. Both were there when this tournament first teed off in 1981. Player has shaken the hands of the greatest in golf to play in this event, and the trophy bears their names.

“When I think about the beautiful crystal trophy, I think of what Lee Trevino once said about the Gary Player Country Club course. He told me we got the design of the golf course right the first time. I feel the same about the trophy. The design was perfect from the start, and it is a wonderful representation and record of the great history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” said Player.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge’s crystal trophy can trace its roots back to an Irish city founded by Vikings and to a company with a history of over 200 years in the art of glassmaking for royalty and some of the world’s greatest sport events.

It was in 1981 that Sam Feldman, the charismatic sports promoter who was part of the early team behind the launch of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, placed a phonecall to Waterford Crystal in the city of Waterford in Ireland for the purpose of designing a trophy for a new golf tournament at Sun City.

But not just any trophy.

As Feldman explained over the phone, “We are hosting the richest tournament in world golf. We need a trophy just as special”.

That was how the crystal trophy of ‘Africa’s Major’ came into existence.

Feldman’s idea for the design was that it should be a golf ball and that the stem of the trophy should represent a tee in the ground upon which the ball rests.

“Every time a player lifts it up I feel for him, because I know how heavy that trophy is,” said Feldman.

The winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge also receives a smaller replica of the trophy to keep.

The original design of the trophy was so accurate and timeless that it has hardly changed at all over the years.

The only change to the original trophy is to its base. There was an inconsistency as a result of the different inscribers of the champions’ names over the years, and it was decided to replace the base and have one inscriber redo all of the names.

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.

This year’s field already includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Major champions Justin Thomas and Justin Rose, and Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner and DP World Tour champion Ockie Strydom.

WHITE RIVER (1 September 2023) – Gerhard Pepler made his talent and mental strength public on Friday as he came from four strokes behind to claim a thrilling victory in the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge at the White River Country Club and earn his maiden win on the Sunshine Tour.

The 23-year-old rookie fired his third consecutive round of 66 to finish on 15-under-par for the R2 million event, two shots clear of James Hart du Preez and Hennie Otto.

“It’s a dream come true to win in my rookie season, but it feels unreal as well, like I’m going to wake up. Of course now I can look forward to playing at the Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational at The Lost City as well. For any South African golfer growing up, it’s always about Mr Player and it’s amazing what he has done for our golf, he’s the reason this all happens,” Pepler said.

The tournament’s most consistent golfer won out in the end, but he had to weather a rollercoaster back nine.

Pepler sealed victory in spectacular fashion with an eagle-three on the 16^th hole and then a chip-in for birdie on the par-three 17^th. That took him to 16-under and he could even afford a bogey on the par-four closing hole.

Having won three times on the Altron Big Easy Tour since July last year, Pepler brought the same composure to Friday’s final round. He started well with a birdie on the par-five first hole, and an eagle on the par-five seventh hole saw him turn in 32. His back nine included three birdies and three bogeys, but also the crucial eagle on the 16^th.

“This course sets up nicely for me and I’m long enough to hit it past the trees. So going for the flag on 16 was always on the cards once I hit the fairway. I had 134 to the flag and hit a sand-wedge in, aiming a bit short of the hole, and then I sunk the 10-foot putt,” Pepler explained.

“That eagle helped a lot and then the chip-in on 17 nailed the win. I’d be lying if I said the nerves were not there. I had a bit of bad luck on the back nine with the swirling wind not pushing the ball back on 11 and ending in the hazard, and then a plugged lie in the bunker on 14. And then the nerves made it feel much more difficult.

“I’ve knocked on the door a couple of times already this season, but just one hole would take me out of it. But I’ve been working very hard with my mental coach on not staying in the past, not thinking about your mistakes the whole time but just the next hole. So I did not lose my cool. I was able to stay in it after making a small mistake today.

Kyle de Beer, who had led after the first two rounds, started the final round solidly with two birdies in his first seven holes to move to 16-under. But he bogeyed the next two holes and then also dropped shots on 11, 12 and 14, to post a 73 for 12-under-par.

Dylan Naidoo began the final round two behind De Beer and was one-under at the turn. But he also bogeyed the 11^th and 12^th holes, and dropped a shot as well on the final hole, to finish with a 71. He and De Beer shared fourth place.