On the Tee with the Sunshine Tour ⛳

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NEWSLETTER 2018

Bekker cleans up at the Sunshine Tour awards Johannesburg - Oliver Bekker took home five awards, including the prestigious Commissioner’s Award at the Maslow Hotel where the Sunshine Tour and Golf RSA held their awards ceremony on Sunday, 18 March 2018.

Bekker, who won the Zambia Sugar Open, the Lombard Insurance Classic as well as the Sun Wild Coast Sun Challenge during the 2017/18 Sunshine Tour season, was recognised for his overall contribution to golf on the Tour in the citation for the Commissioner’s Award.

He was also honoured by his fellow professionals in winning the Players’ Player of the Year award, and by the golfing media when he took the Media Player of the Year award.

He also won the Gary Player Trophy for the best stroke average of players who played in 60 percent or more of the Sunshine Tour tournaments during the season. He averaged 70.21 over 71 rounds of tournament golf.

His fifth award was for his feats on the par-fives during the season, where he averaged 1.97 under par throughout his 24-tournament campaign.

The ceremony also saw Irishman Neil O’Briain being named the Rookie of the year to win the Bobby Locke Trophy, beating Zack Byrd of the United States in a race which went right down to the wire during the last event of the season.

Sunshine Tour Commissioner Selwyn Nathan said, “It’s always good to celebrate excellence, and we’ve had another good year on the Sunshine Tour. The commitment of the players is something which sets the Sunshine Tour apart, and it’s one of the reasons we consistently produce players who shine on the world stage. The season which has just ended reinforces that.

Oliver Bekker during day 4 of the 2018 Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt on 18 February 2018 in George, South Africa.

“We’re able to do what we do because of long-standing and fruitful relationships with our partners and sponsors.

Without them, the success we are celebrating would not be possible, so excellence seems to be the least we can do to repay them.

“We also believe that if the season just finished was successful, things will get even better as we kick off the new season.”

SNEAK PEAK

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Foreword Sunshine Tour Awards Proposed Changes to General Regulations

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Sunshine Tour Newsletter

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Foreword from our Tour Commissioner ~ Selwyn Nathan The past year has been a watershed one for the Sunshine Tour and we have created a significant foundation from which we can now add more opportunities for our membership.

Our close working relationship with our friends at the European Tour and Asian Tour helped ensured that the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Joburg Open, Tshwane Open and BMW South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekhurhuleni all renewed their agreements for the foreseeable future. This is great news and we hope that it will not be too long before the Alfred Dunhill Championship makes a return to our schedule.

Our strategy to expand into Africa is working and we have added the Karen Masters in Kenya to the schedule next year and we continue to engage with some new sponsorship prospects, which we hope to announce soon.

The Zimbabwe Open, Zambia Sugar Open, Investec Royal Swazi Open, Lombard Insurance Classic and the Mopani Mines Zambia Open make up our current African swing at the start of the new Order of Merit year in April.

Last year we embarked on a significant development project with the help of some private donors, local government, The R&A, the European Tour and the PGA Tour. The Soweto Country Club project was conceived and a three-stage roll-out plan was adopted; re-design and building of a new club house, pro shop and conference center, erection of a perimeter security fence/wall to enclose the golf course and lastly the re-design and construction of the Soweto Country Club golf course

designed by Gary Player. The first two phases are complete and whilst writing this review the course is currently under construction and is scheduled to reopen later this year. This is probably the most significant golf development project undertaken in this country and it will provide the local community with a world-class sports facility that can be used for social gatherings, weddings and functions. We will continue to work closely with The City of Joburg whom we owe a great debt of gratitude, to ensure that this facility functions as a working club and is maintained according to world standards. To all the private donors, companies and the various international golf bodies that supported this initiative, I say thank you. We could not have done this without your commitment and unselfish support and we know that this facility will become a shining light and a beacon of hope for many generations to come.

The Gary Player Class of 2017 was specifically created as a strategy to develop historically disadvantaged members in a holistic way. We have implemented a number of development projects over the years however no project took into consideration the immense social divide between the previously disadvantaged and their more fortunate peers. To this end we introduced a program that addresses; mentorship, physical development and gym training, golf coaching, available practice facilities, on-going evaluation (boot camps) and financial support. The squad was selected on merit and during the course of last year we immediately started to see some

promising results. A particular highlight was seeing Makheta Mazibuko losing in a playoff for the South African PGA Championship title. The new class of 2018 is just about to be announced and I am confident we can build upon the foundation created last year and see some really good performances from the Gary Player squad this year.

