Category: Featured News

Sometimes, even on the Sunshine Tour, it’s about far more than golf. Sometimes it’s far bigger than birdies and bogeys, great shots or missed putts. The week of the Jonsson Workwear Open was one such week in golf, and the story of one woman’s journey in overcoming unimaginable adversity.

As Germany’s Nick Bachem stood on the 18^th green at The Club at Steyn City celebrating his breakthrough victory in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament last Sunday, next to him stood Jes Foord. She was holding a cheque for R233 000 that had been raised during the tournament through the Birdies for Purpose campaign. It was the culmination of every birdie made by the professionals competing in the event and which had been donated by Jonsson Workwear to The Jes Foord Foundation which works to empower rape survivors through awareness, education and support.

It’s Jes’s own story that suddenly puts anything that ever happens inside the ropes at a golf tournament into stark perspective. A story of adversity, resilience and hope.

“I started The Jes Foord Foundation in 2008 after I was gang raped. I wanted to start an organisation that could be there for people who had been abused or raped and just to be that person who is there for somebody in a time when they really have no one,” said Foord.

“We have grown over the last 15 years and have lots of different projects we work with as well as free counselling, educational talks and awareness programmes. Any work we do with The Jonsson Foundation is incredible. They are always there to help us.”

Nick Jonsson, CEO of Jonsson Workwear, was delighted to be able to present Foord with this cheque. “We’ve been involved with Jes for probably 15 years now. She’s an incredible woman who does amazing work and we’ve supported her in so many different programmes, so it was an obvious choice to support her important work through this tournament.”

At the end of a remarkable tournament, the slight blonde woman who stood alongside Bachem on the 18^th green on Sunday represented another powerful moment of triumph over adversity and the role sport plays in supporting this ongoing triumph in the work being done to help others.

Outside the ropes, even professional golfers fight their own individual battles. Their ability to play this game so well does not make them immune to the hardships of life and the challenges that come their way. And that’s when the support of a company that cares about community and a Tour that shares this vision can make a difference.

And a week in golf when one woman can remind us all how to keep moving forward.

“You’ve got to take it one day at a time,” said Foord of her own journey. “I always use the example of buying a bag of apples and if one is off you don’t give up on the whole bag. This support is a perfect example of how beautiful this country is and how incredible the people here are. You can’t let one incident get you down. You have to look at the many positives in your life and also look at how you are able to help other people get through what you have been through. If you’ve been through it personally, you’ve got that extra empathy to be able to help other people get through it. That’s what keeps me going – knowing that something I may say or do along the way will help somebody else get through the same situation.” – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Professional Nick Bachem (left) and Jes Foord of The Jes Foord Foundation celebrating the success of the Birdies for Purpose campaign at the 2023 Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City. Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – Germany’s Nick Bachem claimed a dream debut victory on the DP World Tour when he won the Jonsson Workwear Open, co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, by four shots at The Club at Steyn City on Sunday.

Bachem closed with a bogey-free final round of 64 to win on 24 under par. South Africans Zander Lombard and Hennie du Plessis shared second place on 20 under par with their respective final rounds of 65 and 68.

Bachem’s rise has been incredible from only recently playing on the Euro Pro Tour and then European Challenge Tour, to now being crowned a champion on the DP World Tour.

“It feels amazing. I think it’s my 10^th start on the DP World Tour. I always believed I could win out here. But to be honest, just playing on the DP World Tour has been overwhelming, and now to win on it as well is amazing. I actually can’t process what’s happened to me over the last few years.”

Bachem overcame a challenging start to his final round when his drive off the first was plugged in a fairway bunker. He managed to make an incredible par from there and went on to play flawless golf.

“I had a bad start with that plugged lie on the first hole and a pitch out. But I changed my mindset during this tournament. I led a tournament in Kenya recently and I tried too hard to win there and it didn’t work out. So this week I just stuck to the plan and stayed calm. My caddie is also very experienced and kept me in the moment most of the time. I just wanted to enjoy today and enjoy having the chance to win a tournament. I played great and am lucky it was my day.”

