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It's pros vs Stormers rugby stars in Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open

27th April 2021

Cape Town and Stormers welcome Sunshine Tour

The Mother City’s finest rugby players arrived at the Royal Cape Golf Club on Tuesday to personally welcome the Sunshine Tour professionals competing in this week’s Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in the only way they know how – with a match.

After the official pro-am of the tournament, DHL Stormers stars Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Scarra Ntubeni and Neethling Fouche challenged Sunshine Tour professionals Brandon Stone, Daniel van Tonder, Keenan Davidse and Benjamin Follett-Smith to a par-three contest on Royal Cape’s fourth hole.

Playing as a team against each other, the Sunshine Tour professionals were handicapped by having to play from their worst tee shot and each pro also had to play each of their shots or putts twice before they could score, while the Stormers could play from their best shot and only needed one shot or putt to score.

The result was a convincing 4-0 victory by the Stormers.

“Going 0-4 against four big rugby players on home turf was a tough pill to swallow. I would say we’ll meet them in the car park, but looking at the size of them probably not,” said Stone, who captained the Sunshine Tour professionals for this challenge.

But although pleased with the victory, the rugby players were simply delighted to have played a hole with the Sunshine Tour pros and seen, from “inside the ropes”, another side of them from what they follow on television.

“It’s so great to have a Sunshine Tour event in Cape Town and we’re looking forward to watching them on TV. I think for the whole of Cape Town it’s quite an exciting event,” said Kitshoff.

Fouche was just as delighted with the experience. “What a privilege to have played with these pros. I’m a massive golf fanatic, and to play with them and see that they’re just human beings like us was a privilege. What a day.”

And Ntubeni, who holed the winning putt for his team, admits to never having been this nervous before.

“There’s a lot of banter until you stand over that ball. It’s quite stressful. I can imagine how hectic it is for them in a tournament. It was so good to meet them. To have them in our city is so important for other aspiring young golfers out there, and even for us as keen golfers. We look up to them, and we wish them the best of luck for this week.”

Malherbe was also full of respect for the pressure the pros face during competition.

“There’s a lot more pressure on individual sports. It’s only up to them. In a team you have the safety of your teammates. So it was awesome to see how they go about it. What a nice experience. I wish the guys all the best this week.”

Professional Van Tonder said he’s ready for a return match against the rugby players. “I would’ve liked to have taken them on over a par five where I can intimidate them a bit with my driver. But it was great fun. They’re a great bunch of guys.”

The Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open is a tournament co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour and tees off at Royal Cape Golf Club with the first round on Thursday.

 

Photo: Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour

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Van Tonder leads into weekend of Limpopo Championship

23rd April 2021

Van Tonder leads into weekend of Limpopo Championship

It was another calm stroll in the bushveld for Daniel van Tonder on Friday as he maintained his place at the top of the leaderboard through two rounds of the Limpopo Championship at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate.

Van Tonder signed for a bogey-free 68 to climb to 10 under par thorugh 36 holes of this Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned event.

His nearest challenger is Norway’s Kristian Johannessen on eight under par but with two holes of his second round still to complete as darkness once again caught the field and forced the round to be carried over.

But whatever is going on behind him hardly seems to trouble Van Tonder at the moment, whose overall game is as smooth as one of the golden sunsets out here.

“It went well again,” he said of Friday’s second round. “The wind was blowing a bit out there and it’s stronger than you think, so that was a bit tough in the afternoon. Most of the holes were into the wind. But if I missed a shot, then it was in the right places and I was able to chip it close. I made four birdies and 14 pars so I’m happy,” he said.

Van Tonder has made an art form of keeping his approach as simple as possible, and he plans to continue doing so over the weekend.

“I have two days to go and will just take it hole by hole and enjoy it. As far as I’m concerned it’s 18 holes on Saturday again, and then on Sunday the same thing. I just keep it as simple as possible.”

Johannessen could still have a say on Van Tonder’s lead as he completes his second round on Saturday morning.

Tristen Strydom, MJ Viljoen, Jaco Prinsloo and Jake Roos are all on seven under. Of that quartet, Strydom, Viljoen and Prinsloo all signed for second rounds of 69, while Roos posted a 68.

Strydom in particular is looking forward to the challenge of the next 36 holes.

“I’ve made a lot of good changes with my swing, body and mindset. I’m just having fun and not putting too much pressure on myself. I’m just going to keep enjoying myself, play good golf and control what I can,” he said. – Michael Vlismas

 

Photo: Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour

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Dimension Data stands firm in support of Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour

9th April 2021

Dimension Data stands firm in support of Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour

The Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour and Dimension Data have announced that the longstanding Dimension Data Pro-Am will still go ahead as planned this May, but without the pro-am element in observance of the Coronavirus health protocols and current restrictions.

The Dimension Data Pro-Am features on both the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour schedules, with the two tournaments played concurrently at Fancourt from 6-9 May.

News that the tournament, which is one of the longest standing on the Sunshine Tour dating back to 1996 and is co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour, will still be played for professionals on both the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour has been welcomed as a major show of support of South African professional golf from Dimension Data.

“I would like to commend Dimension Data and thank Jeremy Ord for his unstinting support of the Sunshine Tour and the Sunshine Ladies Tour during this challenging time,” said Johann Rupert, Chairman of the Sunshine Tour.

“Jeremy and Dimension Data have long been loyal friends and true servants of the game of golf in South Africa, and this is an incredible decision in continuation of this support.”

Jeremy Ord, Chairman of Dimension Data, said the decision was a difficult one to make, but the right one in the current environment.

“The Dimension Data Pro-Am has established itself as not only a premier golf tournament, but also a gathering of friends as we’ve shared the fairways with sports stars, celebrities, professionals and our valued customers, partners and suppliers from around the world over the years. It is disappointing that as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic we cannot host all our valued amateur guests again this year, but we feel it is the prudent decision to make in the interests of everyone’s safety. However, we remain committed to the Sunshine Tour and the Sunshine Ladies Tour, and I am pleased that we can continue our support in this fashion.”

Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, expressed his deep gratitude for the continued support from Dimension Data.

“I think this is an incredible gesture from Dimension Data to offer a solution in a very challenging time, and one which still gives our Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals vital playing opportunities. I would like to thank Jeremy Ord and his team for their support, as well as our Executive Director Selwyn Nathan for his continued influence as we navigate this pandemic’s effect on golf. I also need to thank European Tour Chief Executive Officer Keith Pelley and the European Challenge Tour for their ongoing support of our South African swing of co-sanctioned tournaments.”

This year, the tournament will have a revised format for the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals.

The Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour fields will each be split and play the Outeniqua and Montagu courses at Fancourt on alternating days for the first and second rounds. Thereafter, the Sunshine Tour field will be cut to the top 60 and ties, and the Sunshine Ladies Tour field to the top 30 and ties. The Sunshine Ladies Tour will then play the final round of their 54-hole tournament at the Outeniqua on the Saturday, while the Sunshine Tour will play the final two rounds of their 72-hole tournament on the Montagu.

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It’s April, and The Masters is back where it should be 4

6th April 2021

It’s April, and The Masters is back where it should be

Take a deep breath. It’s April, and they’re playing The Masters. That’s a big step back towards something normal in these crazy times.

Dustin Johnsons green jacket from five months ago hasn’t even had time to gather dust in the closet, and now were doing it all again in what is the shortest time frame between The Masters in its history.

South Africa will be represented by Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Dylan Frittelli and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

And three-time Masters champion Gary Player will also be there in his role as Honorary Starter on Thursday morning alongside Jack Nicklaus and first-time Honorary Starter Lee Elder. Elder was the first Black professional to compete in The Masters in 1975. It will be a warm meeting between Player and Elder, as Player also invited Elder to compete in the 1971 PGA Championship in South Africa, which was one of the first major tournaments in South African golf to include both Black and White professionals.

Inside the ropes, Oosthuizen makes his 13th appearance in The Masters and may feel he still has unfinished business following his playoff defeat to Bubba Watson in 2012.

Schwartzel is back as the 2011 champion, which made him only the third South African after Player and Trevor Immelman to slip on a green jacket.

Frittelli returns only five months after he challenged for a maiden Major title at Augusta National Golf Club before finishing tied fifth last November.