Congratulations to George Coetzee for winning the Official Order of Merit, Oliver Bekker for winning the stroke average and Kyle McClatchie our new Rookie of the year. At the recent Sunshine Tour award ceremony, all our winners were acknowledged, which is featured further in this new publication. I must make special mention of our new Chairman of the Players Committee, Oliver Bekker.

Oliver had a phenomenal year last year and scooped up so many awards. In addition to his Stroke Average achievement he also won the Players Player of the year title, the Commissioners Award, the Golf writers award and the title of best par 4 player Continued on Page 3

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according to the stats. Not only did Oliver perform so well but he also gave up so much time to attend to his fellow player’s needs. Well done Oliver and thank you for your contribution.

Like any good organisation, there needs to be introspective review as we should always be an organisation that adheres to the principals of good governance, is widely respected and plays a significant role in the welfare of golf in this country. The organisation is built around its people and their incredible skills but every now and then we need to keep the business fresh, re-align responsibilities and build for the future. Succession planning is a key strategy for any business and whilst we are currently looking at am organisation re-structure, I am pleased to be able to tell you that Thomas Abt has been appointed as my deputy with immediate effect.

Thomas will report directly to me in Johannesburg whilst Grant Wilson remains our Chief Operating Officer and will continue to report directly to me on the day-to-day running of the business and operational issues from Cape Town. Thomas is highly respected and his experience with running of events, knowledge of the game of golf and his relationship with the players makes him an ideal candidate in the role of Deputy Commissioner.

In closing I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Board of Directors for their contribution to the success of this business. All our Directors give of their time freely and your support, guidance and commitment are greatly appreciated.

I look forward to seeing you on the fairway soon.

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THE BIG EASY TOUR 2017/18 SEASON The 2017-18 season of the Big Easy Tour, like the six before it, didn’t fail to live up to its reputation as the premier developmental golf tour in Southern Africa which continues to attract quality players and reputable partners.

The season’s action began at Killarney Golf Club where players battled it out for the R150 000 prize money, and it was amateur Kyle McClatchie who emerged victorious on a 10-under-par 130 total and seven shots ahead of second-placed Maritz Wessel.

Another amateur, Marco Steyn, raised his hand at the following event which was held at Modderfontein Golf Club, and claimed victory in a play-off against Etienne Bond after both players tied for first spot on seven-under 137 in regulation. The two victories by the aforementioned amateurs were yet another validation of the logic behind having a tour like the Big Easy, that is to afford players an opportunity to compete in a professionally-run setup and test the players’ abilities to withstand pressure.

England’s Chris Cannon would be the next winner following his solid performances at the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School where he earned his playing card. A 12-under 132 total was enough to get him into a suddendeath play-off with Pieter Kruger who would fall while Cannon went home a champion.

Off the course and in the boardroom, management of the tour worked hard to find ways to make the tour attractive to regions of the world where it had

not been before. This work culminated with the announcement that the Middle East and North African (MENA) Tour would become a partner to cosanction three R400 000 events.

Those were The South to East Challenge, The Joburg City Masters as well as The Roar. These were 54-hole events as opposed to the 36-hole events on the regular schedule. Held at Ebotse Links, the first of the co-sanctioned events was The South to East Challenge and Breyten Meyer was the first to claim victory in the co-sanctioned tournaments with a total of 13-under 203. The closest player to Meyer was Herman Loubser – who also earned his card at qualifying school – on nineunder and four shots behind.

Jaco Prinsloo won the following tournament of the co-sanctioned events, the Joburg City Masters, by two shots over veteran Omar Sandys.

Rounds of 69-67- and 68 proved enough to hand Prinsloo the win with

a 12-under-par 204 score. He would back that win up with a win on the Sunshine Tour a few months later at the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Simola.

The third event co-sanctioned with the MENA Tour was The Roar and it was hosted at the Wanderers Golf Club.

This time around it was local player Daniel Hammond who proved that home-course advantage can work sometimes. His 14-under 202 total was just enough to see him claim victory by a single shot over another qualifying school graduate, Chilean Matias Calderon. Calderon would go on to win the Eye of Africa PGA Championship a few months down the line. And with that, all the co-sanctioned events of the Big Easy Tour were won by South African players who have used the tour to develop their skills and ready themselves for the main Sunshine Tour season.

Back on the regular schedule after the end of the co-sanctioned swing,

News Wynand Dingle registered his name among the winners in the 2017/18 season when he clinched the BET Houghton event following a play-off with Tyrone Ryan who also went on to win the Sunshine Tour’s Sun Boardwalk Sun Challenge at Humewood in Port Elizabeth.

