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When the swing changes he’s been working on finally fell into place for Albert Venter, they did so with a glorious 62 that has put him top of the leaderboard going into Friday’s final round of the Sunshine Tour Invitational at Centurion Country Club.

Venter’s round of 12 birdies lifted him to 16 under par through 36 holes of this 54-hole tournament. There was a double bogey on his card, but that will hardly trouble him as he takes a two-stroke lead into a final day where he’s chasing his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour.

“I’ve been doing a lot of good work with my coach and making a few swing changes there. It’s just been a learning curve for me to be able to take that into tournaments. Today that happened and everything just fell into place,” said Venter.

His coach is none other than Grant Veenstra, who has developed a huge following on Tour as a man helping some of South Africa’s finest professionals reach their full potential.

“Grant has been on the Sunshine Tour and he knows what it takes to play good golf out here. He explains things with a focus on performance and not just on statistics,” said Venter, who hit both the performance and the right numbers on Thursday.

“It was just a decent ball striking day. I also gave myself a lot of chances on the greens. But giving yourself chances is one thing, and actually converting them is the key. My putting is pretty decent at the moment and I feel like if I give myself opportunities I’ll make the putt.”

His confidence with the putter was clear with his 30-footer for birdie on the fifth hole and then a key par from the fringe of the green on 16 and a birdie on 17, also from the fringe.

“I stuck to my gameplan very nicely. My first round 66 was good, but it felt like I could’ve done better. So I’m really pleased.”

Venter will have the experience Jaco van Zyl as his nearest challenger on Friday. Van Zyl posted his second consecutive 65 to climb to 14 under par overall. And Jacques Kruyswijk is currently third on 13 under following a second round of 64.

Venter certainly knows what it’s like to contend and win, having already done so on the Big Easy Tour. A finish of fourth in the recent SunBet Challenge hosted by Time Square also took him a step closer to winning on the Sunshine Tour, which is his next goal.

“I’ve got a great opportunity to do that. The standard on the Sunshine Tour is very good, but I’m not going to focus on who I need to beat. I just want to beat the golf course on the day, and hopefully that’s good enough to win. My main goal as an amateur was to get onto the Sunshine Tour, because as they say, ‘Greatness Begins Here’.” – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

Veteran Sunshine Tour professional Adilson da Silva found himself amongst the younger trio of Estiaan Conradie, Michael Palmer and Jaco van Zyl when he joined them at the top of the first-round leaderboard at the Sunshine Tour Invitational at Centurion Country Club on Wednesday.

The 49-year-old Da Silva opened with a seven-under-par 65 in which he birdied four of his final five holes for a share of the lead with the 23-year-old Conradie, the 31-year-old Palmer and the 42-year-old Van Zyl.

They are all one stroke clear of the trio of Steve Surry, Jean Hugo and Albert Venter. And in a group of players two strokes off the lead lies Ruan Conradie, brother of co-leader Estiaan.

At the top of the leaderboard, Conradie is looking for his second victory in three tournaments after making his breakthrough with a win in the SunBet Challenge hosted by Time Square. Palmer is also chasing a second Sunshine Tour title after his maiden win in the 2018 KCB Karen Masters. And Van Zyl is looking to get back to the form that won him 15 Sunshine Tour titles, the last of which came in 2016.

But Da Silva will most likely have had the biggest smile considering he’s a year away from becoming a senior golfer and has a professional career that started a year before Francois Pienaar was still leading the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory at Ellis Park.

“I’m thrilled to be amongst the leaders, especially because over the last couple of events I’ve really struggled to remain focused. It’s been so hard for me to stay focused and I think it’s just because I’m struggling to get that tournament mindset going again after the long breaks we’ve had between tournaments,” said Da Silva.

“I felt like that again at the start of the round and I was a bit worried. But I just kept pushing myself to stay in the present and not get ahead of myself. Then one or two putts went in and it’s amazing the difference that makes. It gives you so much confidence and suddenly you feel like you can hole anything.”

That’s exactly what Da Silva did on the back nine with that strong finish, and including a chip-in for birdie on the 16^th.

And it’s given him a great start as he looks to claim his first Sunshine Tour title since 2013. – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

Jayden Schaper’s decision to return home from Europe and build his confidence on the Sunshine Tour has already shown rewards in his finishes of ninth and second in his last two tournaments. He’ll continue with that process in this week’s Sunshine Tour Invitational, which tees off at Centurion Country Club on Wednesday.

“I’ve been knocking on the door with a few top-10 finishes and playing in a few final groups on the last day. I’ve been close and I’ve been working hard, and that shows the work I’ve been doing is correct,” said the young star, who will join another quality field in this R1-million tournament.

