Category: Homepage New

The hug was deep and meaningful. Erik van Rooyen was silent as his lengthy eagle putt dropped and he pumped one fist while his caddie Alex Gaugert put both his arms in the air. A silent stare followed between player and caddie. These long-time friends didn’t need to say anything. How could they? Why would they? They already knew.

This one was for Jon.

Jon Trasamar played collegiate golf alongside van Rooyen and Gaugert at the University of Minnesota. They won the 2014 Big Ten Championship as a team, and Trasamar finished tied for third as an individual. He kept clawing away at the grind that is professional golf. Mini-tours, mostly. A caddie gig to help pay the bills. A wife, Allie – they met in 2016 and were married in 2022.

And then melanoma. Cancer. He was in remission, and then, via text on Tuesday, van Rooyen and Gaugert learned the cancer had returned and spread throughout his body. Van Rooyen, after winning his second PGA TOUR title on Sunday at the World Wide Technology Championship, admitted the terrible truth. His friend was not going to make it. He and Gaugert would fly to Minnesota on Monday to see him for, likely, one of the last times. Van Rooyen said his friend has six to 10 weeks left – maybe less.

And that’s life. Real life. He knows the best man at his wedding won’t be around much longer.

“Every shot out there today was for him,” van Rooyen said, minutes after his victory at El Cardonal at Diamante was confirmed.

Van Rooyen admitted Friday after his round he got back to his hotel room and broke down in tears. He said Saturday night a win would “mean everything” because it would secure his job for 2024 – he entered the week at No. 125 on the FedExCup Fall standings, squarely on the bubble to retain TOUR exempt status – and he could go home to see his friend.

As a 19-year-old, van Rooyen left South Africa to attend the University of Minnesota. Trasamar and his family met him at the airport – they lived about two hours away from Minneapolis – and they were college roommates for three years.

“He was like a brother to me,” van Rooyen said.

Van Rooyen gets plenty with this victory – job security and opportunities for big events and nearly $1.5 million – but winning wasn’t the emphasis, he said. He might not have cared whether he won or lost Sunday, but van Rooyen did win. In style, too.

Sunday brought high drama throughout, with four players separated by just a shot into the 72nd hole. But van Rooyen wasn’t playing for himself. He didn’t care about the birdies because he wasn’t thinking about the birdies. His friend, who he loves, was going through something that van Rooyen couldn’t believe.

Before he knew it, van Rooyen had an eagle attempt to win the whole thing. He had made six birdies already in eight holes, including mid-range efforts on Nos. 16 and 17. There was no way he was missing that eagle putt.

An incredible 8-under 28 on the back nine and a 9-under 63 Sunday in Mexico meant a two-shot victory over Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas. It was van Rooyen’s second TOUR title, his first coming at the 2021 Barracuda Championship.

It was a trying year, van Rooyen said. Coming into the week, he missed more cuts than he made and was 151st on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Total. He started working with instructor Sean Foley at the U.S. Open and has seen gradual improvement. The results have followed, slowly but surely; he finished tied for sixth at the Barracuda Championship in August, and he arrived in Mexico on the strength of five straight top-25s between the TOUR and DP World Tour.

Things coalesced on Sunday, with fervor.

“Listen,” Kuchar said, “the birdie-birdie-eagle finish is impressive. What was that?. … 8-under par on the final nine holes is quite an awesome finale. Hard to keep up with.

“At the end of the day you tip your hat and say that’s some awesome playing.”

It was indeed.

It was a dedicated triumph. Surround yourself, as the saying goes, only with people who are going to lift you higher.

Erik van Rooyen knew that about Jon Trasamar. No words were needed after that hug with Gaugert. They knew. It was a win for a friend.

“When I kick the bucket one day, whenever that might be, this is not what I’m going to be thinking about,” van Rooyen said. “I’m going to be thinking about the people that I love the most, and Jon Trasamar is one of those people.” – PGA Tour

KNYSNA, Western Cape – After a challenging few weeks in which he battled with an injury, Neil Schietekat was rewarded with a two-stroke victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at the Pezula Championship Course on Sunday.

Schietekat showed every bit of his experience as he closed with a 67 to win on 15 under par overall, with Jacques P de Villiers finishing second on 13 under following a final round of 70. Hennie O’Kennedy took third place on 10 under par after signing for a 69.

Tara Griebenow finished as the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional in the field on five over par with a final round of 75.

It’s been a tough period for Schietekat as he had to carry an injury while still playing in Asia at a critical part in the season. But it culminated in his second victory this season after winning the FBC Zimbabwe Open in May.