The next stop was the Wanderers Golf Club once again, and this time it was Pieter Kruger who came out a winner following a spectacular play-off against Portugal’s Antonio Rosado following their total six-under-par stalemate in regulation. Then, the home of the BMW SA Open proudly hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni would be the next stop.

At Glendower Golf Club, it was member of the Gary Player Class of 2017/18, Musiwalo Nethunzwi who claimed victory. His, too, came after a play-off following a tie with Zimbabwe’s Greg Bentley at six-under 138. His victory spelt the first win for any member of the group since its inception in November 2016.

The penultimate tournament in the regular season of the Big Easy Tour was the King’s Cup which is held yearly at the Royal Swazi Golf and Spa in Ezulwini, Swaziland. The most tightly contested of the 2017/18 events with three players sharing second spot, was won by Bryandrew Roloefsz following some inspiring team work between himself and his caddie. This 72-hole event boasted prize money of R350 00, and the 14-under 274 total Roloefsz carded was one shot too much for the chasing trio of Herman Loubser, James Pennington and Jacques P de Villiers.

The season finale, the BET Tour Championship, was held at Observatory Golf Club, and again, it was a tightly contested affair. Robertson Golf Club’s Jacquin Hess made it two victories from

Sunshine Tour Newsletter members of the Gary Player Class in one season. In his three rounds there, Hess only signed for a score in the 70s in the second round, while his first and third were a 68 and a 65 respectively.

That victory cemented his spot atop the Order of Merit rankings, and after playing nine tournaments, he was R25 000 clear of second-placed Dingle.

As if the sort of excitement brought about by the thrills of the golf itself were not enough, it was then announced that from the start of 2018, tournaments will attract Official World Golf Ranking points where winners will receive a minimum of three points for 54-hole tournaments and five points for 72-hole tournaments.[1]

aimed at guiding young professionals through the initial hurdles in their transition to the paid ranks and reward the 10 outstanding players of the season direct passage to the Sunshine Tour,” said Sunshine Tour commissioner Selwyn Nathan.

Kyle McClatchie Big Easy Tour - Killarney Golf Club

Then, in perhaps the most brilliant move of the season, the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour was launched in April 2018. Born out of a close collaboration between the Sunshine Tour and the IGT Challenge Tour, the co-sanctioned Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour will comprise of 15 tournaments and a Tour Championship at The Els Club Copperleaf.

While the BET and the IGT Challenge Tour both retain their own identities, the stand-alone Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour will form part of the 40-plus events on the IGT Challenge Tour.

Marco Steyn Big Easy Tour - Modderfontein Golf Club

The Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour events will be 54-hole tournaments and will carry prize money of R75 000 each. The Tour Championship will boast a purse of R100 000. The tour will have its own Order of Merit and the top 10 ranked players on the final Chase to The Els Club Copperleaf will earn exemption for the 2018/19 Sunshine Tour.

“By combining forces with the IGT Challenge Tour we can offer an allinclusive golf development series

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Jacquin Hess Big Easy Tour Championship

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SYMBOL OF CO-OPERATION The Sunshine Tour annual awards were made in conjunction this year with GolfRSA, and that occasion was merely emblematic of a relationship that has long been a strong one and has been becoming even stronger.

The formulation of GolfRSA to strengthen the oversight of the game at all levels saw the link between the Tour and the administrative body grow from something that was always there.

The Sunshine Tour has long contributed towards a number of chapters of the South African Golf Development Board, and the relationship between the Tour and amateur golf has been growing increasingly close.

That closeness is represented in consultations between

the Tour and GolfRSA around dates for the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, and in the Sunshine Tour Junior Series of tournaments. Seven events are funded by the Sunshine Tour and named after some of the biggest Sunshine Tour events.

In addition, the Big Easy Tour has become something of a testing ground for amateurs to flex their muscles ahead of the big decision whether to turn professional. In the 2017 Big Easy season, Kyle McClatchie and Marco Steyn took the opening two events on the schedule, at Killarney and Modderfontein respectively.

The Awards Ceremony was just another step in the constant process of working more closely, and helped to indicate the closeness of the relationship, as well as afford GolfRSA an opportunity to host an event that otherwise might have not taken place due to budget constraints.

The event at the Maslow Hotel was just the first in what will be many such ceremonies in the future.

BEST AVERAGES FOR PAR-3,4 & 5 For the first time on the Sunshine Tour, golfers were recognised for the best stroke average on par-threes, fours and fives during the awards ceremony held in partnership with GolfRSA at the Maslow Hotel, in Sandton, on 18 March 2018.

