Month: October 2023

KNYSNA, Western Cape – The Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins of Golf comes full circle this week as the 2023 Grand Final of this prestigious series is played at the Pezula Championship Course where it first teed off in 2004.

A selection of South Africa’s DP World Tour, European Challenge Tour and Asian Tour campaigners have returned to home fairways this week for the final of a series that over the past two decades has launched the careers of some of the country’s golf stars and defined the careers of others.

Oliver Bekker, Dylan Mostert and Neil Schietekat are joined by current Sunshine Tour winners Luca Filippi, Robin Williams, Malcolm Mitchell, Rupert Kaminski and a host of others in a strong field that also includes the rising stars of the local game.

It was on the fairways of Pezula that the Vodacom Origins of Golf series teed off with its first tournament in 2004.

Ulrich van den Berg had only been a professional for five years when he finished second one shot behind Patrick O’Brien in that first tournament. He was back on the putting green at Pezula on Tuesday, returning as a seven-time Sunshine Tour champion.

Jaco van Zyl was also less than three years into his professional career when he finished fifth in that 2004 tournament. He was also at Pezula on Tuesday as a now 15-time winner on the Sunshine Tour – including the 2008 Vodacom Origins of Golf Final.

That first year of the series saw Louis Oosthuizen win a Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament in what was his first victory on the Sunshine Tour.

This week’s field also includes Jean Hugo, the winner of a record 11 Vodacom Origins of Golf titles.

And while over the past two decades the Vodacom Origins of Golf has run like a golden thread through the careers of many Sunshine Tour stars, some are now only beginning to make their mark on the series.

Gerhard Pepler and Jonathan Broomhead, who finished tied third in the Vodacom Origins of Golf opener at Zebula this year, are both second and third respectively on the Fortress Rookie of the Year rankings as they chase victory this week.

Luca Filippi, twice a winner on Tour this year, has finished in the top 10 in the previous three Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments this year. And young star Yurav Premlall has finished in the top 10 in the last two Vodacom Origins of Golf events. – Michael Vlismas

La Réserve Golf Links has already been described as a “game-changer for golf in Mauritius” and an “unparalleled experience of pure golfing drama”, and this December the world will see exactly the impact it intends to make as one of the most anticipated new golf course developments to open this year.

This masterpiece of golf course design on the rolling hills of the Bel Ombre estate in the south of Mauritius is the creation of co-designers Louis Oosthuizen – the 2010 Open champion – and renowned golf course architect Peter Matkovich.

La Réserve Golf Links is a sublime addition to the already impressive golf portfolio of Heritage Resorts under the banner of Heritage Golf Club and including Le Château Golf Course, thereby transforming the south of Mauritius into a true home of golf.

The course distinguishes itself as the first and only contemporary links in the Indian Ocean with spectacular ocean views from every tee and green.

From 14-17 December it will take centre stage during Golf’s Most Beautiful Week as the host of its first professional tournament in the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with a field including Oosthuizen, defending champion Antoine Rozner and five-time DP World Tour winner and Heritage Golf Club ambassador Marcel Siem.

“La Réserve Golf Links is a game-changing course for Mauritius and Heritage Golf Club as a select global golf destination,” said Jonathan Menteath, General Manager of Heritage Golf Club.

“This piece of land with panoramic views over the Indian Ocean is extraordinary and fulfils our vision to create a world-class course for global golfers seeking the purest golf experience in one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth.”

Co-designer Matkovich has guaranteed that this year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open field will be presented with a golf course that plays exactly like a traditional links and requires similar strategy. The greens will need a deft putting touch with several slopes on them and a variety of pin placements available, while a strong collection of par-threes will also test the field.

“It’s not a course where you can power your way around and hit high shots into elevated greens. We’ve gone back to how links golf was played, low along the ground, bouncing it in. I thought about some of the great players like Peter Thomson, Bobby Locke and Gary Player and how they mastered links, by playing the course in front of them and the shots each hole required. From the first tee until the 18^th green, there are so many ‘Wow!’ moments.”

