Category: Homepage New

Pretoria (Gauteng) – It was a round that had a little bit of everything, but all of it was good enough to earn Jean-Paul Strydom a two-stroke lead going into Friday’s final day of the Sunbet Challenge hosted by Time Square at Wingate Park Country Club.

Strydom signed for a six-under-par 66 including an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys, to take the lead on 12 under par.

His nearest challengers are South Africans Gerhard Pepler and James Mack, and Australia’s Austin Bautista on 10 under par. Multiple DP World Tour winner George Coetzee is also well placed just three strokes off the lead.

But for Strydom, it was the kind of day he’d like to “copy and paste” for the final round as he looks to claim his first victory since 2019.

“Hopefully we can just copy and paste what we have been doing over the last two days. I’ve been in this position a couple of times and only brought it home once, so a second title would mean a lot to me,” he said.

“Today was good. It started a bit shaky off the tee, but I managed to find a bit of rhythm. It was the same in the first round. I made a soft bogey on my 17^th hole (the par-three eighth), but I bounced back with a birdie on my final hole which is always nice.”

Strydom has struggled with injury and knows the value of this two-stroke lead and the chance he now has. But he’s also doing his best not to get ahead of himself.

“The gameplan is literally to find the fairways and make the putts. That is the key at Wingate. But I’m looking forward to the final round.” – Michael Vlismas Media

Pretoria (Gauteng) – A strong back nine carried Neil Schietekat to an opening eight-under-par 64 and a one-stroke lead in Wednesday’s first round of the Sunbet Challenge hosted by Time Square at Wingate Park Country Club.

Schietekat teed off the first and turned in two under par before an impressive back nine of six birdies earned him the lead.

“I did hit my driver really good, so the par fives on the back nine gave me birdie opportunities that I took. I didn’t miss a single fairway on the back nine and made the putts that I needed to make,” said Schietekat.

“Overall, it was windy out there so my gameplan was to try and get the ball as close as possible to the green, but the cross winds made it quite tough.”

Schietekat’s 64 is a welcome return to form for the five-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, whose last victory came in 2023.

“It’s been a tough year and golf is a crazy game – you have some highs and you have some lows. You just have to remember the highs, because sometimes the lows last a little bit longer.”

James Mack is his nearest challenger following a 65 where he was the only player in the current top 10 not to drop a shot on day one of this Sunshine Tour event.

Jacques Blaauw, Jean-Paul Strydom and Martin Vorster are tied for third on six under par.

Mexico’s Luis Carrera, currently lying second on the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit, opened with a round of five-under-par 67, while Yurav Premlall, who lost in a playoff for last week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf title, is just four shots off the lead. – Michael Vlismas Media

PARYS (Free State) – Herman Loubser joined the long list of illustrious winners on the Vodacom Origins of Golf series when he beat Yurav Premlall on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at the Parys Golf & Country Estate on Sunday.

Loubser and Premlall finished regulation play tied for the lead on eight under par after their respective final rounds of 69 and 72.

Loubser then took the title with a birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-five 18^th. His caddie Lloyd Gaya was also rewarded with a champion’s medalion as part of the Sunshine Tour’s recognition of the winning caddie.

“Yurav and I are good mates, so it’s a bit of a bitter-sweet victory. He had a bad lie off the tee and had to lay up. I had two putts left for birdie after a good second shot. Yurav didn’t make his birdie, so I ended with the win,” Loubser said.

Pieter Moolman (67), George Coetzee (71) and England’s Joe Long (71) finished joint third on six under par.

Nadia van der Westhuizen closed with a 72 to finish as the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional on two-over-par.

Defending champion Premlall went into the final round with a two-stroke lead, but struggled to maintain that form as Loubser opened with four birdies in his first five holes. But Loubser’s double bogey on the par-five ninth led to a thrilling back nine before he sealed it in the playoff.

“I’m over the moon with today – super happy,” said Loubser. “It’s my first win since 2022. It’s quite a long time. It almost feels like you’ve forgotten how to win. To get over the line after two recent second places really feel amazing.”

“It takes a bit of pressure off, and I’m playing good golf. Hopefully I can just continue playing well.” – Michael Vlismas Media

PARYS (Free State) – Herman Loubser signed for a 67 after Friday’s first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf played at the Parys Golf & Country Estate to lead by one stroke on five-under-par.

Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi is hot on his heals, trailing by one shot on four-under-par 68 with a group of ten players currently in joint third position on three-under-par 69.