After a tough 11 weeks in Europe in which Schaper felt he wasn’t making the progress he would like, he decided to return to the Sunshine Tour and rediscover the kind of form that saw him challenge Branden Grace for the South African Open in January 2020 before finishing sixth while still an amateur, and then push Christiaan Bezuidenhout before finishing second to him in the 2020 Alfred Dunhill Championship in his rookie season as a professional.

“In Europe I kind of just got down on myself and felt a bit mentally drained. So, I decided to come back home and do a reset, get back on the Sunshine Tour and have some fun again. I’ve had a friend on the bag with me, and I’ve been able to see friends and family again. My goal was to just reset my mind and my game and do some work and get back on track. It’s slowly coming back, and seeing my name on the leaderboards helps.”

He finished ninth in the SunBet Challenge hosted by Time Square at Wingate, and then led the field going into the final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Sishen Golf Club before finishing second there.

“I made a few mental errors at Wingate but came out with a top-10 there and in Sishen I did my prep really well and felt like I was hitting the ball better and feeling a lot more confident.”

This week’s field includes recent winners Estiaan Conradie and Alex Haindl. – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

ProItUp rangefinders is the latest partner on the Sunshine Tour as a proudly South African golf brand that is bringing the latest in high-performance golf optics technology to local fairways.

ProItUp was established this year with the core aim of providing the highest quality, most reliable and affordable golf optics technology on the market to the African golf community.

The ProItUp rangefinders all meet the required standard for use in international professional and amateur tournaments.

Their rangefinders feature an HD optical lens that enables a clearer image and field of view with 6.5X magnification, an adjustable eyepiece for enhanced precision, flagstick lock technology, burst vibration technology and a magnetic cart mount feature. One unique feature on ProItUp’s Series Z-10 model is the USB feature which allows golfers to charge their rangefinder on the move, with a charge time of 45-60 minutes, and with a battery life that lasts for at least 25 rounds of golf per charge.

ProItUp already has a strong list of Sunshine Tour professionals who are proud ambassadors of its products including Jacques Blaauw, Michael Hollick, Jared Harvey, James Pennington and amateur MJ Dlamini.

“We are excited and proud to partner with the Sunshine Tour. Seeing firsthand how quality optics improved our golf performance, we set out to make the same technology accessible to the African golf community. We are passionate about providing our customer base, both retailers and direct-to-consumers across the continent, with golf optics technology that is not only of the highest quality, but also delivers on value. We stand by our products and our customers to guarantee a word-class experience,” said ProItUp CEO Arvy Shongwe.

Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said: “As Southern Africa’s leading professional golf tour we are always looking at ways in which we can partner with proudly South African companies that help to strengthen the local golf industry. ProItUp is an exciting new player in the golf optics industry and we’re proud to partner with them as they seek to give our member professionals an even greater competitive edge.”

The pandemic’s impact on professional sport has been pervasive, but a few teams and federations have embraced the challenge and together with their sponsors are rare examples of growth in these challenging times. The Vodacom Bulls have been one such franchise to lead the way both on and off the field. And their CEO Edgar Rathbone says he’s seen a similar model of success at the Sunshine Tour, Southern Africa’s professional golf circuit.

Rathbone was an invited guest at the recent Vodacom Origins of Golf Series at Sishen Golf Club and of event rights holders Flooid. And he was particularly impressed with the relationships the Sunshine Tour has built and nurtured over decades now, and which have clearly helped the Tour negotiate the challenges of a total sports lockdown in 2020 and the varying lockdown levels since.

“I think when it comes to the Vodacom Bulls and the Sunshine Tour there are a lot of similarities there in terms of relationships and building on these,” Rathbone said.

“I think the pandemic has highlighted the fact that it’s not just about putting a logo on a team jersey, or in the case of professional golf on tee boxes. It’s about building that relationship and finding value in different ways because the traditional avenues aren’t there at the moment.”

The pandemic has indeed changed the sponsorship model for both sponsors and the teams and federations they support. But the forward-thinking actions of a brand such as Vodacom has found fertile ground in the likes of the Vodacom Bulls and the Sunshine Tour and their equal willingness to think differently about their relationship.

A prime example is the way Vodacom worked with the Vodacom Bulls to lead a vaccination drive encouraging South African sports fans to get vaccinated. The Sunshine Tour has in turn taken this further with a pioneering vaccination effort at its tournaments, and which was launched at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series at Sishen Golf Club. Professional golfers and their caddies will be able to get vaccinated on site at the events.

