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KLEINMOND, Western Cape – Herman Loubser claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title when he beat Ockie Strydom in a playoff for the Lombard Insurance Classic at the Arabella Country Estate on Sunday.

The Modderfontein golfer, who had to qualify for this tournament and did so with a second-place finish, came through regulation play tied for the lead with Strydom on seven under par. Strydom closed with a 68 while Loubser signed for a 69.

Playing the par-five 18^th again as the first playoff hole, both golfers made par. But on the second attempt, Loubser found the birdie he was looking for as he chipped in for the title.

“It hasn’t kicked in yet. But I had a drink from the trophy, and it tasted so sweet,” said Loubser.

Keith Horne finished third on six under par with a final round of 74.

Loubser turned professional in 2017 after winning the Qualifying School. He was a winner on the Altron Big Easy Tour in 2020 but had to return to the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School after losing his card just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“That was tough. I sat out for two years watching my friends do well on tour and knowing I had the game to be there as well. I worked hard last year and felt like I came into this event ready,” he said.

Going up against the more experienced Strydom in a playoff was also a further test of Loubser’s resolve.

“I know Ockie really well and have played with him a lot before. He’s such a great ball striker and it was intimidating. I also haven’t had a great record in playoffs before this. But I got it done,” said Loubser, who leaves on Monday for the next Sunshine Tour event in the FBC Zimbabwe Open.

And he does so as a Sunshine Tour champion.

“I’m into the bigger tournaments now which is massive for me. I can plan my schedule a bit better. You don’t know if you’re good enough to do it out here until you do it. Now I know I’m good enough to be out here, and hopefully there will be a few more,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

KLEINMOND, Western Cape – Louis Albertse started this new Sunshine Tour season fuelled by the confidence of his last season, and he opened with a six-under-par 66 to lead the Lombard Insurance Classic at Arabella Country Estate on Friday.

Albertse didn’t drop a single shot as he claimed a one-stroke lead over Herman Loubser, with Hennie Otto, Keith Horne and Dean O’Riley all ending the first day two shots off the lead.

Albertse had a groundbreaking 2021/22 season on the Sunshine Tour in which he finished in the top 50 on the Luno Order of Merit for the first time in his career, including a maiden victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Mount Edgecombe.

“That’s been a big confidence booster for me. It’s kind of like a pat on the back to say you’re on the right track,” said Albertse, who is also relishing the environment he’s in this week.

“It’s always a privilege to play good golf on a great course and to do so on the Sunshine Tour. I enjoy the golf course. Coming from Pretoria and Johannesburg, I just love the atmosphere here. It’s so nice being in this environment, and the condition of the golf course is great.”

As one of the few players in the field to sign for a bogey-free round on Friday, Albertse says the secret to his performance lay more in his mental approach than any technical aspects of his game.

“There are always a few things you’re tweaking in your swing. After the season-ending Tour Championship and the wind there, I felt like there were maybe a few things I needed to fix with my swing. So I had low expectations at the start of my first round here. I just told myself to try and be as comfortable as possible and just keep the ball in play. This is not a long golf course, so if you keep the ball in play then you’ve always got a chance.”

It’s the same attitude he’ll carry into the weekend as he pushes for his second victory on the Sunshine Tour.

“I’ll definitely try and do so. I think this course is one you have to respect. You have to play a chess game around here,” he said.

So far, Albertse is making all the right moves. – Michael Vlismas

Photo Credit: Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour.

Scores:

66 – Louis Albertse

67 – Herman Loubser

68 – Hennie Otto, Keith Horne, Dean O’Riley

69 – Hennie O’Kennedy, Kyle Barker, Joshua Seale, Pieter Moolman

70 – Jacques P de Villiers, Ockie Strydom, Rupert Kaminski, Wynand Dingle

71 – Martin Vorster, Jake Roos, MJ Viljoen, Clancy Waugh

72 – Richard Joubert, Andre De Decker, Rourke van der Spuy, Luke Brown, Jacquin Hess

73 – Tristin Galant, Bradley Bawden, Ryan Van Velzen, Clinton Grobler, Deon Germishuys, Combrinck Smit, JJ Senekal, Jacques Blaauw, Luke Jerling

