Author: Michael Vlismas

WHITE RIVER (30 August 2023) – Former SA Amateur champion Kyle de Beer is playing in his first Sunshine Tour tournament as a professional this week, but the 25-year-old showed that he is not feeling the pressure as he fired a superb eight-under-par 63 to claim the lead after the first round of the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge at White River Country Club on Wednesday.

Beginning on the 10^th hole, De Beer birdied his first four holes to send out a reverberating warning shot that he has arrived. After his 3-4-2-3 start, De Beer showed that par is also a satisfactory outcome on a course that has plenty of trees, water and elevation changes, going to the turn in 32, before picking up four more birdies on the front nine.

The former GolfRSA star, playing on an invitation, is one stroke ahead of the seasoned trio of Jean Hugo, Keenan Davidse and Hennie Otto.

“It was a dream start making four birdies in a row and then I just played very solid with some really nice par-saves and then I picked off a couple of birdies on the front nine,” De Beer said matter-of-factly after his stunning debut. “But I’m very chuffed and I’m very excited just to be playing, to be honest. To shoot 63 is the cherry on top.”

“My approach play was really good, my irons and wedges were really strong, and I hit a lot of approaches inside 10 feet and a few inside six feet. From that distance you back yourself to make birdies, so that was the part of my game that really shone,” De Beer added.

The Gqeberha resident has had a mediocre time on the Altron Big Easy Tour this year with only one top-20 finish in four events, but a step up in quality brought a dramatic improvement in De Beer’s fortunes on Wednesday.

“I haven’t set the world alight this year so far and I’ve been quite disappointed with my results to be honest. My standard of golf has not been very high, but I’m on the Altron Big Easy Tour to develop as a pro, to learn. I’ve put in a lot of work recently and I felt some good golf was just around the corner.

“But it’s still very much a process of getting my confidence back and trusting myself a bit more on the golf course. I’ve wanted to free myself up a bit more and let my game speak for itself and I’m glad to have done it today.

“I’m very proud with how I’ve played and hopefully I can bring my best again on the next two days. But as everyone in golf knows, it’s a whole another day tomorrow, it will be a different story.

“This course is not the longest, but it is challenging and the par-threes are very strong, not crazy-long but there is a lot of trouble lurking. You have to be very straight off the tee here, if you’re not then you’ll end up behind trees or have some very bad lies,” De Beer said.

Hugo would have fancied himself for an even lower round than his 64, having gathered just a single birdie from the four par-fives, while Davidse had a pair of 32s on each nine. Otto started on the 10^th and had a blistering front nine, coming home in five-under.

Hennie O’Kennedy had a top-class round on the go as he reached six-under-par through 11 holes, but he then dropped four shots in his last five holes.

Gary Player’s legacy within South African golf and that of his late wife Vivienne and their philanthropic efforts will be celebrated on the Sunshine Tour this week at the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge, which tees off at White River Country Club on Wednesday.

This 54-hole tournament forms part of a strong tribute over the next few months on Player’s significant role within the South African game.

The winner of this week’s R2-million tournament as well as the next leading 26 professionals in the field will all secure a place in the prestigious Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational at Sun City in November, where a collection of professional golfers, celebrities, sports stars and business leaders will come together to raise funds for The Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation.

And the Nedbank Golf Challenge, also played in November, will celebrate Player’s role in the launching of this iconic tournament.

But it is this week’s tournament in White River that holds a special place in Player’s heart as a celebration of not only his contribution to the growth of the South African game, but also recognition of the phenomenal impact his late wife Vivienne had in his own career and the launching of The Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, and its global work for charity.

“Vivienne and I were together for 72 years. I was blessed with the most wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She passed away in my arms, and her last words to me were, ‘Please make sure you keep our foundation going for these young children’,” said Player ahead of this week’s tournament.

“Throughout my golf career I have been in a position to help raise millions of dollars to support those less fortunate.”

This week’s tournament is played on a White River Country Club course which Player himself helped to design and the field is a typically strong Sunshine Tour one, including the two latest champions in young stars Ryan van Velzen and Luca Filippi.

“White River is such a beautiful part of the country and the White River Country Club course is a very enjoyable course. The Sunshine Tour has done so much to produce wonderful champions over the years, and I’m looking forward to seeing them take on the challenge this week,” said Player. – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (27 August 2023) – Luca Filippi and Ryan van Velzen produced some incredible golf under the pressure of a two-hole playoff to win the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship team event at Pretoria Country Club on Sunday.

