Author: Michael Vlismas

The South African Golf Development Board’s (SAGDB) Riverside Farm golfers showcased their incredible potential during this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship as they took part in the annual golf clinic on the magnificent grounds of the National Junior Development Centre at Leopard Creek.

The young golfers also took the opportunity to learn from Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour professionals Jacques Blaauw, Yurav Premlall, Nikhil Rama, Jovan Rebula, Keagan Thomas and Alex Levy, and the professionals were equally impressed with the talent on display

“These young kids have so much talent and it’s amazing to see it and be a part of something like this. We can see South Africa has so many good players. It’s nice to pass down experience to these young kids,” said Levy.

For Edwin Compton, the SAGDB’s Development Manager for Mpumalanga, the clinic was a perfect opportunity to showcase the decades long sustainability of the SAGDB programme and its ongoing impact on the lives of these young golfers.

“We started with 12 children on the Riverside Farm next door. Now, over a decade later, between the Riverside programme and the Komatipoort programme we have over one hundred children.”

The SAGDB is the official golf development body for South Africa, and this year it celebrates 24 years of using the game of golf to change the lives of underprivileged South Africans. The SAGDB is operational in all 14 golf unions across South Africa and enjoys the support and endorsement of the South African Department of Sports and Recreation, The R&A, GolfRSA, the Sunshine Tour, the Professional Golfers Association of South Africa, Remgro, and other official South African golf bodies and several long-term sponsors.

It is also a proud beneficiary of The Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation.

“The success of the programme is that our children and our coaches are fully committed. The children start in the programme when they are young and they are committed to staying with it and are dedicated to improving themselves and their talent. We are also incredibly privileged to have full access to the National Junior Development Centre which is arguably the best practice facility in the world,” said Compton.

The focus of the SAGDB is not just on creating great golfers. It is a holistic programme that places equal emphasis on academics and uses the discipline and values of golf to empower the youth and help them to develop into positive role models in their communities.

But there are obvious golf successes to come out of it.

“The SA Junior IPT is coming up in the next few weeks and in the eight-player team for the boys we have two players ranked in that team at number two and four on merit. Lucia Mhlabane is also the number two ranked junior woman’s golfer in the province,” said Compton.

The young golfers are equally passionate about the opportunities the game has given them.

“If it’s a dream, then I don’t want to wake up,” said Sakhile Makhatshwa. “I am enjoying life and who I am becoming. It has impacted me in my community and my school and I am very thankful to the programme for dedicating itself to us.”

“My dream is to become a pro and to change my circumstances for me and my family,” added Paulette Sibiya.

“Golf teaches us how to be patient, and that helps me in my life as well. The programme has made a big difference in my life.”

Dean Burmester tees off in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship seeking a rare hat-trick of titles on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour as he joins an impressive field of stars on the fairways of Leopard Creek.

Burmester has dominated the last two co-sanctioned tournaments with his victories in the Joburg Open and the Investec South African Open and is a clear favourite for the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which tees off at South Africa’s top-ranked golf course on Thursday.

The fact that he has the opportunity to make it three wins in a row at possibly his favourite golf course and tournament venue this week makes the challenge even more special.

“I’m very happy and blessed to be able to come to a place like this and enjoy it and do what I love,” said Burmester.

“The only way you’ll ever understand what Leopard Creek is, is by getting the opportunity to come here personally. We get to play golf on a perfectly manicured golf course and then every time I get to the 13th green here I almost always shed a tear,” he said of the iconic green that overlooks the Kruger National Park.

Burmester’s quest to claim one of the most sought after titles on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour will face a stern test against a field including defending champion Ockie Strydom, double PGA Tour champion Erik van Rooyen, Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, former Alfred Dunhill Championship winners Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Branden Grace and Brandon Stone, and four-time DP World Tour champion Thriston Lawrence.

Schwartzel’s record in this championship is unsurpassed and he returns as the winner of a record four Alfred Dunhill Championship titles as well as having finishing second on four occasions. He also holds the tournament total record of 24-under-par 264 and the biggest margin of victory in the history of this tournament of 12 strokes achieved in the same year of 2012.