Other similarities include how they have worked together to help their respective communities. The Vodacom Bulls have been involved in several efforts with Vodacom to provide food hampers to needy families. Similarly, the Sunshine Tour has worked with Vodacom to provide a relief fund in support of accredited Tour caddies who were unable to earn a living during the hard lockdown last year.

It’s these kinds of relationships and initiatives that Rathbone believes the pandemic has shone a spotlight on as the way forward for the sports industry.

“At the Vodacom Bulls we have looked very closely at brands that we enjoy working with it. We recently signed a new six-month deal with a sponsor on the basis that we first wanted to see how we could work together, and from that came a four-year deal. I believe that’s how you should do things. Rather than just asking all the time, I think it’s a case of working together and showing the value and then building on that with a longer conversation. It’s a different way of thinking that’s been brought on by the times and challenges we’re facing.”

The experience at the Vodacom Origins of Golf was also an eye opener for Rathbone in the sense of providing a workable solution to the lack of fans at sports events at present.

“I must compliment the Sunshine Tour on taking the lead in having events during the Covid-19 pandemic. They were the first to get a limited and controlled form of hospitality back at golf tournaments. They also have a highly professional Covid-19 testing and screening procedure at their events. I think there’s a lot for other federations to take from that. I’ve been at the Vodacom Bulls now for 13 months and I haven’t had one supporter in the stadium. It’s frustrating, especially when the team is having the kind of success it currently is. But we have a philosophy that we’re planting the small tree now and giving it water, and we’re working towards that day when we can sit in its shade.”

Clearly, the careful nurturing of these sponsorship relationships in difficult times is where the real growth in sport will be seen. – Michael Vlismas

Photo Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

Bloemfontein professional Alex Haindl claimed his second victory in three months when he won the Vodacom Origins of Golf in a thrilling final round at Sishen Golf Club on Saturday.

Haindl closed with a level-par 72 to win on three under par, one stroke clear of Peter Karmis, Hennie Otto, Ockie Strydom and Jayden Schaper.

It’s his second victory on the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series after a win in 2018, the fifth of his Sunshine Tour career and, most importantly, his second this year.

“It feels great. It’s always great to win and to feel like you’re getting the reward for the hard work you’re putting in,” he said.

It was a dramatic final round with more twists and turns than an underground mineshaft in this mining town. Haindl’s winning total was one of the highest in the history of the Vodacom Origins of Golf series, coming close to Steve Basson’s 54-hole total of one under that won him the final of the series in 2005.

“I’ve never been the biggest fan of tournaments that are just putting competitions. I like the tougher golf courses,” said Haindl.

The field was certainly given a challenge on the final day.

Schaper shared the lead with Strydom going into a final round of bitterly cold temperatures. Hennie O’Kennedy then emerged as the immediate threat and was leading before a triple bogey seven on the 18^th cost him the title. Strydom fell off the pace with a final round of 75. Schaper struggled with an outward nine of 40 and then found form and shared the lead with Haindl after three consecutive birdies on the back nine, but saw his title hopes dashed by a bogey on the last.

“It was very tricky out there,” said Haindl. “I tried to just focus on my own game and told myself that whatever the others did I had no control over.” – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

Jayden Schaper has taken another positive step towards a maiden Sunshine Tour title and will head into Saturday’s final round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament in a share of the lead with Ockie Strydom at Sishen Golf Club.

Schaper signed for a 68 on Friday to climb to five under par and tied for the lead with Strydom, who kept his place at the top of the leaderboard with a second round of 69.

They are two strokes clear of their nearest challengers, Rupert Kaminski and Alex Haindl. And three strokes back sits a strong chasing pack that includes the experience of Jaco Ahlers and Hennie Otto as well as the youth of James Hart du Preez and Deon Germishuys.

Strydom is looking to successfully defend his title, which he won here in 2019 and with the 2020 series cancelled because of the pandemic.

But Schaper in particular has been building towards being ready for this moment. In fact, he returned from 11 weeks playing in Europe for exactly this purpose – to build his confidence with performances such as this one.

“It’s been a rough two years with COVID-19 and all of that. I’ve been in Europe the past few weeks and I just felt a bit drained. So, I chatted to my team and we agreed I should come back home and reset here a bit. Reset my mind and my golf, and just have some fun with my golf again. It seems to be working because I’m feeling a lot more confident,” said Schaper.

As the newest young star of South African golf, Schaper signalled his intent when he challenged for the South African Open in January 2020 and finished sixth there while still an amateur.