Kelsey Nicholas and Gabrielle Venter are the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals on one-over-par 73.

Loubser started his round on the back nine and although he dropped two shots early on, managed to settle into a good rhythm, carding an eagle and claiming a further five birdies.

“I started off with a bogey. It was a cold morning so it was tough. Then I made another silly drop on the 16^th after a poor tee-shot. The eagle on the 18^th helped me to bounce back so the overall round was really good. I had a good day,” said Loubser.

The South African is currently in good form after finishing second at the recent Mopani Zambia Open and in joint second position at last week’s FNB Eswatini Open.

“The confidence is pretty good at the moment as I am working on the right things. It’s definitely getting better and a really nice feeling and place to be. Second places are also good but hopefully a win is coming pretty soon” Loubser added.

Loubser’s game plan for tomorrow is to keep things simple.

“Tomorrow is only the second round, so there is no need to do anything crazy. I just need to get myself in decent positions to shoot a good score, in order to be in a good position for the final round”.

A two-day pro-am set the tone for the main professional tournament. The pro-am was won by amateur Steven Matthews, who played with Sunshine Tour professional Thomas Spreadborough on day one and Jacques Blaauw on day two. Matthews leads the top three amateurs from this event who have qualified for the final at Pezula Golf Estate in November.

“This was a fantastic experience. To have qualified for the final is incredible, although it leaves me with a bit of a challenge because the final is right on my wedding anniversary,” said Matthews.

The Sunshine Tour professionals also took part in a golf clinic with the Free State/Northern Cape chapter of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB).

“It was so productive for our young golfers. As a coach it was also valuable for me because I learnt a few things from the professionals that I can now pass on to our golfers,” said Tshepo Mokoena, an SAGDB Coach and Assistant Manager. – Michael Vlismas Media

German professional Allen John is a hearing-impaired golfer who has surprised all on his debut on the Sunshine Tour, and he hopes to continue doing so in this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at the Parys Golf & Country Club.

John made his Sunshine Tour debut in last week’s FNB eSwatini Challenge and finished tied fourth. It was this performance that earned him a place in this week’s R2 million Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament in Parys, which tees off on Friday and finishes on Sunday.

But he does so playing the game in a completely different way to every other professional in the field.

John was born completely deaf, and although he now wears hearing aids which he admits takes his hearing up to 85%, there are still elements of professional golf that he has to deal with uniquely.

“When I was born, they didn’t do the hearing tests in the hospital. It was only later that my mother started to realise I wasn’t reacting to voices and sounds, and she then had tests done which confirmed my hearing impairment,” says John.

“When it comes to golf, every noise has a certain frequency, and high-pitched tones like birds are almost impossible for me to hear even with the hearing aids. And when it comes to the actual playing of the game, a professional golfer would normally react to the sound of the ball on the club or how the club hits the ground. But I don’t recognise those sounds. I do everything based on touch and feel. So I’ve had to teach myself to take my feedback directly from touch. That’s one of the main differences for me compared to other players. Also, when there’s wind on the course it’s annoying because the hearing aid becomes like a microphone in the wind. But I get along just fine.”

John has played in South Africa before in tournaments co-sanctioned between the Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour. But when he lost his playing status on the HotelPlanner Tour last season, he decided to focus his efforts on the Sunshine Tour alone.

“I basically got the email on the Saturday before the FNB eSwatini Challenge  to say I was into the tournament. I was still in Germany, so I had to be really creative in terms of how to get there. It was adventurous. It was a spontaneous trip and I’m enjoying it. I always thought of the Sunshine Tour as a good option. It’s very competitive and there are a lot of good players. I’m still learning the golf courses here, but it’s a very professionally organised tour. The Sunshine Tour gives incredible exposure and it’s a great opportunity to put ourselves in the spotlight. The pathways with the co-sanctioned events on the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour and also the exemptions into the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School are also incredible. These are all avenues that help us as players. It’s a great opportunity to be playing here.”

There has never been a German winner on the Vodacom Origins of Golf series since it first teed off in 2004, never mind a hearing-impaired champion. And John is hoping to change all of that in Parys this week.

“I had a chance to win last week and finished tied fourth. My form is definitely trending in the right direction. I know I’m capable of winning golf tournaments. I just need to keep working hard and be patient.” – Michael Vlismas

A Mexican professional golfer who is mad about South African biltong, has fallen in love with this country, and is teeing it up in Parys this week. That’s Parys in the Free State.

Luis Carrera is looking to continue his so far highly successful debut season on the Sunshine Tour in this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf Series at the Parys Golf & Country Estate.

The 25-year-old Carrera made a spectacular debut when he became the first player in Sunshine Tour history to win the Tour’s Qualifying School and then the first two tournaments of the season in the FBC Zim Open and the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am.

He is currently the leader on both the Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit and Fortress Rookie of the Year standings. Now he will tee it up in the Sunshine Tour’s most historic series of pro-am tournaments – the Vodacom Origins of Golf. And a bit of research will tell him that this series, which dates back to 2004, has produced champions who have gone on to global success and even Major glory.

But the only reason Carrera is even in Parys this week is because of a plan he and a few Colombian golf friends had.

“I had a couple of friends from Colombia who were going to come to the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School in April this year. We decided on the Sunshine Tour because it gives you something more and you can jump to another level like the HotelPlanner Tour, DP World Tour and even the PGA Tour,. It also has a lot of tournaments so you get into the rhythm of playing the whole year, and the prize money is very good too,” says Carrera.

In the end, his Colombian friends didn’t make it. “So I came alone. I was a bit nervous about that, but it seems to have worked out well.”

Carrera was born and raised in Mexico, and was introduced to the game by his father at the age of three. At the age of 18 he left to play college golf in the United States, and in 2022 won the Canadian Amateur. He turned professional in June 2023, and until recently was self-coached.

Now he’s chasing a third title on the Sunshine Tour and a place in the history of the Vodacom Origins of Golf.

“I think it’s wonderful here. I like the nature. At one of the tournaments we saw monkeys on the course – that was unreal. I was so impressed by the wildlife. I also love the biltong. And the South African players are super nice to me,” he says.

It’s now August and if Carrera continues in this form, he’ll be perfectly placed for when the Sunshine Tour’s co-sanctioned season rolls around with the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour events from the end of this year.

“I’d like to play the whole season on the Sunshine Tour and finish in a good spot so I can hopefully get into the co-sanctioned events. Right now my dream is to play on the DP World Tour and in the Majors.” – Michael Vlismas

The Vodacom Origins of Golf, South African professional golf’s longest running consecutive series of pro-am tournaments, tees off its 2025 edition this week with the first of four tournaments featuring combined fields of Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals competing for the same share of a total of R8 million in prize money.

The series – which features professionals and a VIP selection of Vodacom customers – tees off at Parys Golf & Country Estate this Friday, and will then travel to the Gowrie Farm Lodge & Golf Course as well as the Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate in September, before heading to the Pezula Championship Course for the Final in November.

The most iconic pro-am series on the Sunshine Tour, which dates back to 2004, has drawn a quality professional field for its opening tournament of 2025.

Yurav Premlall is the Free State/Northern Cape regional defending champion after winning this event in Kathu last year. He joins a a field that includes eight of the current top 10 on the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit, and the top three emerging talents on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings.

It’s a quality field of young stars, proven winners, and several golfers who are hitting form at the moment.

Mexico’s Luis Carrera heads to Parys looking for his third victory this year after dominating with back-to-back wins in the first two tournaments of the season.

South Africa’s Samuel Simpson has also emerged a new talent with his win in the Mopani Zambia Open this year, and heads to Parys having finished in the top 15 in four of his five tournaments this season.

The experienced Pieter Moolman is looking to build on his runner-up finish in eSwatini last week, while Herman Loubser is also pushing for a win following back-to-back runners-up finishes in his last two tournaments.

Multiple DP World Tour champion George Coetzee is hunting his sixth title on the Series, while Luca Filippi continues his comeback to the Tour following a long injury layoff.

And Jean Hugo returns as the perennial favourite on the Series and as the winner of a record 12 Vodacom Origins of Golf titles – the latest of which came last year.

The Sunshine Ladies Tour will be represented by nine professionals, including Nadia van der Westhuizen, a winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season.

This year’s Series will also once again feature a golf clinic at each event with the Sunshine Tour professionals and young golfers from the local South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) chapters. – Michael Vlismas

Fortress #PoweringGrowth in SA golf with increases in tournament prize fund and Fortress Rookie of the Year prize

The Sunshine Tour and Fortress Real Estate Investments have announced a significant increase in the prize money for the 2025 Fortress Invitational, as well as an increase in the end-of-season bonus for the Fortress Rookie of the Year award.