Jesper Svensson will take a one-shot lead into the weekend of the Investec South African Open Championship and with young South African Casey Jarvis maintaining his challenge in a group of three players chasing the Swede at the Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate.

Svensson signed for a second round of 67 on Friday to lead on nine under par as he hopes to become only the third Swedish winner of the Investec South African Open and the first since Henrik Stenson in 2012. Mathias Grönberg was the first in 2000.

“It feels great halfway through the tournament and I’m happy to be in a good position going into the weekend,” said Svensson, who teed off his second round on the 10th and made four birdies in his first five holes to set the tone for his charge up the leaderboard.

“I had a hot start and the putter was on fire from the beginning. But it was a long day. It feels like a never-ending golf course out there.”

Behind him is the trio of Jarvis, Italy’s Matteo Manassero and first-round leader Joakim Lagergren of Sweden.

After a 70 to remain in contention, Jarvis is certainly looking forward to a big weekend in front of his home fans.

“I can’t wait to get out there again. I just had a lot of fun with my caddie today and we were very relaxed out there. It felt like another social round out there and I’ll try and approach it the same over the next two days,” said Jarvis, who was level par at the turn before making three straight birdies.

“I didn’t play the best on the front nine and kind of told myself to get going when I got to the turn, and those three birdies really helped.”

Jarvis is doing his best to apply the patience he learnt in a strong season on the European Challenge Tour as he heads into the weekend with a place in South African golf history in sight.

“Patience is key and I think I’m doing that well. It’s a big goal of mine to start well in these first few events of the new DP World Tour season at home and I’m trying to take advantage of that. I’ve put myself in a good position and I’ll give it my all.”

Altin van der Merwe was the only amateur to make the halfway cut of level par as he came through 36 holes on one under par, and he will therefore win the Freddie Tait Cup as the leading amateur in the Investec South African Open.

Swede Joakim Lagergren opened with a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to lead South Africa’s Casey Jarvis by a single stroke after the first round of the Investec South African Open at the Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate on Thursday.

“Golf was fun today. I really enjoyed it. I feel like I got the most out of it,” said Lagergren after walking off what is officially the longest golf course in DP World Tour history.

“One of the par threes played 240 metres today – that might be one of the longest I’ve ever played. As for the rest of the course, the fairways are firm if you’re hitting good drives. But it’s rare that you’re standing with a wedge in your hands on a par four here. It’s long.”

As his nearest challenger Jarvis, who won the Freddie Tait Cup as the leading amateur in this championship in 2020, said patience played a key role in his opening round.

“I don’t hit the ball as far as some of the others out here so it is physically and mentally challenging and you need to just stay patient. I managed my game well.”

The trio of South Africa’s Jovan Rebula and Louis de Jager as well as 2015 Investec South African Open champion Andy Sullivan of England all signed for rounds of five-under-par 67.

At just one shot off the lead, Jarvis is well aware of the expectation on him to follow a stellar amateur career in which he put his name on all the major South African trophies by adding his name to the Investec South African Open trophy as a professional.

“I’d like to win this as a professional but I’m taking it one day at a time and seeing where it goes. I’m not putting pressure on myself. My expectations are always high but if I don’t put pressure on myself I play a lot better, and I feel like I’ve managed that really well this year.”

Christiaan Bezuidenhout, the winner of the Investec South African Open in December 2020, made a strong start with his round of four-under-par 68.

Altin van der Merwe and Daniel Bennett came through the first day as the leading amateurs after both signing for rounds of level-par 72, while world number one amateur Christo Lamprecht carded a 76.

The Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate course will make history this week as the longest course ever played on the DP World Tour when the first round of the Investec South African Open tees off on Thursday.

The 7 528-metre par-72 course designed by Gary Player is predicted to be a tough test this week with a few changes from last year.

“We’ve had the best part of a year to prepare for this year’s Investec South African Open and the course will play a little differently to last year,” said Paul Marks, the Director of Golf at the Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate.

“The golfers will have to be more accurate off the tee this year. Last year the rough wasn’t penal enough so we’ve grown the rough. If a long hitter is slightly offline, the second shot will definitely be more challenging this year.

“We’ve also narrowed the fairways on some of the holes by about three to four metres on either side, so that will place an even greater premium on accuracy off the tee. This is a wide golf course, but it will definitely be more challenging off the tee this year and not just place a premium on length off the tee.

“The putting surfaces are incredible at the moment, so anybody who putts well is going to do well this week. But having said that, there will be some tight pin placements in the week.”

This is the second time that this course, built on Player’s farm, will host the Investec South African Open.

“We are very grateful to Investec, the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour for the honour of hosting the Investec South African Open once again. The fact that this championship is played on Gary Player’s farm and the fact that he won this Open a record 13 times is also a great sense of pride for us,” said Marks.

Tickets for the Investec South African Open Championship can be purchased at www.sunshinetour.com.

The Investec South African Open is a national treasure, and if anybody understands the value of this icon of South African sport then it’s John Smit, the former captain of another national treasure in the Springboks.

“You look at our golfers and consider how long golf in this country has kept South Africans full of hope and pride. We’re this small little country that keeps on producing champions. What sport does in this country is it distracts us a bit from the daily challenges, but it also makes us realise just how tenacious we can be on the sports field,” said Smit as he teed off with former Investec South African Open champion Christiaan Bezuidenhout in Tuesday’s pro-am at the Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate.

“It’s just great to spend time with these golfers who are also our heroes. I saw the videos of many of our golfers celebrating Siya Kolisi’s team win the Rugby World Cup. Then to play with somebody like Christiaan and also see Dean Burmester win last week, it’s a privilege for us.”

Bezuidenhout was at home in America when he watched the Springboks win a record fourth Rugby World Cup in Paris. And he did so with another icon of South African sport.

“I actually watched it with Ernie Els at his house,” said Bezuidenhout as he looked forward to his round with Smit. “I’ve played a few rounds of golf with John (Smit) and he’s just a great guy to be around.”

Bezuidenhout wrote his own name into the proud history of South African golf and this championship with his Investec South African Open victory in 2020.

“This is special for any South African golfer growing up. It’s the one you really want to win and I’ve fortunate enough to have ticked it off, but I’d love to add my name to it again.”

The second oldest national Open in golf has drawn another strong field ahead of Thursday’s first round.

Thriston Lawrence is back to defend his title alongside former champions Bezuidenhout, Daniel van Tonder, Hennie Otto, Brandon Stone and Andy Sullivan, Major winner Charl Schwartzel, last week’s Joburg Open champion Dean Burmester, and a selection of GolfRSA’s top amateurs led by world number one-ranked amateur and winner of The Amateur Championship this year, Christo Lamprecht.

South Africa’s Brandon Stone will head back to Leopard Creek next week with the positive memories of being a former winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, but with a very different focus to his career having regained his DP World Tour card for this current season.

The 2016 champion of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event joins another quality field for the 7-10 December championship including defending champion Ockie Strydom, double PGA Tour champion Erik van Rooyen, recent Joburg Open champion Dean Burmester, Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, and former Alfred Dunhill Championship winners Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Branden Grace.

“There’s an immense sense of gratitude going back to Leopard Creek as a previous winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship. At the same time, there is that part in all of us as professional golfers that wants your name on that trophy more than once. That’s the objective for me,” said Stone.

Stone’s victory in 2016 came amidst a prolific period in world golf for him when he won the Investec South African Open that same year. In 2018 he added a third DP World Tour title with the Genesis Scottish Open and achieved his best finish in a Major of 12th in the PGA Championship.

But what followed was a challenging period in which he lost his playing privileges on the DP World Tour. He worked his way back onto the main circuit through the European Challenge Tour this year and believes he’s a different player this time around.

“I needed to go back and find myself and my game again. I needed to remind myself of who I was as a person and a player. Looking back to the man I was a year ago, I’m almost unrecognisable. I’m back to my former self and really enjoying what I’m doing.”

But while his career may have evolved, Stone says his love for Leopard Creek has never changed.

“It’s the best place on earth – simply put. I cannot wait to get to Leopard Creek every single year. The whole atmosphere there just makes you feel a little bit more at ease. The golf course is obviously spectacular, and the setting is just as good. The energy I get from just being there in nature makes me feel a little different to any other week on tour. I’m so excited to get back.”