74 – Joe Long, Keelan Africa, Yubin Jung, Keagan Thomas, Ruan Korb, Peter Karmis, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Jake Redman, Keenan Davidse, Heinrich Bruiners, Sean Cronje

75 – Chris Cannon, Keelan van Wyk, Luca Filippi, Tristen Strydom, Paul Boshoff, Dwayne Basson, Dylan Mostert, Jean Hugo

76 – Vaughn van Deventer, Stefan Wears-Taylor, Hayden Griffiths, Danie Van Niekerk, Byron Coetzee, Estiaan Conradie, Albert Venter, Franklin Manchest, Erhard Lambrechts

77 – Alex Haindl, Therion Nel, Aneurin Gounden, Rhys West, Christiaan Basson, Nikhil Rama

78 – Merrick Bremner, Jared Harvey, Kyle McClatchie, Stephen Ferreira

79 – Adam Breen, Gerrit Foster, Brooklin Bailey

80 – Steven Le Roux, Lyle Rowe

81 – Gerard du Plooy

82 – Adriel Poonan

KLEINMOND, Western Cape – The Sunshine Tour’s 2022/23 season tees off in the Western Cape this week with the Lombard Insurance Classic at Arabella Country Estate, and where Tristen Strydom will hope to continue where he left off last season.

Strydom claimed his breakthrough victory on the Sunshine Tour in the previous season-ending Tour Championship at the beginning of this month. It capped his most successful season as a professional as he finished ninth on the final Luno Order of Merit.

After a brief break he’s back in action this week at an Arabella golf course that holds fond memories for him.

“I love Arabella. It’s one of most scenic golf courses in the country. When I was younger and playing a lot of amateur GolfRSA tournaments we travelled a lot around the country. Most of the GolfRSA Boland tournaments were played in Hermanus and also at Arabella. I love that whole area and it has some special memories for me,” said Strydom.

Strydom enjoyed a lot of amateur success in this part of the world and will definitely draw on all of these memories as he looks to build towards what could be his most significant season to date.

“Winning the Tour Championship has given me massive opportunities and one of those is that I’ll be leaving at the end of this month to compete on the Challenge Tour, starting with my first tournament in the Czech Republic. The ultimate aim is to qualify for my DP World Tour card this year,” said Strydom.

Another golfer who’ll enjoy being in more familiar surroundings is Luca Filippi who also played plenty of amateur golf in this region and who narrowly lost out on the Rookie of the Year title to Jayden Schaper last season.

The Lombard Insurance Classic will also mark a new start for Yubin Jung, the winner of the recent Altron Vusi Ngubeni Tournament which is the Sunshine Tour’s qualifying school for historically disadvantaged golfers. Several of the golfers who successfully qualified for the Sunshine Tour through this tournament will be in the field this week as they also form part of the Tour’s new Transformation Class supported by Investec, Betway, VAT It and Credit Guarantee. – Michael Vlismas

The Sunshine Tour today announced the launch of its new Sunshine Tour Transformation Class with the support of its patrons Investec, Betway, VAT It and Credit Guarantee, and which aims to provide a sustainable solution to the development of the professional careers of historically disadvantaged golfers and promote greater inclusion in the game.

The Sunshine Tour Transformation Class for the 2022/23 season will include 59 golfers who qualified by virtue of their performances during the previous Sunshine Tour season, the recent Sunshine Tour Qualifying School and Altron Vusi Ngubeni Tournament, and on the IGT Tour. The Sunshine Tour Transformation Class will be reevaluated every season.

The members of the 2022/23 Sunshine Tour Transformation Class will receive monthly financial assistance towards their tournament golf expenses. Their membership and tournament entry fees for the Sunshine Tour and Altron Big Easy Tour will also be fully paid for. They will receive access to quality coaching, golf courses, gyms and fitness instructors at the World of Golf. TaylorMade and Cobra Puma Golf will provide them with equipment and apparel. They will also have access to a sports psychologist and career counseling.

Members of the Sunshine Tour Transformation Class who are interested in working in the golf industry will be enrolled with the PGA of South Africa to begin the qualification to become recognised PGA Professionals.