Louis de Jager, a three-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, walked away with the best par-three award as he recorded an average of -0.04 in the 23 tournaments he participated in throughout the 2017-18 season.

Vaughn Groenewald came second after registering +0.10. Other players who made it into the top five list were Alex Haindl with an average of +0.15, Jake Roos on +0.18 and Justin Harding who secured +0.19.

The Investec Royal Swazi Open winner, Peter Karmis, topped the par-fours with his -0.35 stroke average. Karmis made appearances in 18 tournaments last season. Ockie Strydom who finished second in 12 tournaments since 2011

came second after Karmis as he shot -0.18. Neil Schietekat came third with -0.05, Unlrich van den Berg also made into the top five with -0.03 and Vaughn Groenewald again appearing with his -0.01.

The biggest winner on the night, Oliver Bekker, collected his fifth award for best player on the par-fives as he wrapped up the season with -1.97 stroke average.

Bekker played in 24 tournaments last season and won Zambia Sugar Open 2017, Lombard Insurance Classic and Sun Wild Coast Sun Challenge. Jean Hugo was hot on heels of Bekker with a stroke average of -1.84, while Colin Nel scored -1.81, Hennie du Plessis got -1.79 and Ulrich van den Berg shot -1.76.

Scoring Average vs PAR 3

Av.

Results

1. Louis de Jager

-0.04

75

2. Vaughn Groenewald

+0.10

77

3. Alex Haindl

+0.15

62

4. Jake Ross

+0.18

60

5. Justin Harding

+0.19

77

Scoring Average vs PAR 4

Av.

Results

1. Peter Karmis

-0.35

71

2. Ockie Strydom

-0.18

74

3. Neil Schietekat

-0.05

75

4. Ulrich van den Berg

-0.03

71

5. Vaughn Groenewald

-0.01

77

Av.

Results

1. Oliver Bekker

-1.97

71

2. Jean Hugo

-1.84

79

3. Colin Nel

-1.81

68

4. Hennie du Plessis

-1.79

63

5. Ulrich van den Berg

-1.76

71

Scoring Average vs PAR 5

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SUNSHINE TOUR AWARDS The 2017/18 season of the Sunshine Tour – filled with thrills, close-calls and heartbreaks – was one of the most entertaining and toughest in recent times, and for all their work, the top-performers were duly awarded at the Sunshine Tour Awards held in conjunction with GolfRSA at The Maslow hotel at the end of March.

In a season where you had nine winners under the age of 30, nine first time winners and a first tri-sanctioned event on South African soil, there was a lot to write home about. Between Ockie Strydom’s near misses, Oliver Bekker’s hat-trick of victories and Keenan Davidse’s total domination of the Investec Order of Merit for the Gary Player Class of 2017/18, the season produced more edge-of-the-couch stuff than your best thriller movie.

While he might be disappointed with not winning the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit following a stellar season, Bekker played his best season by far, coming third at the season-opening Zimbabwe Open before winning the Zambia Sugar Open in April. Three weeks later, he clinched the Lombard Insurance Classic in Swaziland before winning the Sun Wild Coast Sun Challenge on home soil to make it three victories in three different countries in a single season.

Such feat was never going to go unnoticed and it was no surprise that the 34-year old Stellenbosch professional won more awards at Maslow than any other player. The first of his five awards was the Best Scoring Average on par-fives this season where his average was -1.97 in 71 rounds. Then he collected the award for the Stroke Average winner and the Golf Writers award.

The biggest, however, had to be the Players’ Player Award where fellow professional agreed in unison that Bekker’s season was head and shoulders above the other guys’, and the Commissioner’s Award which the Commissioner grants in his discretion.

The Big Easy Tour’s Order of Merit was won by Jacquin Hess following a solid season on that circuit which included his maiden professional win at the Big Easy Tour Tour Championship and three top-10s. He also walked away with the Malcolm Dreyer Stroke Average Award to cap off a brilliant season.

Back on the main tour, Louis de Jager won the award for

Gary Player Class Winners FLTR: Toto Thimba (Jnr), Makhetha Mazibuko, Courtney De Barros, Keenan Davidse and Jacquin Hess

the best par-three player, Peter Karmis won the best parfour while the best par-five went to Bekker. Of all the thrills and excitement in the season that was, it was the rise of Kyle McClatchie which got the golf fraternity talking. While his win – as an amateur – at the BET Killarney event might have gone unnoticed, it would not take long for McClatchie to get everybody’s attention.