And Bezuidenhout makes his second appearance in The Masters after a debut in November that saw him finish a solid 38th.

But the key to this years Masters and the likely contenders lies in its date. April.

A November Masters was unique in every sense, but most importantly in the way the Augusta National Golf Club played that week. It was a lot softer than it will be now in April.

But none of that really matters. All that matters is it’s April, the azaleas are in bloom, and a green jacket is up for grabs.

So take a deep breath.

It’s Masters week. – Michael Vlismas

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Prinsloo wins again in Serengeti Pro-Am Invitational

28th March 2021

Prinsloo wins again in Serengeti Pro-Am Invitational

Jaco Prinsloo claimed his second Sunshine Tour victory in three tournaments when he won the Serengeti Pro-Am Invitational at Serengeti’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Design Championship course on Sunday.

Prinsloo finished the five-round tournament on 15 under par 327 with a closing 68, giving him a two-stroke victory over Jaco Ahlers who closed with a 71.

MJ Viljoen and Neil Schietekat shared third place on 11 under par with respective final rounds of 70 and 67.

This was Prinsloo’s third individual career title on the Sunshine Tour, but more significantly his second in his last three tournaments following his win in The Players Championship hosted at Dainfern Golf Estate.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m very pleased to have done so well these last few weeks,” he said.

“I started the tournament really well and then kind of just clawed my way up the leaderboard from there, and luckily today I managed to shoot four under and it was good enough to win by two shots.”

Prinsloo has been in the best form of his career thanks to a decision before these past four tournaments to revert to his more natural game rather than the swing changes he’d been working on. Although he admits the work he’s been doing on his swing has not been entirely in vain and has played a part in his recent success.

He is now top of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and over R200 000 ahead of his nearest challenger in Schietekat.

“It’s kind of hard to grasp, really. I mean, you always hope something like this will happen. This is what we all play for and practise for. That’s why you hit golf balls every day of your life, and I feel like I’m reaching my true potential at the moment.”

The pro-am was won by the team of Fairway Ninjas comprising Riekus Nortje, Ruan Korb, Jacques Nel and Dries van Schalkwyk on 51 under par.

The Sunshine Tour now takes a brief break before a run of three tournaments that will be co-sanctioned with the European Challenge Tour, starting with the Limpopo Championship from 22-25 April at Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate, and followed by the Cape Town Open from 29 April to 2 May at the Royal Cape Golf Club and then the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt from 6-9 May. – Michael Vlismas

Photo Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

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Ahlers leads by one going into final day at Serengeti

27th March 2021

Ahlers leads by one going into final day at Serengeti

The tougher test of a Serengeti Jack Nicklaus Signature Design Championship course armed with a stiff breeze suited Jaco Ahlers as he played his into a one-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round of the Sunshine Tour’s Serengeti Pro-Am Invitational.

Ahlers signed for a four-under-par 68 on Saturday to move to 12 under par in this five-round tournament. He is one stroke clear of the group of Lyle Rowe (67), Riekus Nortje (70) and Jaco Prinsloo (71).

Ahlers says he’s enjoyed the challenge that Serengeti has presented this week, especially after the most recent tournaments where the cuts were well under par.

“This is a tougher golf course and with the wind today it was an even tougher test, and I like that. I play better in tougher conditions. I’ve always felt very comfortable on this course,” said Ahlers, who is hunting his 10th victory on the Sunshine Tour.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position. Over the last few weeks I’ve played nicely but just couldn’t get the putter going. I missed two of the last three cuts, but only by one shot each. It was nice to finally see a few putts drop this week.

“The goal on this golf course is to try and minimise mistakes, especially with the flag positions on these greens. You can very easily short-side yourself with your approaches if you’re not careful.”

Apart from his aspirations on the Sunshine Tour, Ahlers is also sitting with a newly-minted Asian Tour card in his pocket, and which he cannot wait to use. He qualified for his Asian Tour privileges shortly before lockdown last year, and played one tournament over there before the Tour was suspended as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. It hasn’t resumed since.

“I’m looking forward to getting out there as soon as they start playing again. I’m also into The Open this year, but we’re also waiting to hear whether that’s going ahead. So for now the focus is just here on the Sunshine Tour.”

And it’s as good a place as any to keep his game sharp.

“It feels like the young guys out there and just making birdies from everywhere. We have a lot of youngsters on our Tour who are all really good golfers. The up-and-coming talent in South Africa is just unbelievable. The standard has really gone up, and it’s good for our Tour.” – Michael Vlismas

Photo Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

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Play-off success earns van Tonder maiden win in Kenya

Play-off success earns van Tonder maiden win in Kenya

Daniel van Tonder secured his first European Tour title at the Kenya Savannah Classic supported by Absa after defeating Jazz Janewattananond with a birdie on the third play-off hole at Karen Country Club.

The 30-year-old South African posted a closing seven under par round of 64 to join Thailand’s Janewattananond on 21 under par and after both players parred the first two trips back down the 18th hole, it was third time lucky for van Tonder as he converted his short birdie putt following a sublime approach.

He was eight under par after 13 holes following five gains in a row from the ninth hole, but back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th handed the advantage to Janewattananond. He needed to find something special and he holed a lengthy birdie putt on the final hole to force extra holes.

“I was struggling last week, but this week I found everything and was very happy,” van Tonder said. “I knew if I gave myself some putting chances, I’d make one sooner or later.

“I’ve been working hard. Last year I had four wins on the Sunshine Tour, my stroke average was quite low – then Covid happened and it made everything a bit hard travel-wise and getting in to tournaments. It wasn’t easy. I had to work hard and keep myself motivated. It paid off, so I’m very happy.

“I’m a bit different. I love pressure, if there’s pressure I get more in the zone. For me, I tried to keep it as easy as possible – hit the fairway first, then the second, put the other player under pressure and see what happens from there. I took it shot-by-shot and it worked.”

Van Tonder also was quick to credit his wife and caddie, Abigail, for her part in helping him stay calm when he began to make mistakes.

“I tried to keep it easy. It’s 18 holes, I needed to 18 tee shots and 18 second shots and try to make it as easy as possible. That was in my mind, just to hit fairways first then hit the second on the green and try and make the putt. The first nine went well and I started the second nine also very well. But I had the two bogeys in a row, two big fliers – I don’t know how – but luckily my wife is on the bag and she kept me calm and reminded me of a few things, and it worked.

“It was very special. She’s been on the bag for seven years. She’s been with me through thick and thin. It was very special to see the highs coming together and sharing them.

“It’s very exciting. We’ve been working hard. It took a while, but it came and I’m very happy – my wife is over the moon. I’m very happy and grateful.

“Work hard. Keep your head down, be humble. I love my wife, she’s the rock. She keeps me calm, makes me positive in everything.”

The victory is van Tonder’s fifth in his last 13 worldwide starts, while Janewattananond secured his best European Tour finish since his tied second place at the 2017 Fiji International. England’s Sam Horsfield and Scotland’s Calum Hill both carded seven under par final rounds of 64 to share third place on 20 under par, while David Drysdale, of Scotland, and South Africa’s Jacques Kruyswijk finished two shots further back in a tie for fifth place on 18 under par. – European Tour.

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Limpopo Championship keeps driving growth for Limpopo tourism

26th March 2021

Limpopo Championship keeps driving growth for Limpopo tourism

The Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) has once again thrown its full support behind this year’s Limpopo Championship, seeing it as a vital component of their goal to drive tourism to the province.

The Limpopo Championship is co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour and will be played from 22-25 April at Euphoria Lifestyle Golf Estate.

At the official launch of this year’s tournament at Euphoria on Thursday, the LTA declared its excitement at the growth of this tournament in partnership with Sunshine Tour since it first teed off in 2019, and also announced the return of their popular “golf passport”.

“This year we wish to also resuscitate the golf passport both for professional and recreational golfers in the country and beyond to enjoy some of our pristine golf courses found in Limpopo. We see this as an opportunity for both parties to popularise this initiative to drive domestic tourism in the province. The Limpopo Golf Passport will give golfers an opportunity to play some rounds of golf on any of the participating golf resorts over a given period. The vision is for this golf event to grow annually and to attract the highest level of professionals from South Africa and abroad,” said LTA Board Chairperson, Andrew Dipela.

“The tournament compliments our brand offering and promotion of diverse tourism experiences. This we do not do alone as we collaborate with the private sector organizations to drive for sector transformation. The Waterberg region where this tournament takes place has a myriad of tourist destinations like the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, which is a RAMSAR Site with over 400 bird species, the Waterberg Biosphere, Makapans Valley World Heritage Site, Welgevonden Private Game Reserve with its approximately 65 lodges, Waterberg Meander, Marakele National Park and many private game reserves, to name but a few.”

Ludwick Manyama, the Sunshine Tour Tournament Director, said they were equally pleased to continue their partnership with the LTA and the Limpopo Championship.

“We are excited to partner with organizations like the Limpopo Tourism Agency, which has helped us grow the Limpopo Championship to its current international status. We hope to sustain this partnership as it is adding value to the sport tourism profile of the country but most importantly using golf as the vehicle to showcase to the world the amazing tourism treasures that exist within South Africa.”

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SAGDB receives 18 000 golf balls from Titleist and Sunshine Tour

25th March 2021

SAGDB given 18 000 golf balls from Titleist and Sunshine Tour

The thousands of golf balls used on driving ranges throughout the Sunshine Tour season all go to a very good cause, with the Tour and partner Titleist donating them to the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) to assist with their nationwide development programmes.

At Serengeti Estates on Thursday, during this week’s Serengeti Pro-Am Invitational, the Sunshine Tour and Titleist donated 18 000 golf balls to the SAGDB.

“We are extremely grateful for the golf balls from Titleist and the Sunshine Tour. It goes a long way to helping us run the SAGDB programmes. I’d like to thank all involved for the terrific support,” said Grant Hepburn, CEO of the SAGDB and GolfRSA.

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Prinsloo stays on top at Serengeti

24th March 2021

Prinsloo stays on top at Serengeti

Jaco Prinsloo’s decision to play the kind of golf he did as a kid continues to pay off as he retained his lead in the Serengeti Pro-Am Invitational at Serengeti Estates on Wednesday.

Prinsloo signed for a one-under-par 71 on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Design Championship golf course, lifting him to nine under par overall.

He is one stroke clear of MJ Viljoen, James Hart du Preez and amateur Christiaan Maas. The 18-year-old Maas surged through the field with a 66 that puts South Africa’s number one amateur in a perfect position for the next three rounds of this five-round tournament.

Although he described his progress as slower on Wednesday, Prinsloo is happy that his golf was still good enough to keep him at the top of the leaderboard.

“I’m a bit surprised actually because I thought I’d get caught at the top. It was a bit harder out there today. It was cold and there was a bit of wind. I was hitting the ball solid from tee to green, but I wasn’t hitting my approaches as close as I did in the first round. So that left me with a bit more work to do with the putter, but fortunately I managed to hang in there.

“I didn’t have too many scoring opportunities. It was just slow par golf really.”

But Prinsloo’s opening 64 gave him the room to absorb a slower second round.

“I suppose that’s the luxury of having a good first day. You can still just shoot under par the next day, and someone else has to play well to catch you. In a way it’s nice to not play my best and still be at the top of the leaderboard.”

This week’s tournament is unique in that Thursday will be a day off for the professionals.

The halfway cut has been made to the top 50 and ties, and now the pro-am element of the tournament will be incorporated following an auction of the professionals and their amateur partners on Thursday.

Then on Friday they take to Serengeti’s famed Whistling Thorn Par 3 course for the professionals’ third round as well as the first round of the pro-am. They will return to Serengeti’s main Jack Nicklaus Signature Design Championship course for Saturday’s fourth round, which will include the second round of the pro-am. And they will remain here for Sunday’s fifth round, which is also the final round of the pro-am.

“It is quite a unique format. We have a day off and then we’re playing a par three course. I suppose if you were really playing well today you wouldn’t want the break on Thursday. But I’m looking forward to it actually. It’s been four weeks in a row now for me so I need a breather. I’m in good form at the moment and we’ll see if we can continue that on Friday,” said Prinsloo. – Michael Vlismas

Photo Credit: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour