Author: Michael Vlismas

Kristoffer Reitan overcame what he described as “excruciating pressure” to become the first Norwegian winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player at Sun City on Sunday.

Reitan took a five-stroke lead into the final round and withstood strong challenges from South Africa’s Jayden Schaper and England’s Dan Bradbury to win by a single stroke on 17 under par with a closing 72.

Schaper and Bradbury shared second place on 16 under par with respective final rounds of 68 and 66.

“It feels amazing. This is an amazing tournament, an incredible golf course and a great crowd. To win such a huge tournament like this with all the names on this trophy, and to stand alongside Gary Player, I feel very lucky,” Reitan said after the second DP World Tour victory of his career which now ties him with countryman Viktor Hovland as the Norwegian player with the most wins on the DP World Tour.

“But the pressure was excruciating at times, and I also didn’t do myself any favours with some of the positions I put myself in. I’m happy to get it over the line. My swing wasn’t cooperating today which meant it was a 100% mental battle out there. It’s really hard to win a golf tournament and I’m just really happy.”

It was a nervous start for Reitan who bogeyed his opening hole while his playing partners Schaper and Bradbury applied the pressure with a run of birdies each. They continued to close the gap on the Norwegian on the back nine, and when he bogeyed the 15^th there was just the one shot between them coming up the last. But a strong approach into the 18^th enabled him to make the par he needed to win.

“I was nervous over the approach into 18. I’m just happy I didn’t take too long over that approach – I saw the target and hit the shot and was very happy with it,” he said.

Schaper finished as the leading South African in what was a spectacular debut for the 24-year-old.

“It was my first time playing this event, and watching it on TV you envision yourself having that chance to win. It’s been one of the best weeks I’ve had. This is such a cool event and I just loved it out there,” he said.

Kristoffer Reitan had no expectations on his debut in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player. And nobody expected an incredible opening round that was one shot off the course record to give the Norwegian the lead by the end of day one.

Reitan’s nine-under-par 63 started with back-to-back birdies on his opening two holes. Then he tore through the turn like an elephant bull on the charge with five birdies in six holes. His closing five holes featured three birdies and just a single bogey on the 17^th.

It was more than enough to earn him a three-stroke lead over England’s Marcus Armitage, Frenchman Adrien Saddier and Swede Jesper Svensson who had two eagles in his second nine holes.

“I had no idea what the course record was,” Reitan said of the 62 shot by Lee Westwood in 2011. “I was just trying to hit good shots.”

“It was a brilliant day. I’m very happy with the way I played. I’ve played a lot of golf in South Africa before but I haven’t had particularly good results here, so I’m hoping to change that this week.”

On a cooler day than usual in this tournament, Reitan said it remained a challenge to quite literally not take his eye off the ball on a Gary Player Country Club course that remains a stern test in the game.

“You need to stay on top of it all the time on this golf course because it can bite you pretty quickly. It’s a tough course, but if you hit the ball well you get opportunities, which is what I saw today. But it will be a tough next three rounds to keep the quality and the concentration up.”

His countryman Viktor Hovland, the highest ranked player in the field, opened with a round of three-under-par 69.

The last South African winner of “Africa’s Major” was back in 2017, but two South Africans have given themselves a great chance to change that this year.

Garrick Higgo and Shaun Norris finished round one as the joint leading South Africans on four under par.

“It was a good day. The ball striking was good to start, then around the turn it wasn’t as good as I would’ve liked but my putter kept me in it. I’ve been working on ball striking so I knew if I could hit fairways and greens here I’d have a good day. It all starts off the tee here and hitting a lot of fairways and getting momentum that way,” said Higgo after his bogey-free 68.

Alongside him, Norris showed tremendous composure to bounce back from a double-bogey seven on the second hole and play his way into contention.

“I had a mishap on the second but clawed my way back. Any day you can shoot 68 around this course you’ll always be smiling,” said Norris, who responded to that seven with three birdies in his next four holes.

• Aldrich Potgieter and Thriston Lawrence add to local favourites
• Tickets available to purchase here: Alfred Dunhill Championship

Louis Oosthuizen and a host of former Alfred Dunhill Championship winners will lead an immensely strong South African challenge chasing glory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Royal Johannesburg next week.
 
Oosthuizen, the 2023 champion, will be joined on the famed East Course from 11-14 December by former champions Branden Grace, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Brandon Stone, Richard Sterne, Shaun Norris and Ockie Strydom.
 