Top-20 finishes at the BMW SA Open proudly hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni, the Eye of Africa PGA Championship, Dimension Data Pro-Am and the 10th he got at Cape Town Open presented by Sun International got many thinking McClatchie was the real deal. For his meteoric rise, he was awarded The Newcomer of the Year.

Also going about his business quietly over the course of the season after acquiring his Sunshine Tour playing card at qualifying school was Ireland’s Neil O’Briain. His efforts over the season earned him the Rookie of the Year accolade.

And, of course, the Gary Player Class of 2017/18 best performers were also awarded on the night with Keenan Davidse claiming the Investec Order of Merit after a stellar season. Makhetha Mazibuko was also awarded for coming second behind Davidse on those standings while Toto Thimba Jr claimed the third spot.

Stacey Bregman claimed the Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit.

Golf awards would mean nothing if the amateur ranks were not recognised and it was fitting that players from the GolfRSA circuits receive their recognition at this same event.

Jayden Schaper won the Junior Amateur of the Year, Derek Scullard took the Mid-Amateur of the Year while the Senior Amateur of the Year accolade went to Steve Williams. On the ladies’ side of the amateur ranks it was Kajal Mistry who claimed the Order of Merit.

The Outstanding Achievement Award went to Danielle du Toit for the ladies and Kyle McClatchie for the men. McClatchie also claimed the Open Amateur of the Year for his season.

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Sunshine Tour Newsletter

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1st Place - Gary Player Award Keenan Davidse (left) award presented

by Candice Buitendach ~ Investec

2nd Place - Gary Player Award Makhetha Mazibuko (left)

3rd Place - Gary Player Award Toto Thimba (Jnr) (right)

Best Par Five Winner Oliver Bekker (left)

Best Par Four Winner Peter Karmis (left)

Best Par Three Winner Louis de Jager (left)

Big Easy Tour - Order of Merit Winner Jacquin Hess (right)

Commissioner’s Award Winner Oliver Bekker (left)

Grant Wilson presented a token of appreciation to Mrs Dreyer in commemoration of former Golf Player Malcolm Dreyer.

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Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit Winner - Stacy Bregman (right)

Player’s Player Award Oliver Bekker (left)

South African Golf Association MidAmateur Golfer of the Year Derek Scullard (left)

Golf Writer’s Award Oliver Bekker (left)

Malcolm Dreyer Stroke Average Award Jacquin Hess (centre)

South African Golf Association Junior Golfer of the Year 2017/18 Jayden Schaper (left)

Achievement Award 2017 Danielle du Toit (right)

Women’s Golf SA Open Amateur Order of Merit Winner Kajal Mistry (right)

FLTR: Sally Greasley (President of WGSA); Grant Hepburn (CEO Golf RSA); and Sarah Braude (Vice-President of WGSA)

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Sunshine Tour Newsletter

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LADIES TOUR Buhai on the brink

Buoyant Ashleigh Buhai believes she is on the brink of an LPGA Tour breakthrough Lali Stander She set up, studied the ball for a few moments and swung in an effortless motion.

The ball started off low, rose and soared down the 18th fairway at Westlake Golf Club. Her caddie nodded approvingly.

A lethal approach shot and two putts for par followed.

And just like that, Ashleigh Buhai broke a sevenyear title-drought on the Ladies European Tour in the Investec South African Women’s Open.

“That’s the first box ticked for 2018. The next box is a win on the LPGA Tour,” said Buhai after the victory boosted her to 97th in the Rolex Women’s Golf Ranking.

Ashleigh Buhai needs no introduction. Unless you missed the part where she married her bagman of eight years and you’re still wondering what in the world happened to Ashleigh Simon.

Her storied amateur career was nothing short of outstanding.

Buhai dominated the local amateur golf scene, distinguished herself on the international stage and won four professional events as an amateur, including the 2004 SA Women’s Open at

the age of 14 and the SA Women’s Masters at age 16 – the only amateur to achieve this feat in both flagship events and the only amateur to win the SA Women’s Open twice.

Expectations were huge when she joined the paid ranks in June 2007 and she didn’t disappoint.

Within three starts, she broke her duck in the Spanish Women’s Open on the Ladies European Tour and won again in 2011. After a couple of dry seasons, Ashleigh was in striking form when the Sunshine Ladies Tour launched in 2014, racking up three titles in succession.

Again anticipation rose, but she topped the podium just once in 2015.

In December 2016, Ashleigh wed best friend and caddie David Buhai.