To purchase tickets for the tournament please go to https://www.ticketbox.mu/

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, KOHLER, Häagen Dazs and Oxenham.

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

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Martin Rohwer had the good graces to call it “unexpected” and thanked the weather for helping him, but his wonderful victory in the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya at Umhlali Country Club on Friday was down to the fabulous golf he played on the final day.

Starting the last round eight shots off the lead, Rohwer fired a superb six-under-par 65 on Friday, lifting him into a playoff with Christiaan Burke. Rohwer then parred the par-three 18^th hole three times, with Burke making bogey on the third attempt, to seal a most unlikely triumph.

“I just made the cut on the number yesterday and I missed the cut last week, so to win is obviously unexpected,” a delighted Rohwer said. “The win never crossed my mind and I was just thinking about getting a low round and moving as high up the leaderboard as possible.”

“But the way the weather changed, Mother Nature did me a favour. We heard that the wind was going to pick up in the afternoon and as soon as I stepped off the 18^th, the wind turned south-westerly and started blowing quite hard. So it was a struggle for the later golfers.

“I made a really nice putt for eagle on the par-four 14^th and then I chipped in for birdie on the 15^th and that really threw me into contention. I then just tried to hold on and post something. I thought I might then potentially have a chance.

“I had not hit a shot for a couple of hours and then I went to the range before the playoff. The 18^th is a relatively short [182m] par-three with quite a strong wind coming off the left and I hit seven-iron all three times. I made a good putt for par on the first playoff hole, par again and then two putts for par the third time as Christiaan made bogey,” Rohwer said.

The Kloof Country Club golfer said his putter was his other main benefactor as he claimed his third individual title on the Sunshine Tour.

“The best part of my game was on the greens. I made some really nice putts. I drove the ball pretty well too. It’s been a pretty solid season. I’ve finished third twice, had another top-10, and I’ve only missed two cuts. But I’m stoked to win and hopefully I can take this form into the summer swing and the rest of the year,” Rohwer said.

The 30-year-old had three birdies and a bogey on the front nine, and then dropped another shot on the par-four 12^th. But that was followed a tremendous birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie run as Rohwer roared into contention.

With overnight leader Jonathan Broomhead struggling to a five-over-par 76, Burke took control with three consecutive birdies from the ninth hole giving him a two-shot lead over Luke Brown and Luke Jerling.

But Burke then dropped shots on the 14^th, 16^th and 18^th holes to sign for a 72 and give Rohwer a chance.

Brown (67) and Jerling (71) also had late bogeys as they finished in a tie for third on four-under-par, just one stroke behind.

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Jonathan Broomhead did not have the services of a hot putter and it was a tougher, windier day at Umhlali Country Club on Thursday, but the Sunshine Tour rookie still managed to hang on to the lead after the second round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya.

The 22-year-old will go into the final round with a narrow one-stroke lead after following up his wonderful 63 on the opening day with a one-over-par 72 on Thursday.

Broomhead is on seven-under for the tournament and will have to hold off the challenges of Christiaan Burke (-6), Keenan Davidse (-5) and Doug McGuigan and Luke Jerling, who are both on four-under.

But the way he held his round together amidst great frustration on Thursday augurs well for his composure in the final round as he chases a maiden professional title.

“It was a tough day and it is hard to stay calm under pressure. The wind was up today, it blew a lot harder and from the other direction, so it was a lot more tricky out there today,” Broomhead said.

“I hit the ball fine, but I just really struggled with my putting. I didn’t make nearly as many putts as on the first day. It was not an easy round. I was in a couple of spots I should not have hit into, but I held on quite nicely.”

Broomhead began his round on Thursday with a bogey at the par-four first and he was two-over through five holes. But back-to-back birdies around the turn and another at the par-four 14^th partially offset two more bogeys on the back nine.

Burke started on the 10^th and was three-under when he reached the turn, but a bogey on the par-four ninth cost him a share of the lead, leaving him with a 69.

Davidse also shot 69 including an eagle at the par-five 13^th, his fourth hole, while veteran McGuigan dropped just one shot and posted a 66, the joint low-round of the day, to roar up the leaderboard.

As tough as Thursday was, Broomhead knows Friday’s final round could be even more daunting because talk of even stronger winds is being bandied about the scenic course just 20 minutes north of Durban.

“The weather forecast is apparently not so good in terms of even more wind. There are a few other things to worry about too and obviously there are going to be nerves leading in the final round. But I believe nerves are good and I won’t be looking too far ahead. I’ve got my processes and I will just stick to those,” Broomhead said.

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – Jonathan Broomhead, in his maiden season on the Sunshine Tour, roared to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya on Wednesday when he shot a dazzling eight-under-par 63 at Umhlali Country Club, describing it as “just one of those rounds that happen now and again”.

Broomhead, who is contending for first place on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings, began his round on the 10^thhole and made the perfect start by birdieing the par-five 10^th and par-three 11^th holes. He also picked up a shot at the next par-five, the 13^th, and he collected a fourth birdie on the par-four 17^th.

The 22-year-old then began the front nine in rampant fashion with three successive birdies and then sealed his best-ever round on the Sunshine Tour with an eighth birdie on the par-four seventh hole.

It’s certainly not the first time the Durban-born Broomhead has played Umhlali CC and he said local knowledge helped, while conceding pretty much all aspects of his game were on-song on Wednesday.

“I’m definitely delighted. I chatted to myself yesterday [Tuesday] and said I would be more than happy with three-under-par in the first round. That’s a good round here, you’re not trying to shoot six or seven-under to stay in touch at Umhlali.

“But it was just one of those rounds that happen now and again and you just roll with it. I played a lot here as a junior and an amateur, so I understand the layout and I know the decent spots to hit the ball and where you must not hit it.

“The length of this course is not the longest [5943m] and I only hit two drivers today. But it’s one of those layouts where you have to position yourself very well. If you’re on the wrong side of the fairway, then you might not have a clear shot to the green. You’ve got to hit it in the right areas and miss in the right areas as well.

“But it was a very good day. I putted really nicely and made a couple of long ones, which always helps. I could see the lines nicely and I was very comfortable on the greens. I hit the ball just as good, I was decent off the tee and I never really got into much trouble,” Broomhead said.

There were also very good rounds of 67 from Keegan Mclachlan, Robin Williams and Christiaan Burke, who shared second place on four-under-par.

Williams was one of only two players to notch an eagle on the par-five 13^th and he was going along very well on five-under with three holes to play when he bogeyed his penultimate hole, the par-four eighth, to slip back into a share of second.

Williams is also contending for the Fortress Rookie of the Year title, with his victory in the Fortress Invitational three weeks ago at Glendower lifting him into first place on 644.72 points. Gerhard Pepler, who shot 72 on Wednesday, is second on 626.28, while Broomhead is third on 459.40.

“There’s a very nice incentive from Fortress [R200 000] for being the top rookie and you always want to do that in your first year, but it definitely doesn’t change my approach. If I can win like Gerhard and Robin have done, before the end of the season, then I’ll be in with a good shout.

“But it’s never easy winning and I’m not putting myself under any pressure. I’ll just stick to my processes, my game is in a very good spot and I’m comfortable on the greens. I just need to give myself chances to win,” Broomhead said.

Francesco Molinari will make his third appearance in ‘Africa’s Major’ when he returns to the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the first time in six years from November 9-12.

The Italian, a Vice Captain for Team Europe in their Ryder Cup triumph earlier this month, will join fellow Major winners Justin Rose and Justin Thomas in the field at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, as well as defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, with whom he forged the unforgettable ‘Moliwood’ partnership at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

The US$6,000,000 event, which will also feature European Ryder Cup winners Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Højgaard and American star Max Homa amongst the 66-player field, carries an increased number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points, and is the penultimate tournament on the 2023 DP World Tour schedule ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

The 2018 Open Champion finished in a tie for 12th on his tournament debut in 2013 before registering a tie for 27th on his last appearance in Sun City in 2017, and he is now looking forward to returning to South Africa as part of a strong field for ‘Africa’s Major’.

“This event has always been a highlight on the DP World Tour and I am really excited to tee it up in Sun City next month,” he said.

“Playing golf in South Africa is like nowhere else in the world. The wildlife is incredible to see and it is a great golf course as well. Gary Player is a legend of golf and it is an honour to play in an event which carries his name. I can’t wait to get down there.”

A host of DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour stars are assembling for the 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge, with four-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard and 2022/23 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Ockie Strydom, who has won twice on the 2023 Race to Dubai, also confirmed to tee it up in Sun City .

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the South African sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with defending champion Fleetwood among a glittering list of winners including South African golfing 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 winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit will receive a place in the 66-player field at Gary Player Country Club.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

The Sunshine Tour’s rising stars are set for another season of incredible opportunity with the four European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournaments that will tee off the new year on South African fairways.

In February 2024, Sunshine Tour professionals will be able to compete in four Challenge Tour events on their home fairways in the SDC Open, Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open, Dimension Data Pro-Am and NMB Championship.

The value of these events in South Africa was clearly seen last season when Sunshine Tour professionals made a clean sweep of all four of these titles.

Oliver Bekker used his victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am to go on and secure his DP World Tour card. Benjamin Follett-Smith (Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open), JJ Senekal (SDC Open) and Dylan Mostert (NMB Championship) all used their victories last season to play the Challenge Tour in search of a DP World Tour card. 

Casey Jarvis also built on his strong start to the year in these four tournaments and went on to claim a maiden victory on the Challenge Tour as well as two runners-up finishes that currently puts him within the top five on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and on track to earn his DP World Tour card next season.

The new year will tee off with the Mediclinic Invitational from 25-28 January, with the host venue still to be announced.

This will be followed by the Challenge Tour’s South African Swing will tee off with the SDC Open at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa from 1-4 February, followed by the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at Royal Cape Golf Club from 8-11 February, the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt from 15-18 February, and the NMB Championship at Humewood Golf Club from 22-25 February.

Following these events, the Sunshine Tour will host two DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments – the SDC Championship at St Francis Links from 29 February to 2 March and then the Jonsson Workwear Open at Glendower Golf Club from 7-10 March.

The Tour will then take on a local focus with the Stella Artois Players Championship at Dainfern Golf Estate from 21-24 March, the Limpopo Championship at Euphoria Golf Estate from 4-7 April and the season-ending Tour Championship delivered by The Courier Guy at Serengeti Estates from 11-14 April.

“The longstanding partnership between our two tours has been an invaluable step on the global pathway for Sunshine Tour professionals seeking to develop their careers on the international stage,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

“It’s a vital opportunity for our members early in the new year to really set themselves up for a strong international season that can allow them to progress onto the DP World Tour, and we’re grateful to our partners at the Challenge Tour for being able to keep strengthening this relationship.”

Jamie Hodges, Challenge Tour Director, said: “We are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with the Sunshine Tour and take the Challenge Tour to South Africa for the fifth consecutive year. South Africa has always been a popular destination for our members and these events provide them with valuable playing opportunities at a time of the year when it is difficult to stage events in Europe.

“We have worked closely with Thomas Abt and his team to develop the global pathway and it has been wonderful to witness the exciting new talent emerge from the Sunshine Tour and earn a place on the DP World Tour through the Challenge Tour.”

Major winner Louis Oosthuizen has confirmed that he will tee it up in this year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and compete against a strong Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour field on La Réserve Golf Links, which he co-designed.

Oosthuizen, the winner of the 2010 Open, adds to a quality field that also includes defending champion Antoine Rozner and five-time DP World Tour champion and Heritage Golf Club ambassador Marcel Siem as part of the seventh edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open from 14-17 December.

