Rookie amateur wins his first Vodacom Origins pro-am

PORT EDWARD (KwaZulu-Natal) – Mount Edgecombe amateur golfer Neelesh Sitlu nearly retired injured after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast Pro-Am this month, but the 16-handicapper bravely soldiered on in the second round and ended up winning the competition alongside Sunshine Tour professionals Pierre Pellegrin and Pride Sembo.
 
Sitlu, who played with Sembo in the first round and Pellegrin in the second as part of the unique format of this pro-am, finished on 87 points for a two-point victory.
 
It was a remarkable achievement for a golfer who only started playing the game two years ago and was playing in his first pro-am. And even more so considering his injury.
 
“On the first day I was trying to outdrive the pros from our forward tees, but I ended up pulling or tearing something in my right arm. I barely slept. I was buying ice for my arm, using towels soaked in hot water and I even called my dad, who is a GP, and my cousin, who is a physio, for advice.
 
“On the second morning I could barely move my arm, but then one of the pros said I shouldn’t be using my right arm much anyway, I should be pulling with my left arm. So I focused on that and I had my best round ever, my lowest score,” said Sitlu.
 
The business analyst and software developer in the health services sector had nothing but praise for professional partners Sembo and Pellegrin, and they in turn said Sitlu was the perfect gentleman.
 
“Playing in my first pro-am, I was quite nervous because I didn’t really know how you are meant to play with a professional. But they were so calm and welcoming, it was like playing with a friend. They are so disciplined and they were both exactly what you’d imagine a pro to be,” Sitlu said.
 
“He was fun to play with, a very good partner,” Pellegrin said of Sitlu. “It was a good day in an amazing place, we combined perfectly together and to win was just a bonus. Our job as pros is to make the amateurs happy, and I really enjoy playing in pro-ams because you meet new people from around the country and make connections. I’m always grateful to play in a pro-am because it’s a way of thanking the sponsors, who make it possible for us to play golf,” Pellegrin said.
 
The Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast also featured a golf development clinic with the local chapter of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB).
 
A total of 30 children, split evenly between the Durban, Margate and Wild Coast areas, and aged between eight and 14 years old, took part with a clinic run by the Sunshine Tour professionals.
 
The clinics are a vital part of the growth of the game in South Africa and have helped to unearth some new talent on the Sunshine Tour, such as Siyanda Mwandla, Thanda Mavundla and Sabelo Majola.
 
“Players like Thanda Mavundla, who played in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Pro-Am, and Siyanda Mwandla and Sabelo Majola have all come through this programme,” said local SAGDB coach Joseph Kunene.
 
“For all the kids, these clinics are a real eye-opener because they see professionals in the flesh, coaching them. They’re not just seeing them on TV and it gives them hope. One day their wish will hopefully be to become a professional as well.”