Just before the 2017 Sunshine Ladies Tour season, Buhai quipped: “I better win in quickly before people wonder what’s happened to me.”

And she did, adding four more trophies to the mantle, including the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies.

Then a career-best season on the LPGA Tour followed.

Yet one question comes up, over and over. Quite

Ashleigh Buhai and husband David share a moment during the final round of the Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club; credit Thinus Maritz / Sunshine Ladies Tour.

possibly the greatest female golf talent ever to emerge from these shores since Major champion Sally Little, Ashleigh never quite lived up to her billing until now. Why has it taken so long?

“I don’t mean to sound flippant, but that’s golf,” says Buhai.

“I’ve had some really bad breaks and some incredible successes. Like being in a great position in the Final Stage of the LPGA Q-School with one round to play and contracting a stomach virus.

But in 2014, I beat three other players in a play-off to get my LPGA Tour card.

“Last year I made the top 80 to qualify for the Race to the CME Globe. Then I injured my foot just before the start of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. It’s crazy how things happen in life. After six weeks, I resumed the Race to the CME Globe in

Abu Dhabi, where I finished 41st. The next week I tied for second in the Blue Bay LPGA, my best finish to date.

“I’ve had seasons where injuries or surgery hampered my form. But I’ve had some good fortune, too, that helped me to keep my card on the Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour. When you choose sport as a career, you have to accept the good and the bad. It’s just the way it is.

“Right now, I’m incredibly positive. I followed my best season on the LPGA Tour with the best start imaginable and I feel anything is possible. I’m in such a good place right now. I’m in the best form I’ve been in a decade and, after Blue Bay, I really feel like I can win on the LPGA Tour. I just need to keep this positive momentum going, stay patient and let it happen.”

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LADIES TOUR WINNERS PLAYERS’ PROFILE 2018

SuperSport Ladies Challenge Winner Nobuhle Dlamini - Swaziland Represents: Glendower Golf Club Tournament

Position

SA Women’s Masters Winner Laura Fuenfstueck - Germany Represents: Unattached Tournament

Cape Town Ladies Open Winner Lee-Anne Pace - South Africa Represents: Investec Position

Tournament

Position

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open

13

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open

23

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open

3

Joburg Ladies Open

4

Joburg Ladies Open

18

Joburg Ladies Open

81

Cape Town Ladies Open

12

Cape Town Ladies Open

20

Cape Town Ladies Open

1

SLT Dimension Data Challenge

12

SLT Dimension Data Challenge

10

SLT Dimension Data Challenge

-

South African Woman’s Masters

2

South African Woman’s Masters

1

South African Woman’s Masters

-

SuperSport Ladies Challenge

1

SuperSport Ladies Challenge

5

SuperSport Ladies Challenge

-

Investec SA Woman’s Open

83

Investec SA Woman’s Open

60

Investec SA Woman’s Open

14

SLT Dimension Data Challenge Winner Carrie Park - South Korea Represents: GFG Academy / Centurion CC Tournament

Position

Joburg Ladies Open Winner and Investec SA Women’s Open Winner Ashleigh Buhai - South Africa Represents: Royal Jhb & Kensington Golf Club Tournament

Position

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open Winner Stacy Bregman - South Africa Represents: Nike / Cutter + Buck / Sun International Tournament

Position

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open

4

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open

2

Canon Ladies Tshwane Open

1

Joburg Ladies Open

6

Joburg Ladies Open

1

Joburg Ladies Open

2

Cape Town Ladies Open

-

Cape Town Ladies Open

-

Cape Town Ladies Open

4

SLT Dimension Data Challenge

1

SLT Dimension Data Challenge

-

SLT Dimension Data Challenge

2

South African Woman’s Masters

-

South African Woman’s Masters

-

South African Woman’s Masters

76

SuperSport Ladies Challenge

-

SuperSport Ladies Challenge

-

SuperSport Ladies Challenge

24

Investec SA Woman’s Open

-

Investec SA Woman’s Open

1

Investec SA Woman’s Open

4

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Sunshine Tour Newsletter

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The 2017/18 Sunshine Tour Season The 2017-18 Sunshine Tour season saw George Coetzee finish atop the Order of Merit, courtesy of his win in the Tshwane Open right at the end of a busy year. Just behind him was Erik van Rooyen, whose second place in the Joburg Open behind rising star Shubankhar Sharma of India was enough to elevate him into contention for the Sid Brews trophy.

