Category: Featured News

CAPE TOWN, Western Cape – England’s Jamie Rutherford claimed his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour with a two-stroke triumph in the Cell C Cape Town Open in association with Honor at Royal Cape Golf Club on Sunday.

Jeff and Sarah Rutherford, his parents who had flown out from England to support their son on the final day, broke down in tears as they watched him close out a composed final round of 69 in windy conditions to win on 14 under par.

“It’s been a long time coming. He’s been so consistent. Today’s such a great achievement for him. He works so hard,” said his father Jeff.

For Rutherford, it was indeed a moment to savour.

“I’m ecstatic. My family have supported me the whole way. To travel halfway around the world to come and watch me play shows you much they support me. And for me to win when they are here is really special,” he said.

South Africa’s Keenan Davidse finished second on 12 under par with a final round of 67.

It was a confident performance from Rutherford in very tricky conditions. He made three key birdies on the front nine and two on the back nine that allowed him the two bogeys he also made over the final nine holes.

“I’m really pleased with how I played in such tough conditions. I was very good off the tee, and my putting was really good as well. I made some really important putts coming down the stretch. I’ve worked really hard on not being too hard on myself during a round. I’ve worked on controlling my emotions and staying in the present, and I did that today,” he said

“I’ve had so many good finishes, top-10s and opportunities, but the win has been missing. I’ve been working hard and playing on the HotelPlanner Tour for a few years now, so to win now is brilliant. I love this golf course. I love Cape Town. And I love coming to South Africa. It’s a great way to start the year. The hospitality here is just so amazing.” – Michael Vlismas

CAPE TOWN, Western Cape – A few months ago Martin Vorster wasn’t sure he’d be able to retain his playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour without a medical exemption. This week he heads into the Cell C Cape Town Open in association with Honor at Royal Cape Golf Club just outside the top 10 on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

“I get goosebumps just thinking about that,” he said ahead of Thursday’s first round of this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

Last year the talented young star had to work his way back from a hip injury, and he made his return to the Sunshine Tour last August.

Then last week he pushed the in-form Daniel van Tonder right to the final hole of the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood before finishing second.

“Six months ago I never expected to be in this position. I had such an incredible team around me and we just kept positive and decided to just do what we could daily. And now it’s paying off. I was very proud of myself for just being able to stay in the running last week. Daniel has been playing unbelievable golf and my goal was just to try and give him a go and I think I did that. I’m just pleased I kept myself in the mix, and hopefully we can do the same again this week,” he said.

This week represents yet another opportunity for Vorster on a golf course he’s excited about.

“I grew up in Mossel Bay so I’ve played a lot of golf in the wind, and we’re expecting some high winds which should be fun. The course is looking unbelievably good, and I think a tournament like this has to be played in some wind.”

Vorster is part of a group who have arrived in the Mother City like a rising tide of golfers in good form at the moment.

Daniel van Tonder’s back-to-back wins the past two weeks make him an obvious contender. A third win this week would automatically secure him a DP World Tour card for next season.

Nikhil Rama has finished 12^th and fourth in his last two Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned events, while Irishman Liam Nolan arrives in Cape Town with finishes of third and fourth in his last two events on South African fairways.

And former champions Benjamin Follett-Smith and JC Ritchie are chasing their own place in the tournament’s history as they each seek to become the first three-time winner of this event. – Michael Vlismas

HARTBEESPOORT, North West – Daniel van Tonder continued his incredible form with a two-stroke victory in the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood on Sunday, claiming back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour as well as his fourth victory this season.

Van Tonder closed with a 67 to win on 27 under par, claiming his second victory in as many weeks after winning the SDC Open.

It also entrenched his number one position at the top of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been playing well and have just backed myself. I’ve been working hard and it’s nice to see the results come through now,” said Van Tonder.

Martin Vorster finished second on 25 under par with a closing 65, and as the only man on the day who came closest to catching Van Tonder.

Van Tonder appeared to be cruising to victory, but then came a two-shot swing on the par-four 15^th where he made bogey from the greenside bunker to drop to 26 under par and Vorster made birdie to climb to 24 under par.

Van Tonder responded with a birdie on 16 and Vorster kept up his challenge with a birdie on 17 before both parred the last.

Australia’s Danny List took third place on 24 under par with a closing 67.

It’s been a dream past few months for Van Tonder, who has also celebrated the birth of his baby daughter Gabriella Grace. He now needs one more victory on the HotelPlanner Tour to secure his DP World Tour card for next season.

“I’ve been very blessed and feel very grateful. I’m just going to continue reaching for the stars and see where I land,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

HARTBEESPOORT, North West – Daniel van Tonder holds a two-stroke clubhouse lead going into the weekend of the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood and is hunting back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour.

Van Tonder signed for a second round of 66 on Friday to climb to 16 under par overall. His nearest challenger is Martin Vorster who posted a second round of 65 for a total of 14 under par.

But the second round will have to be completed on Saturday morning after play was suspended for a little under two hours due to dangerous weather conditions from an approaching storm.

Van Tonder is coming off a win in last week’s SDC Open and kept his hold on this tournament on another low-scoring day.

Van Tonder, who led the first round with a 62, teed off the first and did most of his scoring around the turn with a run of seven birdies in 10 holes and only one bogey in that stretch.

“I’m very pleased. I played solid. I didn’t really think about how to follow up my 62 yesterday. I took it as a new day to start fresh. But I did feel like I left a few birdies out there, especially on the front nine,” he said.

“You need to keep making birdies here. I’m looking forward to a bit of pressure. I play better when I’m under pressure. My gameplan on the weekend will be the same – head down and attack.”

Behind him, Vorster is also looking forward to a weekend of being in contention after his top-20 finish last week.

“I’m in a great position and excited for the weekend. Everything stays the same for the next two days and then we’ll add up the score at the end,” he said.

Vorster managed his game exceptionally well on Friday on a course where the temptation could be to try and force the birdies.

“It’s easy to get too aggressive on a course like this. You’re tempted to go for every flag, but sometimes taking a wedge and aiming just three steps left or right of the flag is the right shot. You know the scores are going to be really low here, so you need to remind yourself that if you give yourself chances the putts are going to drop. I just stuck to my gameplan very well today,” he said as he chases a maiden professional title.

With the scores as low as they are, the weekend still offers plenty of opportunity for those chasing Van Tonder, including Sebastian Friedrichsen and Nikhil Rama four shots behind him. – Michael Vlismas

HARTBEESPOORT, North West – Daniel van Tonder is in the kind of free-flowing mood that makes him feel like he can win every time he tees it up, and he showed this again on Thursday with a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 to lead the first round of the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood.

Van Tonder picked up right where he left off after winning last week’s SDC Open and immediately claimed a two-stroke lead in this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

His nearest challengers on eight under par are Luke Brown, Nikhil Rama, Jason Roets and Peter Karmis who all added to a day of low scoring. Karmis in particular holed out with his second on the par-four ninth to join the chasing group.

But as Van Tonder overtook them all in the afternoon, there was a sense that this has happened before.

He won twice on the Sunshine Tour in 2014, then four times in 2020, and twice again in 2024. It’s the kind of pattern that suggests when he starts winning, there is usually more to come.

“I’ve been playing well the last year or so, so it’s nice catching this good form and riding it. It’s nice to reap the rewards of my hard work over the past few months. But I’ll just keep working hard, keep my head down and do my thing,” Van Tonder said.

He recently moved back into first position on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and also took the lead on the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca.

And whereas last week he came from seven shots back in the final round to win in a playoff, this week he’s the early frontrunner.

“It’s a bit different this week. I’ll just keep my foot on the gas and keep going. But it’s quite nice to start the week with a round of 10 under par. It makes my job a bit easier over the next three days. The course is playing well and I feel like I left a few more birdies out there. There are low scores out there. This is a good golf course. It places a premium on the tee shot so if you’re hitting it well you’ve got a chance.”

Behind him, Rama has made another good start for the second week in succession. He finished tied 12^th in last week’s SDC Open.

“My game’s been feeling good for a long time now. It’s just nice to see the putts dropping. Everybody is going to score well around here if the putts drop,” he said.

And Roets also continued with his good form after finishing tied fifth last week.

“I was three under through the first three holes and I’ve put myself in a good position. If your short game is good here then the scores are out there. I’m definitely building on the confidence of last week,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

HARTBEESPOORT, North West – The MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood has drawn an incredibly strong field with a number of rankings contenders on various tours who have gathered on the banks of Hartbeespoort Dam for this Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

None more so than Daniel van Tonder, who currently holds the top spot on both the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings following his victory in last week’s SDC Open.

Van Tonder has had a clear goal to reclaim his number one position on the Sunshine Tour standings, and this week he wants to keep that momentum.

“I just want to extend my lead. I want to win our Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and see where that takes me, because it opens a few doors for me,” he said.

Fellow South African Shaun Norris is back on local fairways this week and playing some of the best golf of his career. He is currently second on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and third on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai following an incredible run of form.

After winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in December, Norris started 2025 in equally strong form with finishes of sixth and 16^th in the DP World Tour’s last two events in the United Arab Emirates.

“It’s great to be back and spend some time at home. The first thing I did was have a braai. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year. I’m very happy with the way I’m swinging the club and I’m having a lot of fun with my brother on the bag. Pecanwood has always been a good venue, and the course looks good this week,” said Norris.

This week’s field also includes Wilco Nienaber, JC Ritchie, Benjamin Follett-Smith and Nikhil Rama, who are all currently in the top 10 on the Road to Mallorca rankings.

And the three young stars of Jonathan Broomhead, Yurav Premlall and Dylan Naidoo will also be looking to strengthen their positions within the top five on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

It’s a tantalising showcase of South African golf talent, and one which Daniel Egdes, CEO of MoreCorp Membership, says they’re proud to support.

“We believe in what the Sunshine Tour is doing in terms of creating opportunities for South African professionals to compete not only here but also against international golfers from the HotelPlanner Tour and the DP World Tour. Further to this, the MyGolfLife brand is an engagement platform for golfers to reward them for participating in the sport they love. With their increased participation, we also gain more golfers interested in watching tournaments and attending Sunshine Tour events. In any sport, fans need heroes and the Sunshine Tour has created wonderful golf heroes. That also creates more people interested in the game and fuels that increased participation. So it all weaves together in the whole eco system of our game.” – Michael Vlismas

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