Author: Michael Vlismas

They are the men who have had a front-row seat to the greatest moments in Nedbank Golf Challenge history as the caddies who have carried the bags and helped call the clubs for Major winners, world number ones and icons of ‘Africa’s Major’. For two South African caddies, their memories will last a lifetime. For another, Gary Player changed his life through this event.

The three South African caddies Simon Masilo, Tiger Lekhulene and Zack Rasego each have unique memories and perspectives on the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which this year will be played for the 41^st time at the Gary Player Country Club from November 9-12 with a 66-man field including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and fellow Ryder Cup stars Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.

Masilo was the caddie for Ernie Els during his three Nedbank Golf Challenge triumphs, while Lekhulene was the man on the bag for Nick Price and his hat-trick of Nedbank Golf Challenge titles.

In particular, both men share a unique place in the history of this event as having been the caddies for Els and Price when they set the tournament scoring records in this tournament that still stand to this day.

Lekhulene, now 63 years old, remembers fondly the year Price did so first in 1993, when he won the Nedbank Golf Challenge by a staggering 12 strokes on 24 under par 264. “On the first hole in the final round, Nick holed his second shot. He played beautifully that whole week. Nick was the best ball striker in the world at that time.”

But his favourite memory of his time with Price at Sun City was the year they beat Tiger Woods for the Zimbabwean’s third Nedbank Golf Challenge victory.

“That was the playoff in 1998. We were one shot ahead of Tiger when we reached the last hole on the Sunday. Tiger was just off the green with his second on 18. Nick tapped me with his putter and said, ‘Watch. Tiger will hole that chip’. And he did to force the playoff. Then we won the playoff. I just remember people going crazy that year. The fans had t-shirts with Nick and Tiger’s name on them. It was funny because every time the fans called ‘Tiger’ I also looked around. Nick was so happy to beat Tiger that year because he said to me afterwards, ‘You watch. Nobody will beat this kid going forward’. And of course, that’s what happened. Tiger won everything.”

Like a changing of the guard, Els then took the mantle from Price as the dominant Southern African in this event. He did so in emphatic fashion, winning his first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 1999 with a new tournament record of 25 under par 263.

“Ernie played fantastic golf. He holed everything he looked at. Even when he made a mistake, it was a good mistake. It just all came together. I remember the seven iron he hit on the 15^th that year in the third round – he almost holed it and I knew then we were in for something special with that record. We shot 65 in the pro-am that year, which was also a sign.

“I don’t see anybody shooting 25 under on that golf course again. You have to be so good, and Ernie was. On the morning of the final round, Ernie said to me, ‘I think it’s time for a new record. Let’s go for it’,” said the 65-year-old Masilo.

“Coming up 18 with Ernie leading in that event and 25 000 people cheering, it’s the greatest feeling ever. I really enjoyed it. For me, it’s still our best tournament in South Africa.”

Then in 2017, caddie Zack Rasego completed a fairytale journey that started as a young boy living in poverty outside Rustenburg and culminated in his victory with Branden Grace in the Nedbank Golf Challenge that year.

It was shortly after building the Gary Player Country Club course and preparing for the first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 1981 that Gary Player initiated a caddie programme at Sun City. Rasego was one of the young intakes and quickly caught Player’s eye. The Grand Slam champion hired him to be his personal caddie and they won the 1988 Senior Open together.

It began a journey that saw Rasego become one of the best tour caddies in the game as he went on to win the 2010 Open Championship with Louis Oosthuizen and then the 2017 Nedbank Golf Challenge with Grace amongst several other triumphs in the game.

For 40 years now, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has provided some of the greatest moments in golf.

These three men were there to see many of them first-hand. – Michael Vlismas

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – Kyle Barker claimed his second Sunshine Tour title this year when he won the Vodacom Origins of Golf in a playoff at the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate on Sunday.

Barker produced a strong final round of 65 and finished tied for the lead with Pieter Moolman on 10 under par 203 Barker then birdied the first playoff hole as Moolman parred. Martin Rohwer finished third on eight under par.

It was a thrilling finish to a tournament Moolman seemed destined to win having led after day one and then taking a commanding six-stroke lead into the final round, and with Barker starting seven shots off the lead.

But on a day when Barker went out in 30 to make his charge and then parred his way through the back nine, Moolman stumbled to a closing one over par 72.