But the fact that the pair played 12 tournaments between them – half the number played by third-placed JC Ritchie, Oliver Bekker in fourth and Ockie Strydom in fifth – tells a more accurate story of the year on the Tour.

Those players formed the narrative of the success of the Tour, with four victories and 18 top-10 finishes between them – and Strydom had no fewer than five runner-up spots to his name as he chased a maiden Sunshine Tour victory with everything he had.

There were multiple winners in the experienced duo of Peter Karmis and Doug McGuigan, who won twice each, but the future of the Tour was more accurately portrayed by the number of first-time winners. Besides Ritchie, Riekus Nortje, Jared Harvey, MJ Viljoen, Tyrone Ryan, Hennie du Plessis, Jaco Prinsloo, Matias Calderon and Rhys Enoch all won their first Sunshine Tour titles. Those names represent a first-rate crop of players who will continue to take the Tour into the future.

Those wins were punctuated by the ‘big’ ones: Dylan Frittelli took the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (it was also his maiden Sunshine Tour title), Sharma the Joburg Open, Chris Paisley the BMW SA Open, Jaco Ahlers the Dimension Data Pro-Am, Coetzee the Tshwane Open and Darren Fichardt the new Tour Championship.

Also new on the Tour was the Steyn City Team Championship, which was won

by Jean Hugo and Hennie du Plessis.

It proved to be a popular innovation amongst the players, and will draw more fan and media attention going forward.

The year showed that the Sunshine Tour, as it has always been, is going to continue to be a key to the success of South Africa in the golfing world.

From the winner of the Order of Merit to the last of 32 players who earned his playing privileges at the Qualifying School, all will know that the opportunities are there. They have only to reach for them, let their talent and their commitment have free rein, and those opportunities can be converted into careers of substance.

The Sunshine Tour knows that. It’s acknowledged in the pay-off line which is often used in conjunction with its logo: “It begins here.”

Mopani Redpath Zambia Open Riekus Nortje -18 Vodacom Origins of Golf Highland Gate Doug McGuigan -10 Sun City Challenge Peter Karmis -6 (play-off Jake Roos) Sun Carnival City Challenge Jbe’ Kruger -11 Vodacom Origins of Golf Arabella Keith Horne -6 Sun Wild coast Sun Challenge Oliver Bekker -11 Vodacom Origins of Golf Zimbali Jared Harvey -12 Sun Fish River Sun Challenge MJ Viljoen -13 Sun Boardwalk Challenge Tyrone Ryan -11 Vodacom Origins of Golf St Francis Links Doug McGuigan -13 Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen Hennie du Plessis -12 (play-off Ockie Strydom) Sun Sibaya Challenge Alex Haindl -16 Vodacom Origins of Golf final Simola Jaco Prinsloo -16 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open Dylan Frittelli -16 (play-off Arjun Atwal) Joburg Open Shubankhar Sharma -23 BMW SA Open Chris Paisley -21

2017/18 Winners

Eye of Africa PGA Championship Matias Calderon -17

Qualifying School Herman Loubser -20

Dimension Data Pro-Am Jaco Ahlers -20

2017 Zimbabwe Open JC Ritchie -16 (play-off Trevor Fisher Jnr)

Cape Town Open Rhys Enoch -19

Zambia Sugar Open Oliver Bekker -19

Tshwane Open George Coetzee -18

Investec Royal Swazi Open Peter Karmis 49 points

Steyn City Team Championship Jean Hugo, Hennie du Plessis -23

Lombard Insurance Classic Oliver Bekker -19 (play-off Justin Harding)

The Tour Championship Darren Fichardt -17

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Q-SCHOOL RESULTS An enthralling 2017/18 season of the Sunshine Tour ended in some dramatic fashion as professional and amateur hopefuls took a shot at qualifying school, withstanding testing competition and unfriendly weather conditions to earn their playing cards for the next season.

A total of 181 players from all over the world flocked to Killarney Golf Club and State Mines Country Club for the First Stage of the gruelling competition for places where the top 20 players and ties would earn themselves spots in the Final Stage of qualifying school at Randpark Golf Club. From the 90 players playing at Killarney, local amateur Arno Pretorius claimed the first of the 20 spots after rounds of 67-68-72 and 67 gave him a six-under-par total, four shots adrift of second-placed Philip Eriksson of Sweden.

Over at State Mines, the battle for top spot was a little more intense despite lengthy delays and frequent suspensions of the rounds due to dangerous weather.

When those were overcome eventually, it was the trio of England’s Ben Robinson, Lesotho’s David Mofokeng and Kempton Park amateur, Ruhan van Dijk, who shared top spot on nine-under 279.