“We are delighted to launch the Sunshine Tour Transformation Class at the start of our new season, and with the incredible support of our partners Investec, Betway, VAT It and Credit Guarantee,” said Ludwick Manyama, the Head of Transformation for the Sunshine Tour.

“The Sunshine Tour has a longstanding commitment to the development of historically disadvantaged professionals as can be seen from the previous programmes we have put in place on the Tour. All of these programmes have helped us to build towards this new Sunshine Tour Transformation Class which, thanks to our partners, gives us a highly effective transformation solution for professional golf.”

The 2022/23 Sunshine Tour Transformation Class

Dylan Naidoo, Heinrich Bruiners, Jacquin Hess, Keenan Davidse, Nikhil Rama, Toto Thimba Jnr, Wade Jacobs, Yubin Jung, James Kamte, Thanda Mavundla, Tumelo Molloyi, Musiwalo Nethunzwi, Adriel Poonan, Thabang Simon, Evans Vukeya, Franklin Manchest, Gerrit Foster, Jastice Mashego, Karabo Mokoena, Keelan van Wyk, Keelan Africa, Siyanda Mwandla, Tristin Galant, Lwazi Gqira, Makhetha Mazibuko, Allister De Kok, Dwayne Basson, Gerard du Plooy, Lincon Denzy Cele, John Bele, Shalan Govender, Ethan Joseph, Fezekile Kana, Richard Kruger, Mike Maile, Sandy Makume, Sentanio Minnie, Brandon Moodley, Thabo Moraba, SP Mthethwa, Thabiso Ngcobo, Omar Sandys, Alphius Kelapile, Boeta Nasie, Byron Van Der Merwe, Darren Slingers, Derrick Petersen, Gerard Moodly, Irvin Mazibuko, Jason Diab, Lindani Ndwandwe, Lindani Mthiyane, Mark Maart, M-Jay Xaba, Murad Hoosen, Ricco Motsa, Slenda Sithebe, Teboho Sefatsa, Thato Maponyane.

The Sunshine Tour announced today that Luno, the global cryptocurrency platform that aims to put the power of crypto in everyone’s hands, is the new sponsor of the Luno Order of Merit on the Tour.

In announcing the new sponsorship, the Sunshine Tour also unveiled a new format for the Luno Order of Merit for the upcoming 2022/23 season as it shifts from a money-based Order of Merit to the more globally recognized points-based rankings system.

The Luno Order of Merit also offers exciting new incentives for the Sunshine Tour professionals.

The leading golfer on the Luno Order of Merit at the end of the season will receive R500 000 in Bitcoin, paid directly into the golfer’s Luno account. The second-ranked golfer on the final Luno Order of Merit will receive R200 000 in Bitcoin, and the third-ranked golfer will receive R100 000 in Bitcoin.

“Luno is focused on empowering people by building a new financial system that is easily accessible, meets the challenge of a constantly evolving world, and which is more suited to the digital age. We’re the facilitators of a new way of thinking about money, and we’re delighted that we can partner with a progressive brand such as the Sunshine Tour in delivering this message. Professional golfers have a very different way of thinking about risk and reward, both on and off the golf course. Their careers are constantly evolving, and this aligns perfectly with our vision to put the power of crypto in everyone’s hands by making it safe and easy to buy, store and learn about crypto,” said Marius Reitz, Luno GM for Africa.

Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said: “Luno is a brand which fits our strong digital focus and the new, younger audience we are reaching, and we are delighted to welcome them to the Sunshine Tour. We are a Tour that is constantly evolving for the benefit of our member professionals, and the new Luno Order of Merit reflects this vision and our desire to partner with brands that see potential and opportunity as differently as we do.”

The new points system for the Luno Order of Merit will come into effect as of 30 April 2022. Points will be allocated according to the tournament prize money on offer as follows:

Tier 1 tournament (prize money up to R2 000 000.00):  2 000 points.

Tier 2 tournament (prize money between R2 000 001.00 and R5 999 999.00): 4 000 points.

Tier 3 tournament (prize money between R6 000 000.00 and R10 000 000.00): 6 000 points.

Tier 4 tournament (prize money between R10 000 001.00 and R19 999 999.00): 10 000 points.

Tier 5 tournament (prize money of R20 000 000.00 or more): 12 000 points.

KEMPTON PARK, City of Ekurhuleni – Tristen Strydom made his professional breakthrough on the Sunshine Tour when he won the season-ending Tour Championship in record style at Serengeti Estates on Sunday.

Strydom built on his two-stroke lead overnight and closed with a 66 to win by six shots, which is the biggest margin of victory in the history of the Tour Championship.

Strydom also claimed the record for the lowest winning total in the history of the Tour Championship on 21-under-par 267, surpassing the previous record of 19-under-par 269 by Garrick Higgo in 2020.

And he is also the first player in Sunshine Tour history to win the Tour’s Qualifying School and the Tour Championship. Strydom won the Qualifying School in 2020.

“I can’t describe how it feels. It’s been hard for me and I’ve worked extremely hard to get where I am today. I’m blessed with a lot of good people around me. It makes it so special to get that first victory for everybody who believes in me,” said Strydom.

Pieter Moolman took second place on 15 under par with a final round of 70, while George Coetzee finished third on 11 under with a closing 70.

Strydom was never under pressure on the final day as he made four birdies on the front nine – three of them in succession – to continue moving away from the field. He stumbled with a bogey on 10 but corrected this with another birdie on the 11^th. When he added a birdie on the 14^th the title was beyond doubt, and his final birdie on the 18^th confirmed it.

“I came out with an attacking mindset. I didn’t want to give anybody a chance. I had a good gameplan and I felt really comfortable with the golf course. I’ve had so many second-place finishes and it does get to you after a while. Buy my caddie just kept telling me to stay patient and it will happen at the right place and right time. And it’s great to have finally done it,” said Strydom.

The win is a groundbreaking one for a player who was one of South Africa’s top amateurs and who then took some time to adjust to the professional ranks. The victory earns Strydom a one-year exemption on the Sunshine Tour.

The Tour Championship wrapped up the Sunshine Tour 2021/22 season. Shaun Norris claimed the top spot on the final Order of Merit thanks largely to his victory in the DP World Tour co-sanctioned Steyn City Championship. That earns Norris exemptions into the US Open and Open Championship this year as well as the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. Dean Burmester finished second on the Order of Merit and Thriston Lawrence ended the season in third place.

Jayden Schaper’s finish of fourth in the Tour Championship secured him the Rookie of the Year award. – Michael Vlismas.

KEMPTON PARK, City of Ekurhuleni – In the spirit of Africa’s great Serengeti, there was definitely a sense of survival of the fittest in Saturday’s tough third round of the Tour Championship at Serengeti Estates. And it’s a battle Tristen Strydom is busy winning at the moment.

Strydom ended a day of strong wind and some tricky pin placements on the challenging Serengeti Estate’s greens with a two-stroke lead on 15 under par. It came thanks to a round of 68 which he said was one of the best rounds of his career in these conditions.

“That was some of the toughest golf I’ve played in a very long time. The wind was up, the greens are fast, and there is just no shying away from it,” he said.

Behind him, his nearest challenger Pieter Moolman did just as well to stay in touch on 13 under with a 69.

“It was a challenge out there. Your ball striking has to be really good on this golf course when the wind blows because it can become very long, especially on the back nine,” he said.

George Coetzee came through 54 holes in third place on nine under par and as one of only 12 players in this 36-man field who are currently under par.

Both Strydom and Moolman are chasing maiden victories on the Sunshine Tour. Strydom has been in this position on a few occasions in what has been his most successful season to date, and he’s determined to apply those lessons on Sunday.

“I’m very excited for the final round. I’m going to have fun and give it my all. I love this game and it’s so nice to be able to compete with the some of the best on the Sunshine Tour,” he said.

Moolman has also impressed with his consistency and is relishing having a shot at this title.

“Anything can still happen and if the wind blows like it has it will get interesting. I’ve got 18 holes on Sunday and that’s 18 opportunities. I have a shot at a win. Tristen is playing well and he’s hitting the ball so solid, but I can only try my best,” he said. – Michael Vlismas.