Category: Featured News

BELA-BELA, Limpopo – Daniel van Tonder claimed a remarkable playoff victory in the SDC Open at the Zebula Golf Estate and Spa on Sunday, and in the process also reclaimed his number one position on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

Van Tonder went into the final round seven shots adrift of leader Altin van der Merwe, who was hunting his first victory on the Tour.

But the experienced Van Tonder applied the pressure, most notably with a finish of four straight birdies for a 67 and the clubhouse target of 16 under par. Van Der Merwe, who had played superbly all week, was at one stage of the final round six shots clear of the field. But a double bogey on the seventh and then bogeys on the 13^th and 17^th holes drew him back into a playoff with Van Tonder.

Playing the par-five 18^th, Van Tonder made a solid par for the win while Van Der Merwe ended with a double-bogey seven.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been doing this for a while now and I like to chase a few scores now and then. I was just determined to give myself chances, put a bit of pressure on and then wait and see,” said Van Tonder.

This is his third victory of the season, and also his third playoff win. “I’ve always enjoyed playoffs. I’ve won a couple, and it’s fun.”

This is also Van Tonder’s 12^th victory as a professional, and his first since becoming a father. And it’s given him a clear sense of what his immediate goal will be.

“I’m going to finish off the Sunshine Tour season and I want to win the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and see where that takes me. I’m finally number one again and I want to extend that lead even more.”

With a career that now stretches into double figures in terms of victories, including the South African Open, Van Tonder has now definitely played his way into a different sphere of Sunshine Tour status.

“It feels great. I work hard and don’t like taking off days. I’ve never had a coach and everything I do is self-taught. Whatever feels right I try and do.” – Michael Vlismas

BELA-BELA, Limpopo – Altin van der Merwe spent the festive season hitting golf balls on the beach and even putting in his room in a bid to keep his game sharp for the new year. And it’s paid off as he retained his lead going into the weekend of the SDC Open at the Zebula Golf Estate and Spa.

Van Der Merwe signed for a second round of 67 in which he finished with four straight birdies to climb to 11 under par overall in this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned event.

His nearest challengers are Nikhil Rama, Sebastien Gros and Jason Roets on 10 under par. Rama posted a 67 while Gros climbed through the field with a 65 and Roets signed for a sublime 63.

Van Der Merwe spent his holiday break working to be in exactly this kind of position, and he’s determined to take advantage on the weekend.

“Look I felt nervous on the first tee shot of this tournament. Then today was cut day and it’s like there’s something to play for on every day of the tournament. I haven’t been in this position much, but that’s when the practice kicks in. I had a pretty hectic break and didn’t allow myself much time off. I still went to the range or hit balls on the beach or was putting in the room. So I’m hoping for some good things to come,” he said.

Van Der Merwe knows exactly the opportunity that awaits on the weekend, especially in his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour. And after an uncertain start to his round on Friday, he found his momentum on those last four holes which he hopes to carry with him over the next two days.

“I’m very pleased with that finish. At the start I just couldn’t hit it close enough and was two-putting from 30 feet and more.”

An eagle on the par-five 18^th helped to settle the nerves. Van Der Merwe then made his only bogey of the week thus far on the fourth before his strong finish.

“The finish was incredible. I didn’t actually realise it myself. I was just busy trying to not mess up my score. So I ended up going for four flags almost accidently and it paid off. Those four birdies at the end really helped my score. I’m pretty pleased to move forward from here. I’ll play more aggressive golf going forward,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

BELA-BELA, Limpopo – Having his wife as his caddie is clearly working for Altin van der Merwe as he paid tribute to her for his opening six-under-par 66 to lead the first round of the SDC Open by a single stroke at the Zebula Golf Estate and Spa on Thursday.

“My wife left her job in teaching to come and caddie for me and I’m very happy,” said Van Der Merwe after a round in which he didn’t drop a single shot. His nearest challengers are Nikhil Rama, Rupert Kaminski and Calum Fyfe who signed for rounds of 67.

Van Der Merwe said he hadn’t intended to play as aggressively as he did on Thursday, but that when his wife Minette – herself an accomplished golfer – told him to take driver or go for a particular flag, he followed her advice.

“She used to be almost a scratch golfer but she gave up on the dream and decided to help me, which she says it just as much fun for her. She’s that extra support on the bag for me. It’s nice that we’re both mentally engaged and involved in the tournament. She’s also like a psychologist on the course. We get along so well. We’re like friends out there,” he said.