Filippi and Van Velzen finished regulation play tied for the lead with Hennie O’Kennedy and Louis Albertse on 18 under par after both teams signed for betterball scores of 64. This after O’Kennedy in particular made some crucial putts coming in to force the playoff.

There was nothing to separate the two teams after the first playoff hole on the par-five 18^th, played under a betterball format.

Playing the hole again under a foursomes format, O’Kennedy and Albertse were unlucky to see their ball plug under the lip of the greenside bunker. But Filippi and Van Velzen had still produced enough quality of their own to ensure a birdie and the win.

“We dovetailed well. I had a few difficult holes and Luca backed me up most of the time. But we came through strong in the end. We both made good birdies on the first playoff hole under the betterball format. And then playing the second playoff hole as foursomes, I took the initiative off the tee. I gave Luca a nice number in and he hit a great second into the middle of the green,” said Van Velzen.

For Filippi, Van Velzen’s drive did indeed set up the perfect approach.

“I had a perfect number for an eight iron and just hit it to the middle of the green. I didn’t know that Hennie’s ball was plugged. I think they got a bit unfortunate there, but we took two putts and sealed the deal.”

This was Van Velzen’s second victory on the Sunshine Tour, while Filippi finally broke through with his maiden win.

“It’s been a long time. I’m very emotional to be honest,” said Filippi. “It’s taken two long years and a lot of runner-up finishes. I’ve learnt that patience is key. You can work hard and it will always pay off. I couldn’t be more happy, and especially to win with Ryan this week.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (26 August 2023) – It’s all bets off and go for broke as Sunday’s final round of the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship delivers a three-way tie for the lead and a tantalising betterball format at Pretoria Country Club.

The teams of Brandon Stone/JJ Senekal, Louis Albertse/Hennie O’Kennedy and Ryan van Velzen/Luca Filippi will start the final round on 10 under par, two strokes clear of the duo of Rupert Kaminski and James Hart du Preez.

And after two rounds of the more challenging foursomes format, Sunday’s betterball will leave no room for the faint-hearted.

“In betterball someone can shoot 58 with their eyes closed. It’s going to be an aggressive final day and a fun day with all the names up there,” Senekal said of the challenge that lies ahead.

Senekal and Stone have looked extremely composed over the past two days and added a 73 in Saturday’s foursomes, using all of their experience on a tricky day. But they’re well aware that anything can still happen in the betterball format.

“Our job is to just keep doing what we do. We’ve played great golf together and on the final day you’ve just got to put your head down and focus on what we can control. You can’t worry about what the others are doing,” said Stone.

Albertse and his partner O’Kennedy are also pleased to have come through two days of foursomes with a share of the lead, and following a combined 72 on Saturday.

“Two days of foursomes is not easy and sometimes you have to grit your teeth, so we’re really going to enjoy it out there in the betterball on Sunday,” said Albertse, who credits playing with his “best friend” as the reason for their good performance.

“A crucial aspect to a tournament like this is enjoying it. Having a teammate and best friend like Hennie makes it even more enjoyable.”

And the young duo of Van Velzen and Filippi worked their way to a foursomes score of 73 on Saturday, which has put them in with a shot at the trophy.

“Both of us have been on the Sunshine Tour for about a year or two now. Ryan is a winner on Tour already and I’m hoping to join him by adding a trophy this week. It’s always nice being in a leading group. There will be pressure but I’m very excited for the final round,” said Filippi. – Michael Vlismas Media

PRETORIA (25 August 2023) – It was a partnership that was formed at a European Challenge Tour event in Italy, but when Brandon Stone agreed to be JJ Senekal’s teammate for this week’s Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship, it came with a proviso.

“Brandon warned me in Italy already that his wife’s birthday was on the Wednesday before the first round of this week’s tournament, so he may not be in showroom condition,” joked Senekal.

And yet they’ve both been in showroom condition as the duo share the lead on 11 under par with the team of Ryan van Velzen and Luca Filippi.

On a windy day and faced with the far more tricky format of foursomes, both teams rose to the challenge to earn themselves a one-stroke lead over the field.

Senekal and Stone, who have built up a strong friendship on the Challenge Tour this season, combined with a foursomes score of 67.

“We’ve built up a good friendship on the Challenge Tour and it’s nice to use that in this format,” said Senekal.

It’s this synergy that Stone feels has also been good for their golf this week.