Bachem says he’s also determined to enjoy every moment of what he believes is a privilege to play professional golf.

“I can’t think of anything else I’d want to do with my life, and how lucky I am. I mean, to be here in South Africa in the sunshine playing a beautiful golf course while it’s snowing back home, and all I have to worry about is whether I make a few birdies or not – that’s a pretty good life. I’m determined to enjoy every moment of being on tour and to really savour it. I learn from the bad weeks and enjoy the good ones.” – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – On a day of rain and delayed tee times, having no strategy proved to be the best strategy for Germany’s Alexander Knappe as he claimed the lead in the Jonsson Workwear Open headed into Sunday’s final round at The Club at Steyn City.

When the third round finally teed off at 11am, Knappe decided to just see where his golf takes him on a difficult day. The result was a solid 65 for a one-stroke lead on 17 under par.

“I had no strategy to be honest. I just played golf and waited to see how it ended up. No strategy,” he said. “It was great work. I made one bogey out there but I am only human so I can’t be too hard on myself. There was no roll on the fairways but you could go for every pin because it was so soft.”

Knappe has won before in South Africa in last year’s Dimension Data Pro-Am, which was co-sanctioned with the European Challenge Tour. But Sunday’s final round will be a new experience for him at DP World Tour level. “It’s my first time leading a big event. I’ll see how I prepare for that mentally. But I’m just enjoying that feeling right now.”

South Africa’s Hennie du Plessis, Swede Joakim Lagergren, Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Germany’s Nick Bachem are his nearest challengers on 16 under par.

Lagergren stormed through the field with an incredible 63 that was made even more remarkable by the fact that he never dropped a single shot in the wet conditions.

“I played really well today, especially my iron shots. It was a different course today and played longer because it was so wet. But I kept the bogeys off the card. It’s been a while since I’ve been bogey free,” he said.

South African Du Plessis also managed to go bogey free during his round of 65 and is delighted to be in contention going into the final round.

“When you’re in the mix it’s always a fun feeling. I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It was hard work today. With all the delays this morning I knew we’d have to be patient out there. It’s so wet so you had to hit fairways and quality iron shots. The pins were also tucked away a little bit.”

But this golf course does set up well for Du Plessis, and he’s looking to take even more advantage of that in the final round.

“I enjoy this layout. The wide fairways and slopey greens are nice to play. Standing up there and hitting a good drive is great, and then when you’re a good mid-iron player it’s a fun course to play.” – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – Germany’s Nick Bachem has often spent six weeks living out of a camper van and surfing in Portugal. He’s been on a safari in Kenya during a tournament, and last week he surfed at Jeffreys Bay for the first time. For a man who loves to try new things on tour, it’s probably no surprise that he pulled out a new driver for this week’s Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City, and it’s taken him to the top of the leaderboard.

Bachem’s 66 in Friday’s second round lifted him to 13 under par and a one-stroke lead over the field in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event.

Frenchman Romain Langasque and Finland’s Sami Valimaki are his nearest challengers following their respective rounds of 64 and 65. And South Africa’s Martin Vorster and Ockie Strydom are in a group of players including Gavin Green, Kalle Samooja, Julien Brun and Marcel Schneider on 11 under going into the weekend. Strydom is hunting his third DP World Tour title in just over three months.

Bachem’s adventurous spirit has certainly worked for him this week on a golf course that’s forgiven him the odd miss with his new driver, and which he’s also made up for with an incredible short game.

“It’s the perfect course to try out a new driver because you can tee it high and let it fly, and just hit it as hard as you want to,” he said.

“I feel like when I try new stuff on tour it’s always a good experience and afterwards I find I’m happy I did it,” he added of his penchant for trying new things in the countries he visits.

“When you’re into surfing you’ve definitely heard about the Jeffreys Bay wave. It’s one of the most famous spots in the world. We stayed there for a tournament and I surfed every morning and afternoon. It was amazing. I like coming to South Africa. It feels like I spend more time here than in Germany. I also enjoy seeing so many great places and new people on tour. You get the chance to do stuff you would never do normally.”

Behind him, Vorster kept himself in contention with a 69 on Friday, and his place near the top of the leaderboard is fuelling his own growing confidence.

“The European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned events we had recently, starting with the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open where I finished fourth and then the SDC Open where I finished seventh, really gave me that confidence to know that I can compete against these players and that I have the game to win tournaments. I always knew I had the game but I didn’t always believe it, and that definitely gave me that self-belief,” he said.

As for Bachem, he heads into the weekend with yet another new experience that’s caught his eye here. “I went online and I saw there is a wave pool about one hour from here,” he said with a smile. “Maybe there’s a new surfing career waiting for me after my golf career.” – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – Scottish professional Ewen Ferguson was delighted to be able to tick off a personal goal of his in Friday’s second round of the Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City. He played his first round of golf with South Africa’s George Coetzee, whom he’s always admired.

“It was nice to play with George Coetzee. I’ve always admired him and it was cool to play with him and try and impress him and I think I managed to do that which was fun,” Ferguson said after his second round of 69 to place him on nine under par overall.

The 26-year-old Ferguson said Coetzee, a five-time winner on the DP World Tour, has always been a role model for him as to what a successful professional represents.

“I’ve always been a fan of the DP World Tour since I was young and I’ve always just noticed George and seen him at events that I went to. We used to share the same coach and I’ve always looked up to him. He’s just a very successful golfer and I think that’s ultimately what we all want to be.” – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – South Africa’s Darren Fichardt and Martin Vorster took advantage of a cool day and a receptive golf course to share the first-round clubhouse lead in the Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City on Thursday.

Fichardt set the clubhouse target with his morning round of eight-under-par 64, and was joined there in the afternoon by Vorster as both players never dropped a single shot on day one of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

They are one stroke clear of Sebastian Soderberg, Hennie O’Kennedy, Joakim Lagergren and Nick Bachem. Play was suspended at 18:27 because of fading light and with a few players still finishing off their first rounds. But none of them will challenge the current lead.

Momentum proved a key factor for both Fichardt and Vorster on Thursday.

Fichardt teed off the 10^th and started his round with two consecutive birdies and never looked back.

“I just carried on with that momentum. I didn’t have a great warm-up so for my first two holes I was just focused on swinging it easy and hitting fairways and greens. I managed to make those two birdies and that was me. I just stayed consistent for the rest of the round. Once you get off to a hot start there’s no fixing up to do. You just keep riding the wave,” he said.

Vorster also enjoyed a momentum shift in his round. After missing a few short birdie putts towards the end of the front nine, the young star made an eagle on the 10^th which sparked a run of four birdies in six holes thereafter.

“I’m very happy. After I missed a few short birdie putts on the front nine my caddie Michal just told me to be patient. On 10 I hit a great second shot and made the putt for eagle and that shifted the momentum for me. I hit the ball really well and gave myself plenty of opportunities and ended up making a few putts so a really solid start to the tournament.”

While the 47-year-old Fichardt is hunting his sixth DP World Tour victory, the 21-year-old Vorster is still in his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour and seeking his maiden professional victory this week.

Vorster has challenged on a few occasions already and is clearly starting to feel more and more comfortable in this position. “It’s a great spot to be in but the gameplan for the second round will be the same – hit fairways and greens and hopefully make a few putts,” he said.

Fichardt is also doing his best to stay in the present.

“The golf course is in excellent condition and there are low numbers out there. A good start always makes it easier for the rest of the week. But I’ll just go out and start the tournament from scratch again in the second round. I’ll play one-round tournaments mentally for myself.” – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – Schalk Burger Jnr. had a bigger smile than usual as he teed off in the pro-am for this week’s Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City, with the former Springbok likening South Africa’s golf depth to being similar to the country’s rugby talent.

“I think we’re massively privileged. The Sunshine Tour and the amount of talent we produce is outstanding. There are so many correlations between that and our rugby, and a talent pool that seems almost endless,” said Burger.

This week, that talent will again be on global display in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament, at a Steyn City golf course that adds significantly to the country’s renowned golf offering.

From its birth more than 10 years ago, Steyn City has been ranked amongst the top 10 estates globally and was recently ranked by New World Wealth as one of the Top 10 Lifestyle Estates worldwide for 2023. This is the second time Steyn City has earned this recognition.

At the heart of the luxury residential lifestyle estate is the championship Nicklaus Design golf course which this week hosts a major Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event for the second time in its history.

Sunshine Tour professional James Hart du Preez came close to a DP World Tour victory when he challenged for the Steyn City Championship here last year, and he says driving through the estate this week has made him feel right at home again.

“When I drove in here on Monday I got that sense of feeling really comfortable here. I like this golf course. The fairways are a bit wider and the course is long. The greens are really good this week, which lends itself to some good putting. But as a lifestyle estate, I don’t think people have paid attention to what was here before and what this is now. The infrastructure that was put in here is incredible. It’s one of the best estates I’ve ever seen in terms of facilities. There’s a 50km mountain bike track, a 300-metre lagoon, the golf course, equestrian facilities – there’s really nothing that this place doesn’t have.”

The European professionals competing this week are equally impressed with what South Africa and the Sunshine Tour offers in the golf space.

“It’s my favourite country. I love coming here. The golf courses are great. I’ve been coming here for 20 years and it’s just a joy coming every time,” said Dutch professional Joost Luiten.

“I love it here. There are so many good courses. The Sunshine Tour is also so well run here and it really prepares you well for going to the next level,” added French professional Julien Brun. – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – When JC Ritchie won the 2022 Jonsson Workwear Open as a European Challenge Tour event, Jonsson Workwear Chief Executive Nick Jonsson took him aside on the 18^th green and said, “Let us know how we can help you. We must help you”. It was a moment that reflected exactly the ethos of a company that this week is celebrating the elevated status of its tournament to a Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event.

A bigger stage means even greater opportunity for especially the South African professionals competing this week, with the first round teeing off at The Club at Steyn City on Thursday. Ritchie’s victory last year played a key role in him ultimately earning a full DP World Tour card by the end of the year, and this week could be just as life-changing for another South African professional.

That’s exactly the kind of journey Nick Jonsson and his company want to support.

“As a South African brand sport is part of our life. We started off modestly with a club rugby sponsorship and slowly grew from there, and now we’re into golf. We’ve long had a dream of being involved in golf sponsorship in some way or another and we’re delighted to have made it happen with the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour,” Jonsson said at the official pro-am for this week’s tournament on Wednesday.

“We find sport a really worthwhile medium. We’re currently on the back of the Cell C Sharks’ shirt, the Emirates Lions’ shirt and the SuperSport United shirt. To now be involved with a DP World Tour event is the cherry on top as far as golf is concerned and we’re thrilled.”

Jonsson’s personal passion stretches beyond just sponsoring a week of world-class international golf, and to the role his company can play in supporting an individual’s journey.

“Successful businesses have a responsibility to the communities around them. Wherever we go we want to help people realise their dreams, whether they are people who work in our factories or people who win a golf tournament we sponsor. We feel a responsibility always to try and be helpful to people and help them along in life. More and more businesses need to realise their responsibilities in the community.”

The golf clinic earlier in the week set the tone for this vision as a host of young golfers spent time with Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour professionals Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Dale Whitnell, James Hart du Preez, Martin Vorster and Stefan Wears-Taylor in a bid to not only improve their games, but to also inspire them on their own journey in golf.

“If people hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. A lot of people took a chance on me and without that I wouldn’t be standing here sponsoring this wonderful event,” said Jonsson. – Michael Vlismas

JOHANNESBURG (Gauteng) – The evolution of Brandon Stone’s professional career continues in this week’s Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City as he goes in search of a fourth DP World Tour title while feeling more confident than ever in a lifestyle decision he made two years ago.

The 29-year-old South African is one of the most social professionals in world golf, but two years ago he did something radical for his generation and went off social media entirely.

“It’s been gone for two years, and I can feel that sense of relief,” said Stone, who has been on a search to get back to the basics of his craft and regain the form that saw him win three DP World Tour titles in three years and then a European Challenge Tour title in 2021.

Stone was only in his 27^th start on the DP World Tour when he broke through and won his national Open in 2016. A year later he claimed the third largest margin of victory in the history of the Alfred Dunhill Championship with his six-stroke win at Leopard Creek, and then in 2018 he closed with a stunning 60 to win the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

He’s since been working hard to get back into the winner’s circle, and two top-10s in his last five tournaments have been an encouraging sign.

“I feel like I’m playing well. The European Challenge Tour events we had recently in South Africa were fantastic for me from a momentum point of view. The game feels good.”

In explaining his decision to shift his focus off social media to more personal interaction with people, Stone said, “I’ve always enjoyed face-to-face interaction with people. I enjoy actually speaking to my family and friends. I’ve always felt like I’m part of an older generation just stuck in a younger frame. I was that 10-15-year-old kid in the clubhouse playing golf with the 40-year-olds. I’ve loved every second of it and haven’t missed it at all. Now I either text or phone my friends as opposed to presuming that I know what they’re doing in their lives. That’s a human interaction that I felt was lacking for a long time, and which I’ve now got back in my arsenal again.”

Stone lines up in a strong Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned field for this week’s Jonsson Workwear Open.

The field includes every single one of the top 10 on the Sunshine Tour’s Luno Order of Merit, and three of the top seven players on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings.

Shaun Norris is back at the golf course where he won his first DP World Tour event in The Steyn City Championship last year, while JC Ritchie returns to an event he won in 2022 when it was still a European Challenge Tour tournament before being upgraded to the DP World Tour this year. – Michael Vlismas

ST FRANCIS BAY (Eastern Cape) – England’s Matthew Baldwin claimed his first victory in his 200^th start on the DP World Tour when he won the SDC Championship, which is co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, by seven strokes at St Francis Links on Sunday.

Baldwin closed with a 68 to win on 18 under par and dedicated his victory to his late stepfather. “It’s been a tough 12 months. My stepdad died last May, and this is for him,” he said.

Spain’s Adri Arnaus took second place on 11 under par with a final round of 67, while Jaco Ahlers finished as the leading South African in tied third place on 10 under par with a final-round 68.

“It’s unbelievable,” a relieved Baldwin said of his win. “It’s my 200^th start so I’ve had plenty of opportunities. It’s just an unbelievable feeling right now.”

It was a long weekend of golf for the field, and which Baldwin managed superbly. The wind that forced the suspension of the earlier rounds meant the third round had to be carried over into Sunday morning, with Baldwin finishing this with a solid 65 which lifted him to 14 under par overall. The Englishman had a four-stroke lead over Norway’s Kristian Krogh Johannessen going into the final round and was never challenged.

“I played well all week. I was so steady out there and I think that maybe put the pressure on those around me to try and play more attacking golf, and I was fortunate to come out on the right side of it.”

It also comes at a good time for him both professionally and personally.

“It certainly makes the rest of the year more relaxing. I can plan a schedule. I’m also due to get married this year or the next, so I’ll be able to have a couple of weeks off to help plan that which is exciting.”

But the ultimate reward is the confidence this win has brought him.

“It proves a lot to me. It proves that I’m good enough to be out here. I’ve had plenty of doubt and this proves everything to me.” – Michael Vlismas