“It was a good week and I really want to thank my caddie for sticking with me through this injury and when the golf has struggled. But this brings us both a smile,” said Schietekat, who also won the magnificent prize of a six night Christmas cruise courtesy of MSC Cruises South Africa.

It’s also his second victory on a Vodacom Origins of Golf series that he’s been playing on since he arrived on the Sunshine Tour in 2007. Schietekat came close to adding his name to the illustrious winners on this series when he finished second in 2008 and he had another runner-up finish in 2013. Then in 2018 he won the Western Cape leg of the series.

“This one is definitely a sweet win for me. Vodacom has been part of the Sunshine Tour ever since I started out in 2007. They’ve been a great supporter of the Tour. Without them we wouldn’t have had the playing opportunities we do in the winter. Pezula was also just amazing this week.” – Michael Vlismas

The Sunshine Tour and Bain’s Whisky have teamed up to toast the hot shots and real aces in professional golf with the new Bain’s Whisky Hole-In-One Shootout that will reward those who pull off the shot of a lifetime this season.

The odds of a tour professional making a hole-in-one during a tournament are calculated to be as high as 3 000 to 1. It’s a rare shot of greatness in the game, and Bain’s Whisky has decided it’s worth celebrating with an equally rare prize.

Every professional who makes a hole-in-one during a Sunshine Tour event – including the co-sanctioned tournaments with the European Challenge Tour and DP World Tour – in this 2023/24 season will be rewarded with a rare bottle of Bain’s Whisky 18-year-old Founder’s Collection whisky. Bain’s is the world’s most awarded single grain whisky.

These professionals will then also qualify to compete in the Bain’s Whisky Hole-in-One Shootout to be held during the Tour Championship at the end of the season in April 2024 for the ultimate prize – the chance to win R50 000 as well as a Bain’s Distillery premium experience valued at R30 000.

The Bain’s Whisky Hole-in-One Shootout will be broadcast live on SuperSport, and fans will also be able to track the progress throughout the season with a leaderboard at every tournament indicating the professionals who have already made holes-in-one and qualified for the shootout.

It’s the ultimate reward for the ultimate shot in golf.

The Sunshine Tour is deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Michael Bonallack, a man who lived his life with a passion and reverence for the great game of golf.

Sir Michael left an indelible footprint on not only the game he so dearly loved and played at such a high level, but more importantly on its people whose lives he touched through a life steeped in golf.

He served the game with a passion to see it grow and thrive around the world, and with a calmness in leadership that also made him one of the finest and most trusted administrators in the history of our game.

Sir Michael was a beloved member of the wider Sunshine Tour family.

He was a wonderful player, an excellent administrator and most importantly a true friend of golf.

A giant of our game has left us.

Jacques Kruyswijk birdied his final two holes to claim a maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Dormy Open.

Round four in Sweden was cancelled due to the weather conditions, meaning the tournament would be decided after 54 holes.

The South African was one of a number of competitors who returned to Askersunds Golfklubb on Sunday to complete their third rounds after play was suspended due to heavy rain on Saturday.

With just three holes left to complete, the 30-year-old was two strokes behind overnight leader Aron Zemmer. But after the Italian dropped two strokes, Kruyswijk finished par-birdie-birdie to claim the title by two shots as he signed for a four under par 63 and a nine under total.

“Ecstatic. That’s the only word I can think of,” said Kruyswijk. “It’s been a long week for all of the players. We’ve had so much rain, the course was flooded and last night I knew I had some work to do, I was prepared to play 20 holes. I was thinking to just get into the clubhouse with a score but I played 17 fantastically and played 18 unbelievably. I’m very happy with my finish.”

“The 18th was solid, 4-iron down the middle of the fairway. I had 182 (yards) to the flag and my caddie said let’s just hit a full shot into the flag. So, I hit a 7-iron which finished around a metre from the hole. I was a little nervous around that last one, it’s not a gimme but managed to go in the middle of the cup so I’m very happy.”

A three-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, with his last victory coming just a fortnight ago at the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zebula, Kruyswijk has now set his sights on a return to the DP World Tour at the end of the season.

“Any win is always big but for me to get over the line in Europe has always been a big thing for me,” he added. “I’ve had a few wins in South Africa and haven’t been able to get over the line in Europe. This means a lot; I’ve had double knee surgery last year which has put me back. Obviously, my confidence was at an all-time low the last couple of months and to be able to see the hard work of my team payoff is unbelievable.”