“If you can surround yourself with a bunch of guys you enjoy and with personalities that you can get along with, it makes it that much easier on tour. I think we did well together these past few days. I never felt we were out of play at any time during the foursomes round which is a credit to how JJ and I played. On the first day of betterball it felt like we left a few birdies out there, but today we played really good golf. If I keep doing my job and JJ does his, we’ll be looking good come Sunday afternoon,” said Stone.

Alongside them, Filippi and Van Velzen combined equally well as they signed for a 68.

“We both played solid golf and we had 18 birdie putts today, which is quite good especially in foursomes where it can be hard to get into a rhythm,” said Van Velzen.

Saturday’s format is another round of foursomes which Filippi says they’re more than ready for. “We’re looking forward to it. The quality always comes to the top in foursomes. We’ll just stick to the same gameplan.”

Just one shot behind the leaders are the teams of Clancy Waugh and Hunter Epson, Louis Albertse and Hennie O’Kennedy, and Jean Hugo and Ruan Korb.

But no matter the format, Stone is quite clear as to what the weekend represents and his focus.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a team event or individual event. It’s still the weekend of a golf tournament.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (25 August 2023) – Jonathan Broomhead has a very simple secret behind his strong start to his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour and the four top-10s in eight tournaments that have carried him to the top of the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” said Broomhead.

Standing on the putting green at Pretoria Country Club during this week’s Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship, Broomhead reflected on his Sunshine Tour journey to this point.

“When I earned my spot on the Sunshine Tour, I had a chat with my family and for me it was all about not making too much of a big deal about being professional. I feel the more at ease you can be out here, the easier it makes it,” he said.

The former GolfRSA star of the amateur game has certainly looked at ease in the pro arena. After securing his Sunshine Tour card with a second place at Qualifying School in April this year, Broomhead didn’t waste any time and finished tied eighth in his first event – the FBC Zimbabwe Open.

His other tournament highlights have included tied fifth in the SunBet Challenge Sun City, tied 10^th in the SunBet Challenge Wild Coast, and tied third in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Zebula where he finished just two shots off the winning total.

“A big factor in terms of my performances has been my caddie Frank. He’s a very experienced caddie who does a great job in keeping me calm on the course, and that allows me to then play my part,” said Broomhead.

The young star is also keen to learn from the more experienced professionals on the Tour.

“I believe firmly in hanging around the right people. There are a lot of experienced professionals on the Sunshine Tour and if you can hang around them you pick up a lot of advice and guidance.”

With several goals to chase and a big summer of opportunity on the horizon in the DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments he’s hoping to qualify for, Broomhead is certainly keen to maintain his position at the top of the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings and claim more than just the honour of that title at the end of this season.

The leading rookie will also receive a bonus of R200 000.

But for now, he’s sticking to the plan. Don’t make a big deal out of it.

And it seems to be working. – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (24 August 2023) – It was the pairing that was never meant to be but which worked out perfectly as Jonathan Broomhead and Gerhard Pepler combined for a one-stroke lead after Thursday’s betterball in the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship at Pretoria Country Club.

Broomhead and Pepler worked to each other’s strengths and came through the first round with an 11-under-par 61, one stroke clear of the team of Wynand Dingle and Heinrich Bruiners, and with the duo of Stefan Wears-Taylor and Trevor Fisher Jnr. on nine under par.

But it was only a few days before this team event that Broomhead and Pepler finally settled on their pairing. 

“I was actually supposed to play with someone else and they pulled out at the last minute, and then Gerhard asked me, and with anybody that hits it as long as he does I was more than happy to say yes,” Broomhead said of how their pairing came about.

It certainly worked for them on Thursday as they managed their gameplan superbly.

“I was going off first on most of the tee boxes and just putting us in play and then Gerhard was just going for it. With his length on this golf course you can really take advantage, and I think we did that,” said Broomhead.

And Pepler was more than happy to be left to play his own game.

“Jonathan hits it really straight which allows me to go for everything, which suits my game. I made some good putts, but it’s easy to make putts when you have four people (two pros and two caddies) helping to read the putts.”

Behind them, Dingle and Bruiners were another pairing that came together at the last minute.

Dingle joked that he was turned down by his friends so approached Bruiners. But the reality is that these two have known each other for long enough to understand exactly how well they can play together.

“We’ve known each other for a long time and everything worked out fine. My driver broke during the round so I just tried to play a supporting role. He played really well and if he missed a green I just tried to hit it on and make a par. I was just there in the background and made a few crucial putts to keep the momentum going. I think we’re both quite excited about the next few days. The motto is to stay aggressive. Wynand is in charge here. He told me we’re not here to play it safe. I’m generally a plot my way around the course kind of player. But Wynand said the flag is red this week and we’re just going to go for everything,” said Bruiners.

But Dingle admitted that Friday’s foursomes format will require a different strategy.

“That’s a different gameplan. You need to be a bit more conservative and can’t be as aggressive as we were today. But we’ll still try and keep moving forward.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (24 August 2023) – It’s well known that team golf brings a different dynamic to a professional’s strategic thinking, whether it be in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, or this week’s Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship at Pretoria Country Club. But what about their caddies?

With a rare team format on the Sunshine Tour this week that will see the pros compete over four rounds of betterball, foursomes, foursomes and betterball, the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship also requires a different focus from the caddies.

“It’s absolutely a different week for us as caddies as well,” says Chase Manna, caddie for Brandon Stone who this week is paired with JJ Senekal.

“I’d say it’s a week where you play more aggressive so you make those kinds of decisions. A lot of the process is still the same, namely selecting the shot, visualising and then agreeing on it and picking a line. But you will caddie a little more aggressively this week compared to a normal week on tour.

“The betterball aspect you deal with on the spot because one pro will be aggressive while his teammate might not. So it all depends on who’s teeing off first. If he’s in play then you can probably work with your own player to attack more if its viable. Foursomes is tough though because that’s out of your hands. It’s more a collective decision based on the circumstances.”

Stanley Joob, the caddie for Dylan Naidoo who is paired with Keenan Davidse, agrees that this is the one week where a caddie and his pro can afford to be a bit more aggressive than in a traditional stroke play tournament.

“It’s a fun week for the pros and caddies. The strategy is definitely different in a team event because your pro’s partner can contribute. So the decision-making becomes more of a team effort amongst all four of us. You can definitely be a bit more aggressive, but overall, your aim stays the same – executing the right shot at the right time.” – Michael Vlismas

PRETORIA (23 August 2023) – After experiencing his first taste of Major championship golf at The Open this year, Kyle Barker has returned to the Sunshine Tour determined to use every bit of that experience and to play his way back onto that stage again.

Barker looked as relaxed as ever walking around a sun-drenched Pretoria Country Club on Wednesday in the pro-am ahead of Thursday’s first round of the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship.

It’s a month since he qualified for his first Major – The Open at Royal Liverpool. 

“My goal was to play my first Major at the age of 30. To achieve that five years earlier than I expected is a dream come true. It was unbelievable. It was better than I’d ever dreamt it would be,” said Barker.

It’s a different approach this week as the Sunshine Tour professionals compete in a team format involving betterball and foursomes, and Barker has the experienced Ulrich van den Berg as his partner.

“I’m playing with Ulrich who is probably one of the best iron players I’ve ever seen. It’s a fun week this. It frees you up a bit to go for shots you wouldn’t normally go for because you’ve got a partner to count on,” said Barker.

That freedom combined with his experience at The Open could prove a potent combination, and Barker produced his trademark smile as he reflected on what playing in a Major has done for his mindset.

“What I learnt was just unbelievable. Watching the top professionals and how they work and structure everything around their rounds was incredible. I watched Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas to name a few. It was eye-opening to see how they go to work on the course, but perhaps more importantly off the golf course and just how hard they work.

“They go to gym twice a day, they stretch, they go through their routines, and they work so closely with their entire teams. I’ve definitely taken what I learnt from there and started to apply it to my daily routines. Having that experience in a Major just makes me believe in myself even more when I come back to the Sunshine Tour.”

The team format this week is certainly something the Sunshine Tour professionals are looking forward to.

“It’s a really fun format with the betterball and the foursomes,” said James Hart du Preez, who is paired with Rupert Kaminski and who knows this course exceptionally well having grown up on these fairways.

“This course plays probably two to three shots more difficult in winter. The greens get very firm here. The tricky aspect of this course is that it looks like it’s right there in front of you but if you get out of position it can bite you because you’re left with a bunch of tricky chip shots around these greens.”

And Dylan Naidoo is also looking forward to a fun week with partner Keenan Davidse.

“It’s a fun challenge deciding on the different strategies for betterball and foursomes. And this is such a nice golf course. It’s always in great condition and you need to have your strategy on point for this week.” – Michael Vlismas