Moolman still managed to force his way into the playoff with a crucial birdie on the par-four 18^th but couldn’t match Barker thereafter.

“I was seven shots behind and I knew I had to do something special. I made six birdies on that front nine and it really helped me. Nothing wanted to drop on the back nine but I hit top quality golf shots. Then I finished the 18^th and we thought I’d won and my friend had already sprayed champagne on me, and I’d had a few sips. But there was a mistake on the leaderboard and then I was told Pieter had made birdie on the last to take it to a playoff. So I had to get to the tee for the playoff. Luckily I made a great birdie there,” said Barker.

The victory is Barker’s second this year following his breakthrough triumph in the Stella Artois Players Championship in April

“It feels amazing to have won again. I had so much energy this week.”

The victory is also a timely one with Barker planning for a wedding at the end of this year.

“Now I can pay for the photographer and the flowers.” – Michael Vlismas

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – Pieter Moolman will take a six-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate, even while admitting that his game is not where he would like it to be.

Moolman followed up his opening 66 with a 65 on Saturday to surge to 11 under par overall. His nearest challenger is Albert Venter on five under following his second round of 68.

Despite leading for two rounds of this Sunshine Tour event, Moolman still feels his swing is not where he’d like it to be.

“I’m still not really hitting it like I want to. Today was just a case of me making putts. If you’re making putts from everywhere it feels a bit like you’re getting away with something. I’ve been struggling swing wise, so you start relying more on the short game,” he said.

Since winning his first Sunshine Tour title in last year’s Fortress Invitational, Moolman has shown signs of growing into a consistent competitor who is ready to take the next step up in his career.

He finished tied ninth and third in the Dimension Data Pro-Am and SDC Open respectively earlier this year, both of which are co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour. Internationally he’s had top finishes of 15^th and 10^th in the Czech Republic and Italy on the European Challenge Tour this year. And most recently he finished fifth in the opening Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Zebula last month.

But even with these performances and a commanding lead, Moolman is taking nothing for granted.

“It’s easy to get ahead of yourself, but I know what golf is like. You can shoot 63 today and 75 tomorrow. We all know golf is unpredictable and anything can change at any moment. Everyone wants their A game all the time, but golf isn’t that simple. You can go from your A game to D game really quickly. So when you’re struggling, you want to manage your game well and I’ve done that this week.

“I’ll just keep staying in the moment and take it shot for shot.” – Michael Vlismas

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – Pieter Moolman survived a brutal first round of wind, rain and weather delays to post a five-under-par 66 and claim a two-stroke clubhouse lead in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate.

The last vestiges of the Cape winter brought wind and rain on day one of this Sunshine Tour event, which resulted in a suspension because of waterlogged greens. Play did eventually resume, but the first round will have to be completed on Saturday morning.

Moolman made it into the clubhouse just before darkness, and with CJ du Plessis his nearest challenger following a three-under 68.

“A delay always lengthens your day. I’m very happy because the conditions were very tough out there. I’m not really happy with where my game is at right now. I’m not playing like I need to. But I’m just keeping it in play and giving myself birdie opportunities where I can,” said Moolman.

As his nearest challenger, Du Plessis suffered the brunt of the bad weather in the morning and was delighted to sign for a round of 68.

“It was exceptionally tough. The weather was brutal and there were strong winds and delays, so I was really pleased with my round,” he said of a day which started on the 10^th hole for him and which he bogeyed before responding with an eagle at the next.

“I felt like 10 was probably the toughest hole on the course today. I was happy with my bounce back on 11, where I hit a good drive and then a beautiful four iron to three feet and made the putt.”

Du Plessis broke through with his maiden Sunshine Tour victory in July’s SunBet Challenge Wild Coast Sun, closing with a strong 64 to win there. He followed this with a finish of tied third in the FNB eSwatini Challenge. But then came a run of three missed cuts as he made a few swing changes before this performance.

“I’ve been too inconsistent, but as soon as the conditions are tough I seem to play well which means my focus is in the correct place. The way I can control my ball flight in windy conditions really helps me because I’m able to hit it low. That was the key to my round. I picked the right flight on the ball depending on the wind direction.”

Tara Griebenow leads the Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals who are competing alongside the Sunshine Tour golfers for the same prize money for the first time in the history of Vodacom Origins of Golf series. She opened with a round of one over par. – Michael Vlismas

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – Former Springbok Breyton Paulse has likened flyhalf Manie Libbok to Tiger Woods in the x factor that he brings to rugby and his ability to put his mistakes behind him.