As a professional he had four top-10s on the Sunshine Tour during a disruptive 2020 season and came close to winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship before finishing second to Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

And apart from a difficult run of three missed cuts in the three Challenge Tour and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned tournaments this year, he’s had two top-10s leading up to this event.

“I’ve been in a couple of final groups now and I’ve been close. I’ll just stick to my gameplan on Saturday. This course can be tricky and there are so many good players in this field.”

If Schaper can hold on for a win on Saturday, he will find himself in illustrious company with golfers who have made their professional breakthroughs on this Vodacom Origins of Golf series.

Both Louis Oosthuizen and Thomas Aiken claimed their maiden Sunshine Tour victories on the series in 2004. George Coetzee and Justin Harding are also amongst those who have used this series to open their Sunshine Tour accounts. – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

Ockie Strydom describes the Kalahari atmosphere as “good for the soul”, and it’s once again proved good for his golf game as well. The winner of the last Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament played at Sishen Golf Club also claimed a share of the first-round lead of this year’s tournament on Thursday.

Strydom opened with a two-under-par 70 to share the lead with Rourke van der Spuy. They are one stroke clear of five players, including the talented young duo of Deon Germishuys and Jayden Schaper.

Strydom won the 2019 Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament here. The 2020 series was cancelled as a result of the pandemic. But Strydom says when they returned this week, he felt right at home – literally.

“I’m staying with family of my wife. They have a home right by the 11^th tee box on the golf course. It’s just so peaceful. I think that’s what I love about this golf course and this tournament. The atmosphere here in the bush calms me down. You don’t hear any cars or planes or anything. It’s just peaceful and good for the soul.”

There was a moment in his round when Strydom’s peace was disturbed, though, and that came with a double-bogey on the par-three 13^th.

“I was irritated with that because I three-putted from six feet. But my caddie told me to just keep being patient because the scores won’t be great. We had quite a bit of wind, and some overnight rain softened the course, so the ball wasn’t running as far on the fairways as it did in the pro-am. So I stayed patient and it paid off,” he said.

The leaderboard is still very bunched up after round one. MJ Viljoen, who as a boy used to come and watch the Sunshine Tour pros in this event before he started competing against them, is alongside the big-hitting James Hart du Preez and a host of others just two shots off the lead. And the tougher conditions should keep the leaderboard tight.

But that’s not troubling Strydom, because he’s in the Kalahari.

“You know, the Sunshine Tour put out a social media post saying I won here in 2019 and who will be next? I answered it with ‘Ockie Strydom’. So, I have a goal. And every night we have a lovely braai here, and nothing beats the smell of camel thorn wood on a braai fire.”

Ockie Strydom’s soul is indeed happy. – Michael Vlismas

Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

South Africa’s golf professionals are joining the drive to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with a pioneering initiative that will make its debut at this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf series on the Sunshine Tour.

The Vodacom Origins of Golf series has partnered with the Sunshine Tour and Clicks to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to all the professionals and caddies competing in this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Sishen Golf Club.

On Friday, all the professionals and caddies who did not make the cut in this 54-hole tournament will receive the first Pfizer vaccination injection. The remainder will be vaccinated during Saturday’s final round. Then the second vaccination injection will be administered at the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Humewood in Port Elizabeth at the end of September.

Wimpie du Plessis, the Sunshine Tour’s COVID-19 Chief Compliance Officer, says it’s absolutely essential that professional athletes get vaccinated.

“It is well documented that approximately 25-30% of individuals could experience ongoing symptoms for an extended period of time, known as “Long COVID”. A recent study indicated that up to 89% of patients would experience fatigue for three weeks after contracting the disease. Persistent symptoms similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the effect on the heart muscles means that we currently do not know how long a professional athlete who has contracted COVID-19 without being vaccinated must wait before they can safely start training again. We don’t have that scientific data at present. Professional athletes simply cannot put themselves in such a precarious position when it comes to their livelihoods.”

Du Plessis says she hopes the example set by the Sunshine Tour professionals will spur other South Africans who are still sceptical to also get vaccinated.

“Scientifically there is no proof to indicate that these vaccinations have any side effects that are unexpected. There is so much misinformation out there. What people are not understanding is that the base structure of these vaccines have been developed over decades. They are not new, like some people think.

“The only new element is their stimulation of the antibodies in the body specifically for COVID-19. But there is no difference between this process and what has been done with the flu vaccine for years now. The flu vaccine follows the same process of updating each year according to the new strains that emerge. But the base of the flu vaccine remains the same. Similarly, coronavirus is not new. It’s only this particular strain of it that is new.” – Michael Vlismas

Photo Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour