Month: September 2024

Thriston Lawrence will lead a strong South African challenge at next week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour, with the South African heading to Scotland having just broken into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Lawrence will tee it up in this festival of links golf as clearly South Africa’s most in-form golfer at the moment following his recent playoff defeat in the BMW PGA Championship. It was his fifth runners-up finish on the DP World Tour this year and he is currently in second place on the Race to Dubai Rankings.

Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace will also form part of the South African challenge in Scotland, with both golfers sharing a strong personal connection to this tournament.

Grace, although struggling with his form at the moment, heads back to a tournament where he has the distinction of being the only South African to have ever won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2012, when he also became the youngest winner of this tournament at the age
of 24.

Grace is also the only golfer to have ever won both this event and its sister tournament, the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in 2014.

Oosthuizen heads into next week’s tournament with a chance to match Grace’s Alfred Dunhill double, as the reigning champion of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

A total of 34 South Africans are on the current list of entries for this celebration of links golf, played on the three links courses of the Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie.

The South African contingent also includes last season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner delivered by The Courier Guy, Ryan van Velzen, as well as Robin Williams, Louis Albertse, Darren Fichardt, Rupert Kaminski, Jayden Schaper, Jacques P de Villiers, Jacques Kruyswijk, Kyle Barker, Nikhil Rama, Dylan Frittelli, Dean Burmester, Barend Botha, Justin Walters, Louis de Jager, George Coetzee, Justin Harding, MJ Daffue, Casey Jarvis, Brandon Stone, Pieter Moolman, Oliver Bekker, Dylan Mostert, Deon Germishuys, JJ Senekal, Wilco Nienaber, JC Ritchie, Bryce Easton, Thomas Aiken, Albert Venter and Jaco Prinsloo.

The tournament tees off next Thursday, and this year’s field already includes defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick and other stars such as Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton, Danny Willett and Billy Horschel.

The popular pro-am tournament will this year also feature celebrities and sports stars such as Schalk Burger Jnr., Morné du Plessis, Rob Louw, Kelly Slater, Bill Murray, Andy Garcia, Huey Lewis, Ruud Gullit, Gareth Bale, Kathryn Newton and Kevin Pietersen. – Michael Vlismas

Frenchman Antoine Rozner has confirmed that he will attempt to become the first double winner of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open when he joins a strong Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour field in this year’s tournament at Mont Choisy Le Golf in Grand Baie, Mauritius, from 19-22 December.
 
Tickets are available here through the official ticketing partner ticketbox.mu.

Rozner returns to an island which he fondly calls paradise and to a tournament which has played an integral part in his career as he owns one of the best records of any professional in its history.
 
The 31-year-old Frenchman made his DP World Tour debut in this event in 2018 and finished tied seventh. A year later he lost in a playoff to Rasmus Højgaard.
 
Then in 2022, at a Mont Choisy Le Golf course celebrating its first hosting of a major professional tournament, Rozner stormed to a five-shot victory which remains a tournament record.
 
The Frenchman now heads back to Mauritius seeking to become the first double winner of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
 
“I have a lot of good memories from Mauritius. My win definitely helped me to start that season in the right way and I had a really good year. It gave me good momentum and confidence, and everything started in Mauritius,” said Rozner.
 
His victory in 2022 did indeed spark a strong season where Rozner had five top-10s on the DP World Tour. He also finished tied 20^th in The Open, tied 10^th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and tied 11^th in the DP World Tour Championship on his way to 33^rd overall on the Race to Dubai Rankings.
 
And he’s become a firm favourite with the Mauritius fans as well.
 
“It’s the best place you can dream of to finish the year. It’s paradise. Every time I go there it’s a privilege. When I won, it felt like playing at home to be honest. The crowds were amazing. It was an unbelievable week.”
 
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will be the final tournament on the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing on the 2025 Race to Dubai.
 
The winner of the Opening Swing will earn a US$200 000 bonus as well as exemption into the DP World Tour’s next Rolex Series tournament and to some of the Tour’s most historic tournaments, each offering increased Race to Dubai Ranking Points and the chance to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.
 
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, Pro Carts and TCL.

KATHU, Northern Cape (22 September 2024) – Yurav Premlall was “over the moon” following his maiden Sunshine Tour triumph at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen tournament on Sunday.

Premlall has been in tremendous form this season, finishing second twice, racking up two third-place finishes and three other top-15 placings. But the Glendower golfer said he did not feel like a breakthrough win was definitely just around the corner.

When Premlall stood on the first tee in the final round on Sunday, he was four strokes behind leader Deon Germishuys. And that rapidly became five behind as he bogeyed the par-four first hole.

But then his precision golf kicked in and Premlall did not drop another shot, while collecting birdies on the second, fifth, eighth, ninth, 11^th, 14^thand 15^th holes. His six-under-par 66 saw him finish on 11-under-par, good enough for a one-stroke victory over Martin Vorster (70 for 10-under-par).

“I’m over the moon,” Premlall said afterwards. “The win felt like a long time coming, but you can never be certain that you are going to win in this game. So to get over the line for the first time is very special. It’s taken lots of hard work to get this far. My frame of mind today was no different to how it’s been before this season. But sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t.”

“The start wasn’t ideal, but I just stayed very patient. I hit a couple of shots close to the hole, I holed a few good putts but I missed a few as well. I guess 26 putts and the result speak differently though. But my iron play was phenomenal, every time I was in-position, even when I had to get up-and-down, the ball was in the right spots. I was very tidy around the green,” Premlall said.

Premlall has now overtaken Daniel van Tonder at the top of the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and he says staying at the top of the local circuit will be his main focus for the rest of the year.

“At the start of the year I set myself the goal of really contending in the order of merit and trying to get into the top three by the end of the lucrative Tour Championship delivered by The Courier Guy. I don’t want to have too many eggs in different baskets and you’ll see me a lot more on our tour for the remainder of the year, that’s my focus,” Premlall said.

Vorster started well, with birdies at the second and third holes putting him in the lead. But one could sense bogeys at the par-four seventh and especially the par-five 11^th holes would prove costly. Even though Vorster birdied the 14^th and 15^th holes, so did Premlall and two bogeys to the winner’s one would prove the difference.

Rookie Simon du Plooy enjoyed his best ever Sunshine Tour performance as he shot a 68 to finish third on nine-under-par. The Krugersdorp golfer put himself right in contention with an eagle on the par-five 15^th, but he then double-bogeyed the par-four 16^th to slip back. He was joined in third place by Lyle Rowe, whose 68 was bogey-free.

Germishuys struggled to a 73 on Sunday that left him on eight-under-par, alongside Matthew Spacey and Heinrich Bruiners, who both posted 69s. Malcolm Mitchell stayed on seven-under-par to finish eighth, while rookie Kyle de Beer shot a 71 to finish tied for ninth on six-under-par with the seasoned trio of Van Tonder (67), MJ Viljoen (68) and Neil Schietekat (71).

KATHU, Northern Cape (21 September 2024) – Deon Germishuys had the luxury of returning to the Sunshine Tour at a venue where he has previously won – the Sishen Golf Club – and on Saturday he fired a brilliant five-under-par 67 to climb to nine-under-par overall and in the lead heading into the final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Northern Cape event.

Germishuys is a regular campaigner on the DP World Tour these days, and his last appearance on the Sunshine Tour was back in May at the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions. But Sishen Golf Club has happy memories for the 24-year-old as he claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title there in the Sishen Classic back in May 2022.

The Serengeti Estates golfer started his round on the 10^th hole and reached the turn in one-under thanks to a birdie on the par-four 18^th, having earlier cancelled out birdies on the 10^th and 14^th holes with bogeys on the 12^th and 15^th.

But Germishuys really caught fire in the closing stages of the front nine. Following a birdie on the par-five second, he finished with four birdies in the last five holes. A bogey on the par-three eighth limited his lead to just one stroke.

“It’s nice to be back playing here at Sishen again. I really enjoy the golf course and it just fell into my schedule perfectly,” Germishuys said. “I felt everything clicked towards the end of the front nine. I was hitting decent irons and rolling in putts. But it’s not as if I was playing awful golf on the back nine.”

“I feel like my game is at a good stage at the moment. I’ve made a lot of improvements and I’ve done decently in Europe. I have nothing to really complain about and I’ll just stick to what I’ve been doing in the final round,” Germishuys said.

Martin Vorster, continuing his comeback from injury, also played wonderful golf on Saturday. Three birdies in the first six holes of the back nine left him on four under for his round and one stroke off the lead. But he just could not gain that pivotal extra shot in the closing three holes and will go into the final round in second place, one behind Germishuys on eight-under-par.

Malcolm Mitchell posted a one-under 71 on Saturday to sit third on seven-under-par, while nine golfers are in the tie for fourth on five-under-par.