Together they make up an impressive collection of seven of the last 12 winners of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
 
All are looking to become only the third multiple winners of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in its history.
 
The home challenge is further strengthened by PGA TOUR champion Aldrich Potgieter and multiple DP World Tour champions Dean Burmester and Thriston Lawrence.
 
Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal will form part of an impressive list of European challengers seeking to end South Africa’s dominance of this title.
 
Larrazabal was the last European to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2019 when he claimed one of the most memorable victories in the history of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament as he battled through the pain of blistered feet to win at Leopard Creek.
 
England’s John Parry also heads to South Africa looking to break the local hold on this title, and amidst a successful past season for him.
 
Parry finished runner-up in last year’s Alfred Dunhill Championship and then tied third in this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
 
He ended the recently completed DP World Tour season in 11^th place on the Race to Dubai Rankings, and has earned his PGA TOUR card for next season.
 
Spain’s Angel Ayora and England’s Andy Sullivan both head to South Africa having finished within the top 30 on the Race to Dubai Rankings this past season.

South Africans love to say, “Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie”. But Johannes Veerman certainly knows. As he returns to Sun City to defend his title in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, the affable American spoke like a man returning to his second home.

“It feels amazing to be back. South Africa is unbelievable. It’s family driven, it’s an amazing sporting nation, and there’s an amazing zest for life here. The beauty is so raw. We’re playing a world-class venue this week, and then you’ve got Gary Player here, and he’s the GOAT. So everything added together makes this place incredibly special. To come back out and start a new 2026 season in an amazing country like this means a lot,” Veerman said at the Gary Player Country Club on Tuesday.

Veerman enjoyed every minute of reliving the memories of his incredible victory in “Africa’s Major” last year, when he came from five strokes off the lead on the final day to win.

“I played the back nine first in my practice round because I knew we had the big grandstand and I just wanted to be back on 18 and relive that moment,” he said.

But the real clincher was his walk up to the ninth green.

“I was walking on the path with the names of all the past champions, and that one hit pretty good. The first time I played this golf course many years ago I remember seeing those names like Ballesteros, Westwood, Els, Goosen and all the names of the players that have won this tournament. Back then I thought, ‘Wow, this is an unbelievable list of champions’. So to walk down the ninth today and see my name as part of that – it hit me pretty hard.”

Veerman forms part of a quality field for this year’s tournament which also includes Viktor Hovland, Nick Taylor, Aldrich Potgieter, Francesco Molinari, Marco Penge, Haotong Li and Will Zalatoris. – Michael Vlismas

ST FRANCIS BAY, Eastern Cape – It is part of the illustrious history of the Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship that this tournament changes lives. It shapes careers. It builds legends. It’s one of those enduring icons of South African professional golf. And on this Sunday at St Francis Links, Deon Germishuys became a part of this great story.

With a final round of 69, Germishuys won South Africa’s second oldest professional golf tournament on 14 under par – one stroke clear of Samuel Simpson and Hennie du Plessis.

He earned the right to have his name engraved on a trophy alongside the names of Gary Player, Dale Hayes, John Bland, Corey Pavin, Ernie Els, David Frost, Nick Price, Louis Oosthuizen and so many others.

But even more than this, he earned the right to keep doing what he does inside the ropes on the Sunshine Tour for his family, and his new baby.

After playing his heart out on the DP World Tour but still coming short and losing his card there, he returned to home fairways with no playing privileges.

He was hoping for tournament invitations into some of the bigger tournaments. But then came this Sunday in one of South African golf’s most prestigious tournaments, and suddenly the fairways have opened up before him.

“This means a lot to me. I didn’t think I was ever going to win at this golf course. For some reason I never knew how to play it, but it seems like I figured it out now. With all the great names on this trophy, it’s really an honour,” said Germishuys.

And with his young family looking on, he broke down in tears as he added, “It means a lot to have them here”.

Thousands of kilometres away, his father-in-law James Kingston sat in Cambodia at a Legends Tour event and was in tears. Kingston could not have wished for a better present for himself than to have his son-in-law claim such a significant victory on his 60^th birthday.

Because Kingston knows what one week like this can mean.

In 2007, after nearly 20 years of trying, he claimed his first DP World Tour title in the South African Open. That Sunday he beat a field including Darren Clarke, Greg Norman and Ernie Els. And when the win came, he too broke down in tears.

Decades later, Germishuys showed his own character to add his name to an illustrious trophy in South African golf.

As Sundays go on the Sunshine Tour, this was indeed a memorable one for a family in golf.

The Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship is proudly supported by Stinger GC, Momentum, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Kouga Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Cape St Francis, Telkom and the PGA of South Africa. – Michael Vlismas

ST FRANCIS BAY, Eastern Cape – Luke Jerling had to endure it all on a challenging Saturday of the Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship at St Francis Links, and ended it with a two-shot lead on 13 under par.

After Friday’s weather interruption left the second round incomplete, Jerling finished his second round on Saturday morning with a 66 and a share of the lead with Deon Germishuys (65) on nine under par.

Jerling then endured a tricky third round in which he fought hard for a 68 that included one double bogey, two bogeys and eight birdies to take the sole lead.

Germishuys and Joe Long are his nearest challengers on 11 under par.

But Jerling is extremely experienced and familiar with what St Francis Links can throw at a golfer, having played enough golf here over the years.

“It was a good day overall despite the double bogey and a few bogeys. I thought I bounced back quite nicely from those mishaps. The conditions were tricky and it was probably like a two- to three-club wind. But it’s nothing that I’m not used to around this place having grown up in Gqeberha. This place is close to my heart and I’ve played a lot here and won a few amateur titles here, so I’m experienced on this course. I’m using that and playing smart. I’m very excited for the final round. This golf course, depending on which way the wind is blowing, your gameplan picks itself. Overall I’m very happy. It’s a huge privilege to go out there and try and win the Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship,” said Jerling.

Saturdays third round also produced a spectacular highlight in JJ Senekal’s hole-in-one on the par-three 14^th hole, where he holed out with his eight iron to earn 50 000 Skybucks compliments of Airlink.

The Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship is proudly supported by Stinger GC, Momentum, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Kouga Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Cape St Francis, Telkom and the PGA of South Africa. – Michael Vlismas Media

ST FRANCIS BAY, Eastern Cape – Samuel Simpson retained his lead in the Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship at St Francis Links, but with lightning having forced a suspension of Friday’s second round.

Simpson climbed to 10 under par overall through 12 holes of his second round when play was suspended shortly after 15:00 because of lightning. The round will resume at 07:00 on Saturday.

He is currently one stroke clear of Deon Germishuys, who had also completed 12 holes when play was suspended.

Joe Long made it into the clubhouse on eight under par with a second round of 69.

Simpson’s gameplan for the day was to keep the ball in play and focus on making pars. He started his second round exactly in that way, with seven consecutive pars. He had a bogey on the eighth hole, but then birdied three of his next four holes.

“Fairways and greens are the top priority around here. It takes a lot of the stress away, so my gameplan is to just make pars. I’m trying to put the ball in the best places possible and manage my misses as best I can. If I can keep hitting the greens in regulation, hopefully I will be OK,” he said.

Germishuys is challenging once again on the Sunshine Tour. He’s finished in the top-10 in his last three tournaments. His second round started with five birdies in his opening seven holes to give him another shot at a victory.

Luke Jerling has just made three straight birdies to climb to eight under par when play was suspended.

Jacques Blaauw is in the clubhouse on seven under following a solid 65, while Zander Lombard’s comeback continues to gain momentum as he sits on seven under through nine holes.

The Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship is proudly supported by Stinger GC, Momentum, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Kouga Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Cape St Francis, Telkom and the PGA of South Africa. – Michael Vlismas Media

• La Réserve Golf Links and Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Wellness Resort gain more global accolades

• Tickets available at https://www.ticketbox.mu/event/abmo-2025

After making history with a win in his own national Open, South Africa’s Dylan Naidoo is hoping to end a breakthrough year with a victory in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at La Réserve Golf Links this December.

Naidoo has confirmed his place in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event from 18-21 December, which played a key role in him securing a DP World Tour card this past season.

The South African finished tied second in last year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, and less than three months later he took the confidence from that performance and claimed his maiden DP World Tour title in his national Open.

He finished last season ranked 56^th on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings to entrench his status on the Tour.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at La Réserve Golf Links. Last year I came second in this tournament and I’d really love to go one better. I love coming to Mauritius. It’s one of my favourite places – the beaches, the culture, the food. It’s such a great way to end off the year. I’m really looking forward to it,” said Naidoo.

As much as Naidoo is making inroads on the DP World Tour, La Réserve Golf Links is doing the same on the global scene as one of the most exciting new courses in the game.

La Réserve Golf Links was voted the Indian Ocean’s Best Golf Course at the World Golf Awards in November, while Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Wellness Resort won World’s Best Golf Hotel at the same awards.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA and Mastercard. – Michael Vlismas Media