Van Der Merwe, one of GolfRSA’s top amateurs before turning professional last year, is still a rookie on the Sunshine Tour but has already been in contention a few times and has three top-10s this season. This week’s tournament – co-sanctioned with the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly European Challenge Tour) – offers an incredible opportunity for him to fully capitalise on this kind of start.

“I just got into this tournament so I’m very proud to play here. My preparation was intense and I’m taking everything very seriously this week, and for the rest of our season. I just want to build on this for the next few weeks and climb our Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. I’d like to finish in the top 50 or 25 at the end of the season.”

He’s also relishing testing his game against the European professionals this week.

“It’s great to have the players from the HotelPlanner Tour here. I played with Adri Arnaus and you only see good golf shots. He’s just so professional in every manner of the game, and it’s great to watch. There’s still a lot of golf to play this week and anything can happen. I’m definitely eager to win. But whereas as an amateur good golf gets you a win, as a pro, good golf just puts you amongst the top 20. So you really need something extra out here.” – Michael Vlismas

BELA-BELA, Limpopo – An elephant never forgets, and neither does a professional golfer. It explains why both Rhys Enoch and Clément Sordet would’ve most likely smiled at seeing the popular Zebula elephants welcoming the professionals on the driving range to this week’s SDC Open at the Zebula Golf Estate and Spa.

As former champions of this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour (formerly European Challenge Tour) co-sanctioned tournament, Enoch and Sordet both have photos of themselves posing with the trophy and one of these elephants.

Enoch in particular certainly hasn’t forgotten his victory here as he returns as the most recent winner of this title in 2024 and looking to become the event’s first double champion.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s been a year actually. It’s always special to be back at a place where you’ve won and I’m just really excited to get going again,” he said ahead of Thursday’s first round.

But the Welshman, who played superb golf last year to win on 24 under par with four consecutive rounds of 66 and with the halfway cut on four under par, says he expects a far different challenge from the course this year.

“Last year I kept my driver in play, which was key. I also putted really well. But this year is completely different than we’ve ever seen it. There’s more rough than ever and the greens are really firm. I firmly believe it won’t be another 24 under par that wins it this year, and the cut will be a lot less as well. It will be a very different challenge and a bit more patience that’s required.”

This marks the start of a very important stretch of four tournaments co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour. Apart from a multitude of incentives offered by the Sunshine Tour over the next few weeks, there is also the race to finish in the top 20 on the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings this year and thereby earn promotion to the DP World Tour.

So these events in South Africa offer a perfect start for somebody like Enoch, who has made his home in this country and who has big plans for his season.

“The main goal is to finish in the top three on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. I had a really good call with my team last week and sorted out what needs to happen this year, such as becoming more consistent and not just getting lost in grinding it out week in and week out.” – Michael Vlismas

SASOLBURG, Free State (19 January 2025) – Austria’s Max Steinlechner claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title with a one-shot victory in the Mediclinic Invitational at the Heron Banks Golf and River Resort on Sunday.

In a thrilling final-round duel with South Africa’s Daniel van Tonder, Steinlechner left it to the final hole to make the birdie he needed to win on 24 under par with a closing 66.

“I’m very grateful for getting an invite this week from the Sunshine Tour. This is my first professional win and I want to thank my sponsors and all the people involved,” he said.

The Austrian and Van Tonder were tied for the lead on 23 under par playing the par-four 18^th before Steinlecher made the birdie that secured him the title. Van Tonder parred the hole for a 66 of his own to finish second on 23 under par.

Jonathan Broomhead and Jacques Blaauw shared third on 19 under par, while Yurav Premlall’s share of fifth place earned him his second top 10 in his last four Sunshine Tour events.

Steinlechner started the final round one shot ahead of Van Tonder and the two of them went head-to-head as they both opened with birdies and kept the pressure on each other.

When Steinlechner made bogey on the par-four 16^th it enabled Van Tonder to draw level with him, before the Austrian sealed the win on the final hole.

This marks Steinlechner’s first major professional title after leaving the North Carolina State University in 2023 as Austria’s top-ranked amateur and joining the paid ranks.

It’s also given him the perfect preparation for the upcoming HotelPlanner Tour (formerly European Challenge Tour) co-sanctioned tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, beginning with this week’s SDC Open at Zebula Country Club.

While denied a victory, Van Tonder’s performance keeps him on track for his stated goal of catching Shaun Norris at the top of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and reclaiming the number one spot he’s held for a large part of this season. Van Tonder is currently second on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. – Michael Vlismas

SASOLBURG, Free State (17 January 2025) – Daniel van Tonder ended 2024 having been knocked off his number one position on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and he’s determined to get that back as he heads into the weekend of the Mediclinic Invitational just one shot off the lead.

Van Tonder signed for a sublime 63 at the Heron Banks Golf and River Estate on Friday to come through 36 holes on 12 under par, one stroke behind leader Maximilian Steinlechner from Austria. Steinlechner has put together two rounds of 64 and 65 to lead this Sunshine Tour event.

It is so far a positive start to 2025 for Van Tonder as he chases a win so early in the year, and that number one spot which he relinquished to Shaun Norris at the end of last year.

“It’s nice to start the year well like this. I want to take back my number one spot on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. I don’t like being second. I’ve got a few good tournaments coming up to do so, and my game feels good,” says van Tonder.

He is also chasing his first victory as a new father following the birth of his daughter, Gabriella Grace, late last year.

“Our daughter was born when I was playing the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December. Then I played in Mauritius the week after that so I missed them a lot. I love being a father. Just looking at this small human being who is looking back at you, and you just wonder what’s going through her head. I must admit that seeing her smile for the first time has been the best for me so far.”

The key to Van Tonder’s round on Friday was a strong second nine of 30.

“It’s my first time playing this course and it’s quite tough. It’s long and tight. You have to hit fairways here. But I’m also very relaxed at the moment. I have a good friend caddying for me and we talk and laugh a bit during the round. It’s almost the same as when my wife caddied for me. It’s a similar feeling. You can’t just think golf 24/7. You’d have to lock me up if that was the case.”

A lot may have changed in Van Tonder’s life as he now takes on fatherhood. But one thing certainly hasn’t changed, and that will be his mindset this weekend.

“I don’t want to come second. I want to win. That doesn’t change.” – Michael Vlismas

SASOLBURG, Free State (15 January 2025) – As the Sunshine Tour tees off 2025 with its first tournament of the year this week in the Mediclinic Invitational, Jovan Rebula is equally excited to take on a new year with a strong sense of what’s possible in his own career.

Rebula heads into Thursday’s first round at the Heron Banks Golf Course confident that he’s “unlocked” a new approach to his game. And he’s keen to keep testing it at the highest level during a run of tournaments – including European Challenge Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned events – still to come over the next few weeks.

“I feel like I’ve unlocked a different way of thinking around the golf course and around tournaments, so I’m eager to get going and see how well I can do,” says Rebula.

The source of Rebula’s confidence is his impressive finish to 2024, which included fourth place in the DP World Tour co-sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December.

“That was an unbelievable event for me. It helped me a lot mentally just to know that I can do it and the game is there. I just need to trust myself more. I took a local caddie that week who could hardly speak English, so there was a satisfaction of knowing I had done everything myself. It was a big confidence boost. It gives me a different perspective moving into the year. It all comes down to you trusting yourself and playing your own game. That’s the goal I’ve been trying to get to, but I couldn’t necessarily feel it until Mauritius. Then I could actually experience playing my own game and not having any distractions. It sounds like a cliché and everybody has been telling me to play my own game, but you can’t fully grasp it until you actually experience it. That was the big takeaway I got from that week.”

Rebula is now just outside the top 10 on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, in 11^th place, as he chases the biggest goal of his career this year.

“My main goal is to try and get back to playing golf in America again, if that’s the Korn Ferry Tour or PGA Tour. That’s ultimately where I want to play. I had an unbelievable finish in Mauritius so it gives me confidence going into the rest of our season now, especially for the DP World Tour co-sanctioned events. We treat those like our Majors. You kind of start seeing yourself in places where you know you can be, which gives you the confidence to know you can perform in bigger events. I’m excited to build on that.”

Rebula also has the confidence of having finished tied third in last year’s Mediclinic Invitational, albeit on a different golf course.

“It’s a different golf course to Maccauvlei last year, and I haven’t played competitive golf on this course before. But the prep has gone well. I had a good holiday, and I’m excited to play.”
– Michael Vlismas

On the day of his wedding anniversary, England’s John Parry claimed a fairytale victory in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf on Sunday.

Starting the final round five shots off the lead, Parry produced a masterful back nine of four birdies and an eagle over his final seven holes to close with a 64 and win by two strokes on 14 under par.

South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht and Dylan Naidoo shared second place on 12 under par with their respective final rounds of 65 and 71.

Parry’s victory in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event signals a remarkable comeback for a golfer who won on the Tour in 2010 but then struggled thereafter and considered giving up the game at one point.

“At one stage I was back on the Euro Pro Tour and close to giving up golf after first winning on the DP World Tour when I was 23. It’s been a long battle back, but worth every moment for this win,” said Parry.

The victory caps a remarkable year for Parry. He won three times on the European Challenge Tour this year and also challenged for the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and finished second there the week before his Mauritius triumph.

“It’s unbelievable. At the start of this year I didn’t think this would happen. After last week, my mindset this week was more focused on trying to win and not just hoping you’ll win.”

It’s a mindset he certainly displayed with that back nine performance, the spark for which came with his chip-in for eagle on the par-five 12^th hole.

“That chip-in on 12 gave me a bit of momentum for the rest of the round. That was a key moment. I had a quick look at the leaderboard and to be honest I thought I was further back. I knew I had to get at it a bit today. I didn’t expect to chip in from that distance, and then I didn’t miss a shot coming in,” said Parry.

With his victory Parry was also crowned the winner of the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing, earning himself a $200 000 bonus.

“I think the big thing for me is knowing that you can do it at this level. This has made me very confident for 2025,” he said.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.

South Africa’s Dylan Naidoo is chasing a maiden DP World Tour victory as he heads into Sunday’s final round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open tied for the lead with Eddie Pepperell, and each with something different to prove at Mont Choisy Le Golf in their final tournament of the year.
 
At the end of a difficult day of wind and firm greens, Naidoo posted a brilliant 66 during which he surged through the field with six birdies in his opening seven holes, finishing on 11 under par.

England’s Pepperell maintained his place at the top of the leaderboard with a round of 69.

They are both one stroke ahead of Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who signed for a third round of 69. And South Africa’s Jovan Rebula worked himself into contention on nine under par with a 67 on Saturday.

Naidoo, a winner on the Sunshine Tour, has never been in this position before in a DP World Tour event and will be looking to prove to himself that he belongs at this level of the game.

“I’m excited to be in this position. I’ve been there and thereabouts on the Sunshine Tour before, but I’ve never been in this position. I’ll take it all in and play as well against myself as I can in the final round,” he said.
 
Naidoo’s front nine was outstanding, but he admitted he did struggle on a back nine which ended with a frustrating bogey on the last.
 
“I had to find the competitor inside myself at times and make a couple of 12 footers to save par. As good as the front nine was, that’s as much of a grind as the back nine was. But I’m happy with the result,” he said.
 
The experienced Pepperell will head into Sunday’s final round looking to reclaim his place on the DP World Tour with a victory here after losing his playing privileges last season. He’s also hunting his first win since 2018.
 
“I think three under was a good round. I didn’t think it was easy at all. I felt like I hit the ball well off the tee today which you needed to do with the crosswinds. But I didn’t feel great with my irons, to be honest. I didn’t hole a lot of putts but did hole a couple towards the end, which is pleasing for the final round,” he said.
 
“I think I can get around here in five under par, and in windy conditions that could be enough. I would like to see my irons a bit more where I want them though.”
 
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.
 

England’s Eddie Pepperell and Denmark’s Hamish Brown share the lead heading into the weekend of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf, with South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht just one shot behind them.

Pepperell maintained his place at the top of the leaderboard, climbing to eight under par with a solid 70 on Friday. Brown joined him with a round of 68 that started with three birdies in his first five holes.

In the afternoon, Lamprecht then moved into contention on seven under par with his round of 68, and was later joined there by Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen following his round of 70.

Pepperell in particular, is well aware that a weekend of opportunity awaits and the last two days have given him some much-needed confidence for the challenge ahead.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to feel really confident because it’s just been a lot of bad stuff in there at times. But I think what I’ve been working on with my swing the last few days does have legs, and let’s hope it has weekend legs,” he said.

“The confidence goes quicker than it comes back, but we all know that if you’re a good player and you find something the confidence can come back quite fast. Then you’ve just got to keep that magic as long as you can. That’s the challenge for me to overcome this weekend.”

As co-leader, Brown is looking forward to a weekend of continuing the momentum of having just gained his DP World Tour card through the European Challenge Tour.

“It’s nice. There’s still a lot of golf left, but it’s nice. I never doubted my ability to be good enough at this level. But it’s still nice to actually do it. I’m looking forward to the weekend,” he said.

The leaderboard remains extremely close going into the final 36 holes, with Lamprecht in particular keen to take advantage of a new mindset he has for this tournament.

“The mindset this week has changed. I just came from playing PGA Tour Q School in America and that was one of the most tense weeks of my career by far. So coming over here with my whole family, who I haven’t seen in a year, I’m treating it as a holiday week and just having fun. That’s been really helpful. It’s a holiday weekend now. That’s all it is. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it,” he said.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.