First-round leader Jacob Oakley went the other way in the second round, shooting a 75 to finish on four-under-par.

Gabrielle Venter fired a fantastic 69 on Saturday to make the cut and she is the leading women’s golfer on one-over-par.

KATHU, Northern Cape (20 September 2024) – Englishman Jacob Oakley enjoyed a welcome respite from the tough maiden Sunshine Tour campaign he is enduring as he fired a wonderful seven-under-par 65 on Friday to lead after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen event.

The 26-year-old from Cheshire has missed the cut in six of the seven Sunshine Tour events he has played in this season, but he did finish tied-53^rd in the SunBet Challenge Times Square Casino tournament at the end of last month.

Oakley started on the 10^th hole at Sishen Golf Club with three straight pars, but then caught fire with a birdie on the par-three 13^th and an eagle on the par-five 15^th to go out in three-under. The product of Styal Golf Club, where he was mentored by four-time DP World Tour winner David Horsey, was superb on the front nine, picking up further birdies on the second, fourth, fifth and eighth holes to claim a one-stroke lead over Malcolm Mitchell after the first day out in the Kalahari.

Mitchell continued his good recent form as he shot a 66 which included just one bogey, on the par-four 12^th. The 29-year-old, coming off top-10 finishes in his last two Sunshine Tour events, was faultless on a front nine in which he claimed three birdies. Remarkably, he made fours at all four of the par-fives on the highly-rated 6554m course.

“I drove the ball well today and I was able to take advantage of the par-fives, hitting all of them in two. And I also didn’t make any basic errors, like three-putting,” Mitchell said when asked how his success came about.

“The wind was all over the show, it had a mind of its own, so it was quite difficult out there. Luckily I’m a Durban boy though and I was able to figure it out. It’s just great that the hard work is starting to show and I’m just focusing on myself more than anything else. The mind controls everything, so I’m just trying to keep positive and stay in the present,” Mitchell said.

Kyle de Beer, who has already won nearly R600 000 in his rookie season, is tied for third on five-under-par with Simon du Plooy and Albert Venter.

Pietermaritzburg’s Neil Schietekat is among the group tied for sixth place on four-under-par.

Martin Vorster also finished with a 68, having been six-under-par with four holes left to play. But the closing holes of the front nine proved to be a bit of a mountain to climb for the 22-year-old making his way back from injury and he dropped two shots coming home.

KATHU, Northern Cape (20 September 2024) – Sunshine Tour rookie professional Werner Deyzel sounded a warning ahead of Friday’s first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Sishen Golf Club when he won the pro-am in what has been a promising season for him at the moment.

Deyzel is currently in second place on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings, chasing leader Kyle de Beer.

The Woodhill Country Club professional has had some solid performances this year already, including tied 15^th in the SunBet Challenge at Sun City, tied seventh in the SunBet Challenge Time Square at Wingate Park Country Club, and most recently tied 15^th in the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship team tournament at Silver Lakes.

So while you might not read too much into his victory in the Vodacom Origins pro-am alongside his amateur partner Hennie Muller, it is a shot of confidence for the 24-year-old.

“I played well but it was thanks to my amateur partner Hennie that we won. He was very solid, played very well and he made a lot of points,” said Deyzel. The format had a slight change to the traditional pro-am in that the amateurs played with a different professional on each day. So it was Scotland’s Craig Ross who partnered Muller on day one, before Deyzel helped guide the 16 handicapper to the title on day two.

For Deyzel, the two-day pro-am set the tone for what he hopes will be a good week in Kathu.

“My game is not bad at the moment. I just need some putts to drop and then I will be making the good scores. But it’s been fun playing with the amateurs and Vodacom’s clients and it also allows us to get a practice round in before the tournament proper. It’s my second time playing at Sishen Golf Club. I’ve played in an amateur event here before, so I feel like I know the course quite well,” Deyzel said.

They weren’t the only winners in Kathu.

The pro-am also featured a Vodacom Origins golf clinic with nearly 35 children from the Kuruman chapter of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) where they received coaching from Sunshine Tour professionals. And 10-year-old Delrico Agterdam certainly caught the eyes of the pros as a talent for the future.

Already playing off a seven, he is ranked the number two junior in the Northern Cape and has for the last two years received his provincial colours for the U13 team.

“Delrico thinks about golf all the time. He eats and sleeps for the game and he really wants to become a professional golfer when he is big. He puts in a lot of work. These clinics are really excellent and it was so amazing to see how much the kids enjoyed it. It’s just amazing what Vodacom do. If there weren’t these clinics then these kids would never have been coached by Sunshine Tour pros, or have met them,” said Annemarie Rabie, the SAGDB coach for the Kuruman area.

KATHU, Northern Cape (19 September 2024) – When Martin Vorster tees it up in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen event from Friday, there will be a sense of it being a comeback moment for the 22-year-old from Fancourt.

That’s because it will be Vorster’s first individual event in which he feels properly prepared following the hip injury that kept him out of action for three months.

Vorster did play in the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship last week and finished in a tie for fifth, but that was a team event, with the former top-ranked amateur playing with Jovan Rebula.

But the fact that he played so well in just his second Sunshine Tour event since May means he goes into this second Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament of the season in high spirits.

It also helps that he loves the Sishen Golf Club course.

“It’s going to be very nice to get going again,” Vorster said after the first day of the popular pro-am that always precedes the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments. “I returned to the Sunshine Tour three weeks ago at the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge at Kyalami Country Club, but I had just started hitting balls and it was more about testing whether my body was ready. Everything went well on that front, but my game was not ready yet and I didn’t play very well.”

“But then I had a good week’s practise and it was a blessing to then play in a team event, which was less stressful. There were still a few rusty shots, but it’s just great to be back competing again. This is an unbelievable course and I always look forward to playing here,” Vorster said.

It was the eagle eye and intimate knowledge of the kinetics of the golf swing of coach Doug Wood that saved Vorster from a potentially more serious hip injury.

“I started working with Doug at the end of 2022 and he said then my swing could cause problems for my hip. So I had to change it and we worked on it for a long time and made so much progress. But it was just too late and I tore my labrum. Thankfully it was not a complete tear. But it was not ideal and I had to rest for six weeks before starting rehab. I still have two or three weeks of rehab to go, but I am so thankful to be back on tour,” Vorster said.

After a difficult 2023/24 season in which he finished 83^rd on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, Vorster made a fine start to the current campaign with top-10 finishes in his first two events – the FBC Zim Open and the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am. But then his hip gave way.

“It was very frustrating and it happened just when my game was heading the right way after last season. It was my first time in Europe, playing on the Challenge Tour, and I struggled more with the off-course stuff, the travelling, the language barriers – everything was new.

“I also just played too much golf. I only had 10 weeks off last season, but it was a great experience. But now I’m more focused on the Sunshine Tour and doing well here will open more doors. My first goal now is to be in the top-10 on the Order of Merit because then I can get back in a re-rank category that qualifies me for the DP World Tour co-sanctioned events,” Vorster said.

Vorster will be up against experienced campaigners like Daniel van Tonder and Jean Hugo, who have both won twice this season, at Sishen Golf Club, as well as the in-form duo of Yurav Premlall and Jacques Blaauw, who are both flying high on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

KATHU, Northern Cape (17 September 2024) – The next evolution in the growth of South African women’s golf will play itself out on the Sunshine Tour this week when seven women professionals tee it up in the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Sishen Golf Club from Thursday to Sunday as part of a pathway to their own international careers in the game.

Building on the success last season of having Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals competing with their Sunshine Tour counterparts on the Vodacom Origins of Golf series, the women professionals are not only competing for the same prizemoney but also for greater opportunities in the global game.

The Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals will have their own Order of Merit on the four-tournament Vodacom Origins of Golf series, with the winner receiving a cash bonus, automatic entrance into the 2025 Joburg Ladies Open if not already exempt and which is co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET), and three tournament invites to play on the Ladies European Tour’s Access Series.

The Access Series is the LET’s official development tour based in Europe. The top six on the Order of Merit there at the end of their season secure their playing privileges on the LET, while positions seven to 20 are exempt into the final stage of the LET’s Qualifying School.

It’s an incredible opportunity for South Africa’s rising women professionals, and another powerful example of the global pathways the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour have worked to secure for local professionals.

“We started last year with our effort to bring more women into the game to give them more tournament opportunities to showcase their talents,” said Dr Ntombi Mhangwani, the Executive Head of Vodacom Business Marketing. “We’re focused on how we can partner with them to get them where they want to be in their golf careers. The Sunshine Tour has played a central role in pulling all the sponsors together and the whole ecosystem must work together to make this succeed,” said Mhangwani.

Gabrielle Venter, one of the rising stars on the Sunshine Ladies Tour who is competing in the Vodacom Origins of Golf in Kathu this week, said the added incentives are a major drawcard for her.

“The incentives definitely made up my mind to play the series. Gaining an Access Series invitation is a big thing because it gives you a chance to play in Europe and get experience over there, and the Joburg Ladies Open is a Ladies European Tour event so there are a lot of world ranking points on offer there.”

PRETORIA (15 September 2024) – A lot goes into any win, and even more so a team victory. For both Jean Hugo and Ruan Korb, there was an immense sense of gratitude at seeing it all come together as they claimed victory in the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship at the Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife Estate on Sunday.

With family and friends watching, the duo put the finishing touches to a commanding final round better ball performance as they finished on 20 under par with a closing 63. It was Hugo’s second victory this season following his win in the Vodacom Origins of Golf last month. And Korb was delighted to win again after his last triumph in 2022.

“I’m very happy to be back in the winner’s circle. I thanked Jean on 18 for making that possible for me,” said Korb.

“You know, a lot of things have come together this season,” added Hugo. “Family life and that balance, and good friends, and then obviously all the hard work. All of us out here work very hard behind the scenes. But I think it’s balance and contentment. That’s the secret. I think it also gives a lot of people hope that no matter what age you are we can all play this wonderful game. It’s brilliant. I’m blessed.”

The teams of Trevor Fisher Jnr. and Stefan Wears-Taylor, and Jaco Ahlers and Michael Hollick, finished tied second on 16 under par.

Hugo and Korb finally got the fast start they were chasing all week and turned five under for their round, which had already distanced them from the field on a windy day at Silver Lakes. With three straight birdies from the 13^th they could enjoy a four-stroke lead playing the 18^th.

“We’re very happy about the start. When we teed off we told each other that if we could just start a little faster than the last three rounds we can build some good momentum. The course played harder today. But we managed the wind well and Jean helped me a lot with the direction of the wind,” said Korb.

Hugo also thoroughly enjoyed a day when he could truly soak in the win.

“It was awesome today. I made a good putt for birdie on the first to set us off and then Ruan chipped in for eagle on two which was brilliant. We were looking great after nine holes and just wanted to keep each other calm out there. After the birdie on the 15^th we could enjoy it coming in. You can never relax too much, but with the lead we had it was quite nice playing the 18^th, just hitting the green, making the putt and enjoying the celebrations.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (14 September 2024) – The leading teams of Jovan Rebula and Martin Vorster, and Jean Hugo and Ruan Korb, are preparing themselves for a better ball shootout in Sunday’s final round of the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship at the Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife Estate.

Having come through Saturday’s foursomes tied for the lead on 12 under par and one clear at the top of a very tight leaderboard, both teams know full well that it’s all to play for in Sunday’s better ball.

“Anything can happen there and I think the scoring will be low because the guys will have figured out the course by now. It’s all guns blazing for the final round. I’m looking forward to it,” said the experienced Hugo, who combined with Korb for a solid 67 in tricky conditions on Saturday.

“We saw the format before the tournament and knew the better ball was going to be the final round, so it’s all up for grabs for anyone. Anyone can have an outstanding day there and win,” added Rebula, who together with Vorster showed immense composure to shoot a 70 in the windy conditions.

The two teams are one clear of Jaco van Zyl and Gregory McKay who signed for a 66. Van Zyl added a hole-in-one on the par-three 13^th that not only elevated his team, but also earned him 50 000 Airlink Skybucks courtesy of the Airlink Aces reward on the Tour this season.

Michael Hollick and Jaco Ahlers could also still easily have a say in the final round, which they’ll go into just two off the lead.

With that kind of challenge awaiting, Hugo and Korb will be out to make a faster start on the front nine than they’ve done all week.

“Somehow we don’t start well on the front and we’ll work on that for the final round. But we like the back nine. Having said that the conditions were tough over the last few holes,” said Hugo.

“For some reason the back nine seems to suit us better than the front. But I’m looking forward to having Jean’s experience with me in the final round,” added Korb.

As the young guns at the top of the leaderboard, both Rebula and Vorster have shown some pretty cool heads over the last three rounds.

“Patience was a virtue out there again today. We got off to a good start but mid-round it got a bit tough and we had to just take a step back a bit and keep the ball in play. But we’ve got our gameplan and are enjoying it out here,” said Rebula.

“I think we did a great job to stick to our gameplan. We were a little bit more conservative. Our goal today was just to keep ourselves on top of the leaderboard. We can’t control what the others do in the final round but will just stick to our gameplan,” added Vorster. – Michael Vlismas