Speaking at the Sunshine Tour pro-am of this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate, Paulse said the constant questioning of Libbok at flyhalf for the Springboks in their Rugby World Cup campaign in France needs to be put to bed now.

“Whether you like him or not, Manie is doing amazing things on the field. He is a player with that x factor. I would take a player with that x factor any given day. I spoke to John Dobson, coach of the DHL Stormers, recently and he told me how Manie has this incredible ability that when he makes a mistake he forgets it and moves on within seconds. It takes a special athlete to be able to do that. Tiger Woods did it in golf,” said Paulse.

“I think people don’t appreciate enough what Manie does off the ball as well and the way he creates and assists tries. That’s why the Springbok management backs Manie.”

According to Paulse, Libbok and several other players in this current Springbok team make it a more dangerous proposition than the 2019 side that won the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“I believe this team is much more dangerous than the one in 2019. You have players like Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse, André Esterhuizen and Cheslin Kolbe who like to run. So the Springboks will kick because that’s part of their DNA, but when it’s on they will have a go and then you have someone like Manie part of that. Add to the fact that Rassie Erasmus is currently living rent free in the other coaches heads, and with this whole demeanour the other teams are really starting to fear us. That’s a big positive off the field.” – Michael Vlismas

STELLENBOSCH, Western Cape – A pro-am tee time with the Sunshine Tour commissioner in this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate is enough indication that rookie professional Kyle de Beer has made more than a few people take notice of his strong start on the Tour.

The 25-year-old former top South African amateur announced himself with an incredible debut on the Sunshine Tour in August’s Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge, where De Beer led for most of the tournament before finishing fourth.

That performance earned him a place in this week’s 54-hole Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament, which tees off in the winelands on Friday.

More importantly, it confirmed what De Beer has believed ever since he turned professional.

“I know from my experience as an amateur playing in professional tournaments that I can compete. So as a pro, I knew that if I just stuck to my processes I could compete and score well on the Sunshine Tour,” he said on Wednesday.

There was certainly no doubt about his ability following rounds of 63 and 65 to lead the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge, and it was really just a run of four bogeys over the turn for a final round of 73 that cost him a first victory in his first event as a professional on the Tour that week.

“It was a fantastic week. I was actually just grateful to be there and receive the invitation. To play good golf was amazing. It wasn’t the result I wanted but I learnt a lot. Having been in that situation now, I think I’ll handle it better the next time.”

This week offers another perfect opportunity for De Beer to test himself against a typically strong Sunshine Tour field including eight of the last 11 winners on Tour, and with a selection of the leading women’s professionals on the Sunshine Ladies Tour also competing for the same prize money as part of the series’ groundbreaking move to a mixed event this year.

“I’m really looking forward to it. The course is looking very good despite all the rain they’ve had. I’m just really looking forward to another opportunity to compete on the Sunshine Tour. I’ve got enough proof that I can compete, and it’s just a matter of trying to not feel too intimidated. It’s not a one-on-one situation out here. It’s just a case of reminding myself that it’s not me against 120 other professionals this week. It’s me against the golf course.

“So I’m just focused on taking it one week at a time, and I’ll keep trying to fast track my career with one or two more good performances.” – Michael Vlismas

The winner of this year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will unlock a host of new global opportunities in a tournament that has always played a key role in the career growth of its champions.

Through its status as the final tournament on the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing that marks the start of the new season, the 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the spectacular La Réserve Golf Links from 14-17 December will be the scene of a double triumph come the Sunday afternoon.

Beyond the winner of the tournament, the Opening Swing will also have its own Order of Merit which will conclude in Mauritius. The leading professional on this Order of Merit will win an extra $200 000 and, if already a member of the DP World Tour, an invitation into the DP World Tour’s next scheduled Rolex Series tournament as well as a spot in each of the DP World Tour’s Back Nine series of nine high-profile tournaments.

All of which could make a week in Mauritius this December a truly career-defining one.

It’s in keeping with the history of this tournament as the spark behind the rise of the careers of many of its champions.

Every single previous winner of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is now a multiple winner on the DP World Tour, while some have also gone on to win on the PGA Tour.

Danish professional Rasmus Højgaard made his DP World Tour breakthrough when he won the 2019 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, becoming the third youngest winner in DP World Tour history after Matteo Manassero and Danny Lee, and in just his fifth start on the tour. He went on to win a further three DP World Tour titles and was in contention for a place on the European Ryder Cup team this year.

Frenchman Antoine Rozner lost the playoff to Højgaard in 2019 when he was still competing on the European Challenge Tour. He returned in 2022 to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open by a commanding five strokes – the largest margin of victory in the tournament’s history – to cement his status as a rising start of the DP World Tour. The victory in Mauritius marked a personal record of Rozner having won a tournament every year for three years in succession since earning his DP World Tour card in 2020.

South African Dylan Frittelli’s victory in the 2017 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was his second DP World Tour title. It was a win that lifted him to just outside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking, and it put him on a path to winning on the PGA Tour a year later in the John Deere Classic and challenging in the Majors with a finish of tied fifth in The Masters in 2020 and fifth in The Open in 2021.

American Kurt Kitayama claimed his maiden DP World Tour title in the 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on his way to later winning the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour and finishing tied fourth in The PGA Championship this year. He now occupies a place in the top 30 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

For early champions George Coetzee (2015) and Wang Jeung-hun (2016), the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open also formed part of multiple DP World Tour wins in their careers.

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 and KOHLER.

The Fortress Invitational will celebrate its second season on the Sunshine Tour with a new 72-hole format, an increase in prize money and a bigger field including South Africa’s most promising young stars coming together on the historic fairways of Glendower Golf Club in a month’s time.

The growth of the tournament will also play a key role in the new Fortress Rookie of the Year battle, with the next generation of Sunshine Tour talent also chasing the R200 000 bonus awarded by the logistics real estate powerhouse to the leading rookie at the end of the current season.

This incentive is open to those who earned their Sunshine Tour card for the 2023/24 season by way of the Qualifying School, the Altron Vusi Ngubeni Development Tournament, the Blue Label Development Tour and the Altron Big Easy Tour. The Fortress Rookie of the Year will be crowned at the Sunshine Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

The tough Glendower Golf Club, the country’s eighth-ranked course and a host of several prestigious amateur and professional tournaments, stands in their way as a worthy new home for a tournament which is also fast entrenching itself on the Sunshine Tour schedule.

“Our partnership with the Sunshine Tour is based on our beliefs of powering growth. We believe in our local players and their drive to succeed, and welcome friends and family from far and wide to witness the unearthing of new talent and the growth of greatness. This is an unforgiving course, with a hotly contested field, and with free entrance for spectators throughout we’re in for a real treat of sublime golf,” said Steven Brown, CEO of Fortress Real Estate.

The list of early entries for the 2022 Fortress Invitational includes the experience of Daniel van Tonder (2021 SA Open winner), Neil Schietekat (FBC Zimbabwe Open winner) and Hennie Otto (SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun City) as well as other champions this year such as Robson Chinhoi (Zanaco Masters), Louis Albertse (KitKat Cash and Carry Pro-Am) and leading rookies Jonathan Broomhead and Gerhard Pepler.

“We’re delighted to see the growth of the Fortress Invitational in such a short space of time. This is a reflection of their passion for golf and belief in the future potential and greatness that is inherent to the Sunshine Tour. This year’s tournament will indeed be a celebration of this growth and a tangible indication of what happens when talent meets opportunity,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

The “Beat the Pro” challenge will be another exciting feature at the tournament, and fans can register at www.sunshinetour.com/beat-the-pro to see if they can beat the tee shots of the professionals and win a trip to Mauritius.

The DP World Tour, Nedbank and Sun International today announce an extended agreement which will see the Nedbank Golf Challenge played in honour of Gary Player for the next three years.

This year’s edition of ‘Africa’s Major’ will be the penultimate event on the 2023 Race to Dubai before the tournament returns to its traditional December date in 2024- forming part of the 2025 Race to Dubai – where it will remain for the following two years as part of today’s agreement.

South African legend Gary Player has been associated with the event since its formation in 1981, when he was part of a five-man field for its inaugural staging, and the event will, from 2024, be officially held in honour of the nine-time Major Champion in recognition of his contribution to the global game, similar to events held on the PGA TOUR in honour of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer with The Memorial Tournament and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  

The 2023 tournament will be held from November 9-12 at Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, and will boast a strong field including defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, his countryman and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose and two-time Major winner Justin Thomas alongside a host of stars of the DP World Tour, thus highlighting the global appeal of the tournament.

Player, who has over 150 professional wins to his name during a glittering 70-year career, said: “It is with such a deep sense of gratitude that we can look forward to the future of a tournament that we started with nothing more than a dream, and which now over four decades later is a dream shared and enjoyed by so many.

“The legacy of a tournament such as this reflects the legacy of the many great people involved who through their passion for this event have seen it thrive. ‘Africa’s Major’ is all about the spirit of South Africa to overcome and inspire, and I am truly humbled to be a part of something that for one week every year at Sun City brings us all together in celebration of this spirit.”

Mike Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Nedbank, said: “Nedbank has a long-standing history with the Nedbank Golf Challenge, from being the official banking partner in the tournament’s early days to becoming the title sponsor of ‘Africa’s Major’, and this renewal continues our proud association with this event.

“The Nedbank Golf Challenge is one of South Africa’s iconic sport and entertainment events that showcases the very best of our country on the global stage. Similarly, Gary Player has been an incredible ambassador for our country on the global stage for decades and it is a fitting tribute that the Nedbank Golf Challenge is played in honour of the status he has as one of South Africa’s greatest sportsmen and the drive behind this tournament since it was first played in 1981.

“The longevity of our title partnership is a rare occurrence in world sport and reflects a shared interest with our partners Sun International and the DP World Tour for hosting a tournament that is as sustainable as it is successful, and which continues to inspire and excite generations of golfers and golf fans in South Africa and around the world.”

Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive Officer of Sun International, said: “We are extremely excited to announce the renewal of a tournament that has always been at the very core of Sun City’s global presence as one of the world’s leading resorts. The Nedbank Golf Challenge remains one of our flagship events at undoubtedly our flagship resort.

“I’d like to thank our partners Nedbank, the DP World Tour and Gary Player for their continued support of the Nedbank Golf Challenge as we keep moving the tournament forward into exciting new eras in the game and keep showcasing the wonders of not only Sun City but also our beautiful country to our international audience.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour, said: “What Gary Player has achieved both on and off the golf course during his magnificent career is incredible and it is therefore fitting that we are able to hold one of Africa’s most celebrated tournaments in his honour. I would like to thank Mr Player for his commitment to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which would also not be the success it is without the support of Nedbank and Sun International.

“It is a tournament that has been one of the highlights on the DP World Tour since it first became part of our schedule ten years ago and we are delighted that today’s announcement will see the event continue until 2026.”

In addition to exempt DP World Tour members, the 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge, held in December 2024, will look to incorporate leading players from the FedExCup Standings to contribute to a world class field.

On the first tee at this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge will be two icons of this tournament – Gary Player and the famous crystal trophy awarded to the winner of ‘Africa’s Major’. Both were there when this tournament first teed off in 1981. Player has shaken the hands of the greatest in golf to play in this event, and the trophy bears their names.

“When I think about the beautiful crystal trophy, I think of what Lee Trevino once said about the Gary Player Country Club course. He told me we got the design of the golf course right the first time. I feel the same about the trophy. The design was perfect from the start, and it is a wonderful representation and record of the great history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” said Player.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge’s crystal trophy can trace its roots back to an Irish city founded by Vikings and to a company with a history of over 200 years in the art of glassmaking for royalty and some of the world’s greatest sport events.

It was in 1981 that Sam Feldman, the charismatic sports promoter who was part of the early team behind the launch of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, placed a phonecall to Waterford Crystal in the city of Waterford in Ireland for the purpose of designing a trophy for a new golf tournament at Sun City.

But not just any trophy.

As Feldman explained over the phone, “We are hosting the richest tournament in world golf. We need a trophy just as special”.

That was how the crystal trophy of ‘Africa’s Major’ came into existence.

Feldman’s idea for the design was that it should be a golf ball and that the stem of the trophy should represent a tee in the ground upon which the ball rests.

“Every time a player lifts it up I feel for him, because I know how heavy that trophy is,” said Feldman.

The winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge also receives a smaller replica of the trophy to keep.

The original design of the trophy was so accurate and timeless that it has hardly changed at all over the years.

The only change to the original trophy is to its base. There was an inconsistency as a result of the different inscribers of the champions’ names over the years, and it was decided to replace the base and have one inscriber redo all of the names.

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.

This year’s field already includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Major champions Justin Thomas and Justin Rose, and Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner and DP World Tour champion Ockie Strydom.