The South African said he is looking forward to playing La Réserve Golf Links, which he co-designed with Peter Matkovich as the first and only contemporary links in the Indian Ocean and the latest and most keenly anticipated offering in Heritage Resorts’ golf portfolio.

“I’m very excited to compete in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open once again. Mauritius is a wonderful destination to visit and enjoy with my whole family. I also cannot wait to play La Réserve Golf Links under championship conditions and to see how the course responds to a quality international field of professionals,” said Oosthuizen.

“As one of my first golf course designs in partnership with Peter Matkovich, I am really proud of what we have achieved. When I first saw it, the site was immediately appealing and I had no doubt that we could produce something special on it.

“It’s exciting that it will open its fairways with the hosting of the 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and be able to showcase to the world what is an outstanding addition to the amazing golf offering in Mauritius. I’m delighted to be a part of it.”

This will be Oosthuizen’s second appearance in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open following his seventh-place finish in 2017.

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.

To purchase tickets for the tournament please go tohttps://www.ticketbox.mu/

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, KOHLER and Häagen Dazs.

Photo credits: Jacob Sjöman and Sunshine Tour.

PORT EDWARD, KwaZulu-Natal – Pieter Moolman’s strategy on the final day of the Vodacom Origins of Golf KwaZulu-Natal event at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club on Sunday was to try and create as many opportunities for himself to net birdies, and the Benoni Lake golfer succeeded admirably as he fired a sensational 64 to get into a playoff with Ethan Smith, which Moolman won.

The 32-year-old Moolman began the final round six shots behind on four-over-par, following a 68 in the weather-delayed second round. He was so far behind Hennie O’Kennedy on two-under that he began his last round on the 10^th hole, and a wonderful start saw him birdie four of the five holes from the 11^th.

He went out in a stunning 31 strokes, and although Moolman’s back nine (from the first) featured a couple of bogeys, at the first and eighth holes, he still collected four birdies to come home in two-under, his 64 being the low round of the tournament.

Smith, meanwhile, also made a brilliant start with three birdies from the first hole, quickly overhauling O’Kennedy, who had been one stroke ahead of him. The 25-year-old from Paarl bogeyed the 18^th hole however, forcing him into the playoff.

Moolman added to his birdie count in the sudden-death decider as he made a three on the 305m par-four first hole, while Smith could only make par.

“I’ve been hitting the ball well enough all week to have better scores, and it finally came with a 31 on my front nine,” Moolman said after his second Sunshine Tour win. “I just tried to give myself chances and capitalise on them as much as possible.

“And then in the playoff, Ethan went first and hit a really good tee shot. I was between clubs, depending on what he had done, so I hit driver and was short of the greenside bunker. Considering the not-so-great lie I had, I actually hit a really good chip to four feet. Ethan’s chip went past the hole and then he almost holed his putt.

“But I like the layout here at the Wild Coast, I fancy this golf course and I’ve been quite consistently good on it. I was very chuffed with today. I’ve been close a few times since my first win last year, and I could have won more. But ask any golfer, we’re just very happy to be contending and I can’t really complain about my game,” Moolman said.

The experienced golfer, having turned professional in 2011, was coming off a brilliant 64 two weeks ago in his final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the Old Course in St Andrews, and Moolman thrived on the similarities between the Scottish masterpiece and the challenging Wild Coast Sun Country Club.

“My game is very close to where I want it to be and I enjoyed St Andrews, playing really well there. It was the same thing as today in terms of approach, just trying to give myself plenty of opportunities.

“With all the rain and the course flooding a bit, the Wild Coast was actually a bit similar to playing in Scotland and the wind was still up today, but calmer than yesterday,” Moolman said.

Third place, just one stroke behind Moolman and Smith, ended up being shared property between England’s David Wicks (68), Trevor Fisher Jnr (69), who won the Wild Waves Challenge at this course in 2012, and MJ Viljoen (67).

O’Kennedy shot a three-over-par 73 on Sunday to finish in the tie for 10^th on one-over-par.