“I always go on my knees and thank my lord and saviour for everything he is doing for me, without him, nothing is possible. It means the world, to win in Europe and on the Challenge Tour means I can take it to the next step and win on the DP World Tour, I’ve been playing there the last six years and haven’t been able to get the win so hopefully this is some added confidence going forward.”

With his victory, Kruyswijk climbed 256 places on the Road to Mallorca Rankings up to 47th. Frenchman Ugo Coussaud moved up to second on the season-long standings after his runner-up finish.

Playing golf in South Africa’s northern-most province seems to agree with Heinrich Bruiners as he will go into the final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zebula Country Club in pole position to claim his second Sunshine Tour title, 10 years after his first victory also came in Limpopo.

Bruiners completed back-to-back 67s on Saturday to post a 10-under-par total after two rounds, and he will take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round. His previous victory was also in the Vodacom Origins of Golf series, in the 2013 event played at nearby Euphoria Golf Estate in Mookgophong.

“I don’t know if it’s something in the air or being in the bush, but my first top-five was also in Limpopo and I was in the top-three after two rounds of a Challenge Tour event up here as well, but unfortunately I was sick over the weekend.

“So it will be really nice to get over the line again having had 10 years to grow and mature as a person. Technically I’m in a much better space having changed equipment ahead of this tournament and feeling more comfortable with a more natural ball-flight. I felt like I was fighting my natural ball-flight before.

“And mentally I feel ready as well. I know everyone is going to come hard in the final round and level-par is not going to be good enough, so I will just stay positive and use a gameplan that gives me lots of opportunities. But I will be quite happy just to take it all in. I’m quite comfortable with whatever the outcome will be,” Bruiners said.

For the second day in succession, Bruiners was sublime over the back nine, where he started his round on Saturday. Having come home in 32 strokes in the first round, he went one better in the second round by going out in 31 with birdies on the 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th and 18th holes.

On Saturday the 35-year-old came home in level-par, with three bogies cancelling out three birdies on the front nine.

There are four golfers just one stroke behind Bruiners. Jason Smith, Trevor Fisher Jnr and Pieter Moolman all fired 65s on Saturday to climb to nine-under-par for the tournament, alongside 26-year-old Jovan Rebula who signed for a 68.

Then three other golfers – Jacques Kruiswijk, Neil Schietekat and Gerhard Pepler – are on eight-under-par, having all shot 68s on Saturday.

With the presence of Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals competing with the men in the same tournament for the same prizemoney for the first time in Sunshine Tour history, Cara Gorlei is still the leading women’s golfer. She slipped down the leaderboard, however, in the second round, with her 74 taking her from tied-second to tied-31st on three-under.

Scores:

134 – Heinrich Bruiners 67 67

135 – Trevor Fisher Jnr 70 65, Pieter Moolman 70 65, Jovan Rebula 67 68, Jason Smith 70 65

136 – Neil Schietekat 68 68, Jacques Kruyswijk 68 68, Gerhard Pepler 68 68

137 – Lyle Rowe 68 69, LB Boshoff 70 67, Jonathan Broomhead 66 71

138 – Keelan van Wyk 68 70, Kyle Barker 69 69, James Hart du Preez 72 66, Ricky Hendler 68 70

139 – Hunter Epson 66 73, Madalitso Muthiya 68 71, Jean Hugo 70 69, Daniel van Tonder 74 65, Nikhil Rama 69 70, Jake Roos 70 69, James Mack 70 69, Jack Hawksby 69 70, Luca Filippi 69 70, Robin Williams 72 67, Christiaan Basson 72 67

140 – Ryan Van Velzen 68 72, Adam Breen 70 70, Keegan Mclachlan 74 66, Dylan Naidoo 70 70

141 – Jared Harvey 70 71, Hennie Otto 72 69, Cara Gorlei 67 74, Kieron van Wyk 69 72, Stefan Wears-Taylor 68 73, Yurav Premlall 71 70, Dan Erickson 71 70, Jason Roets 74 67, Franklin Manchest 74 67, Louis Albertse 71 70, Francois Van der Walt 70 71

142 – Sean Bradley 70 72, Peter Karmis 71 71, Robson Chinhoi 73 69, Quintin Wilsnach 72 70, Reinhardt Blaauw 71 71, Rourke van der Spuy 72 70, Estiaan Conradie 66 76, Vaughn van Deventer 70 72

143 – DK Kim 73 70, Chris Cannon 71 72, Gerhard Trytsman 72 71, Merrick Bremner 74 69, Luke Brown 70 73, Toto Thimba Jnr 70 73, Albert Venter 73 70, David Wicks 72 71, Gerard du Plooy 73 70, Aneurin Gounden 68 75, Combrinck Smit 75 68, Anthony Michael 72 71, Kyle McClatchie 71 72

Missed the cut:-

144 – Riekus Nortje 70 74, Jacques Blaauw 72 72, Wynand Dingle 69 75, Wade Jacobs 69 75, Luke Jerling 72 72, Richard Joubert 72 72, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 74 70, Jonathan Waschefort 73 71

145 – Jaco Van Zyl 75 70, Rupert Kaminski 72 73, Tyron Davidowitz 73 72, Allister de Kock 79 66, Michael Kok 72 73, Erhard Lambrechts 70 75, Tumelo Molloyi 73 72, Hennie O’Kennedy 73 72, Clancy Waugh 74 71

146 – Martin Rohwer 71 75, Karabo Mokoena 70 76, Callum Mowat 76 70, Keagan Thomas 71 75

147 – Dylan Mostert 76 71, Thabang Simon 73 74, Malcolm Mitchell 74 73, Ruan Conradie 74 73, Sentanio Minnie 74 73, Brandon Smith 72 75, Danie Van Niekerk 75 72, Leon Visser 74 73

148 – Conner Mackenzie 74 74, Fredrik From 75 73, Ruan Korb 69 79, Stuart Krog 73 75, Willie Olivier 71 77, Ulrich van den Berg 75 73

149 – Sean Cronje 77 72, Tristen Strydom 75 74, Jacques P de Villiers 73 76, CJ du Plessis 73 76, Jastice Mashego 75 74

150 – Adriel Poonan 74 76, Deon Germishuys 75 75, Alphius Kelapile 78 72, Ethan Smith 78 72, Luke Trocado 74 76

151 – Gregory Mckay 78 73, Jordan Duminy 72 79

152 – Brittney-Fay Berger 78 74, Nicholaus Frade 78 74, Makhetha Mazibuko 82 70, Siyanda Mwandla 78 74, James Pennington 75 77, Nadia van der Westhuizen 75 77, Rhys West 76 76

153 – Larissa Du Preez 78 75, Tristin Galant 75 78, Drikus Joubert 75 78, Ryan Tipping 79 74

154 – Ruan de Smidt 78 76

155 – Marcel Steyn Scholtz 77 78, Tandi McCallum 78 77

158 – Irvin Mazibuko 77 81

159 – Slenda Sithebe 80 79171 – Christiaan Burke 87 84

Enterprise Rent-A-Car South Africa is the new official car rental partner for the Sunshine Tour, providing its professionals, officials and fans with a world-class and trusted travel partner on their journeys throughout Southern Africa.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the latest addition to the country’s car rental market, was launched by the Woodford Group in South Africa in May 2023. The company’s commitment to offering a wide range of vehicles coupled with unparalleled customer service has proven popular amongst both local and international customers.

The partnership with the Sunshine Tour was a natural fit for both brands, with Enterprise franchises and affiliate brands around the world already associated with a range of golf tours and organisations, including the DP World Tour, the LPGA Tour and the PGA of America.

“This collaboration between Enterprise Rent-A-Car South Africa and the Sunshine Tour is not just about providing vehicles; it represents a shared commitment to excellence and consistency when it comes to being at the top of our game,” said Essa Ebrahim Suleman, Managing Director of Enterprise Rent-A-Car South Africa.

“International travellers and visitors to Africa will be able to appreciate the familiarity and trust associated with the Enterprise brand, while local customers who have been wanting a great alternative in car rental will be able to experience something different when following the Sunshine Tour.”

By combining world-class services and systems with an understanding of South African travel preferences, Enterprise ensures that customers’ needs are met effectively through a personalised and tailored experience that caters to the unique requirements of travellers in this country.

The partnership with the Sunshine Tour allows Enterprise to showcase its commitment to being where its customers want to be – whether for business or leisure – and further solidifies its presence in the South African market.

By aligning their values and resources, both brands will enhance the tournament experience and set new standards for the car rental industry in South Africa.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car South Africa is part of the Woodford Group – a mobility and logistics solutions provider.

The Sunshine Tour will continue, as it has always done, to abide by the decisions of the R&A and USGA when it comes to the Rules of Golf and any changes to these rules.

This includes the proposed Model Local Rule related to the roll back of the golf ball to limit its distance.

The Sunshine Tour has always aligned itself with the governing bodies of golf and their shared vision to make decisions that are in the best interests of the global game.