The 2025 Fortress Invitational will be played at Glendower Golf Club from 16-19 October for an increased purse of R2.5 million. This represents an overall increase of R1 million in prize money since the Fortress Invitational first teed off in 2022, which was the beginning of a valuable partnership with the Sunshine Tour.

This season’s Fortress Rookie of the Year winner will also walk off with a cheque for R400 000, which is double the previous season.

“This year, the Fortress Invitational is powering growth in South African golf at every level with an increased prize purse and a doubling of the Fortress Rookie of the Year prize in a continued show of our support for emerging talent. It’s all part of our commitment to growing the game, backing today’s top competitors, and paving the way for the future of South African golf on the Sunshine Tour, while investing in our brand,” said Steven Brown, CEO of Fortress Real Estate Investments.

The announcement adds significantly to a Sunshine Tour schedule that is now over 30 tournaments strong with almost R200 million in total prize money, as well as offering global opportunities for Sunshine Tour professionals to earn playing privileges on the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour, and exemptions into Majors.

“Fortress has been a valuable partner over the past four years and we’re extremely proud to announce not only the continued support of the Fortress Invitational on our schedule, but at the same time a further endorsement of the Sunshine Tour’s international status as a tour of opportunity. The additional support of Fortress for our leading Fortress Rookie of the Year is an equally strong investment in the development of new talent on our fairways,” said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.

The Fortress Invitational and Fortress Rookie of the Year award have continued to play a vital role in the development of the next generation of South African golf stars.

The tournament has played a key role in the rise of Robin Williams from Sunshine Tour professional to DP World Tour golfer. Williams won the Fortress Invitational back-to-back in 2023 and 2024 and the Fortress Rookie of the Year in the 2023/24 season.

Ezulwini Valley (Eswatini) – Michael Hollick became a four-time winner on the Sunshine Tour with his two-stroke victory in the FNB Eswatini Challenge at the Ezulwini Golf & Country Club on Saturday.

Hollick, who led going into the final round, signed for a final round of 68 to win on 16 under par. It was also a special moment for his caddie, Clavie Taderera, who was also recognised at the prizegiving and presented with a winning Sunshine Tour caddie medal.

It was a commanding performance from Hollick, who ended the previous Sunshine Tour season with a victory in the Courier Guy DNi Tour Championship.

He started the final round strong with successive birdies on his opening two holes. A further two birdies on the front nine and then an eagle early on the back nine kept his title challenge on track. And he was able to seal the victory despite a double bogey on the par-three 14^th hole.

“My gameplan was the same – try and get the ball in the fairway and don’t try and overpower this golf course. It is a short course and a scoreable one, but it still requires a lot of tactics and placing your ball in the right areas,” said Hollick.

The par fives were key to Hollick’s title chase and he played them in 11 under for the week.

“The par fives give you a lot of opportunities around here and when you have a lot of iron shots into the par fives you can make a score,” he said.

The duo op Pieter Moolman (69) and Herman Lobser (64) finished joint second on 14-under-par, with Paul Boshoff (66) joined Germany’s Allen John (70) in fourth place in a share of fourth place on 13 under par. – Michael Vlismas Media

Ezulwini Valley (Eswatini) – The South African trio of Martin Vorster, Altin van der Merwe and Tyran Snyders took the early initiative to lead Thursday’s first round at the FNB Eswatini Challenge at the sweeping Ezulwini Golf & Country Club course.

The leading trio all signed for rounds of seven-under-par 65 to edge one shot clear from Pieter Moolman (66) and Martin Rowher (66).

Vorster, who is back in action after struggling with injuries in 2024, had an adventurous opening round that included eight birdies, three bogeys and an eagle to earn him the early clubhouse lead

“Today was an interesting round –a little bit of everything. But I am really happy with the way I started. I did have a funny moment on the seventh hole. I was under the impression it is a par-four, and as I tapped in the putt my playing partner congratulated me with the birdie. All in all, I am really happy with the way I played today, especially after being out for four months last year due to a hip injury” Vorster said.

Van Der Merwe, last year’s Sunshine Tour Fortress Rookie of the Year, navigated the course without dropping a single shot amongst his seven birdies to join Vorster at the top of the leaderboard.

Snyders then impressed with six birdies and an eagle, and dropping only one shot, on his way to joining the leading group early in his professional career.

The trio of leaders are all still searching for a maiden Sunshine Tour win and will face fierce competition from their nearest challengers, Moolman and Rohwer, who have six titles between them. And Rohwer in particular was a winner on this golf course in 2019. – Michael Vlismas Media