As has been the case in recent years, the Sunshine Tour qualifying school continued to attract talent from far with countries like

England, Holland, Belgium, Canada, the United States, Sweden, France, the Czech Republic and Germany, among many others, represented in the first stage.

The end of that week spelt the beginning of another innovative and developmental initiative, the Vusi Ngubeni Stroke Play.

Like qualifying school, the Vusi Ngubeni guarantees Sunshine Tour playing privileges to the top-15 players and ties.

The innovation, however, is designed to service only the historically disadvantaged golfers and offer them another opportunity, besides qualifying school, to earn their cards. A whopping 152 players signed up and the Modderfontein Golf Club was a gracious host.

Experience prevailed on this particular week as Teboho Sefatsa reclaimed his Sunshine Tour playing card with a nine-under-par 279 total, one stroke clear of Makhetha Mazibuko.

And while the top spot was claimed by an experienced campaigner, a few youngsters showed glimpses

of excellence and resilience. Franklin Manchest, Fezekile Kana, Keelan Africa and Phumlani Maluka were among those who competed with grit and showed promise.

The final stage of qualifying school followed at Randpark and if the on-course drama didn’t make the tournament interesting, the weather surely did. Weather-forced delays were an everyday thing to the effect that the tournament overran its duration by a day. Exciting English amateur Todd Clements was the star of the show as he alternated between the first and second positions on the leader-board for the entire week.

He was not the only impressive amateur on the field. Erhard Lambrechts, Louis Albertse, Gideon van der Vyver and Theunis Bezuidenhout were some of the amateurs who proved they can do battle. Anton Haig’s showing earned him the sixth spot on the final scoreboard but it was Thriston Lawrence who emerged victorious, claiming a four-shot win over Clements on 16-under 344.

Lawrence’s victory earned him the first of the 30-odd Sunshine Tour playing cards to be handed to the top-30 players and ties after the final round.

Players who earned their Sunshine Tour cards: Thriston Lawrence; Todd Clements; Louis Albertse; Jason Smith; Theunis Bezuidenhout; Anton Haig; Gideon van der Vyver; Erhard Lambrechts; Philip Eriksson; Heinrich Bruiners; Sean Bradley; Damon Stephenson; James du Preez; Roberto Lupini; Jason Vijoen; Ty Capps;

Ruan Conradie; Marthin Scheepers; Basil Wright; Pieter Moolman; Ruan Huysamen; Tyler Hogarty; Steven Lecuyer; Victor Lange; Michael Schutz; Estiaan Conradie; Duane Keun; Wayne Stroebel; Jade Buitendag; Luke Trocado; Philip Geerts; and David McIntyre.

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PROPOSED CHANGES TO GENERAL REGULATIONS ticipate in the required minimum number of tournaments to be ranked on the Final 2017/2018 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, and who finished within the positions 51 – 100 on the Final 2016/2017 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit may apply for membership in this category; • Players finishing in positions 1 – 5 (& ties) at the 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School; • Players will be ranked within this category alternately selecting one player at a time, in ranking order, from (i), (ii), and (iii) below, and using the following order of rotation. (i) Players finishing in positions 6 – 30 (& ties) at the 2018/2019 Sunshine Tour Qualifying School; (ii) Leading 5 players on the Final 2017 Big Easy Tour Order of Merit who are not already exempt in a higher category; (iii) The leading 5 players from the 2017 MENA Tour Order of Merit.

• Players finishing in positions 1–15 (& ties) at the 2018/2019 Vusi Ngubeni Qualifying School; With the success of the 2017/18 season, the upcoming season will have series of changes in the General Regulations of Southern African Golf. The following are a few changes mentioned in this newsletter for more information, please contact the Administration Office or visit our Website.

Entry fee: If a member commencing his participation in a tournament fails to pay his entry fee on time, he will be ineligible to play the tournament.

Starting fields: Category 4a (invites and HDI invites): The exception to Category 4 has been expanded to include invites for the Cape Town Open; Category 4b (pre-q spots): There will be 5 pre-q spots for the Mauritius Open (reduced from 7); Category 9 (breakdown as follows): • Players finishing in positions 51–100 on the Final 2017/ 2018 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit; • 2017/2018 Affiliate members who played in every possible tournament that they were eligible to play in, who are listed, but not ranked, within the Top 100 positions on the Final Sunshine Tour Players list; • Top 50 from the Sunshine Tour career money list at the conclusion of the 2017/2018 season; • Players who, due to participation on a Tour forming part of the International Federation of PGA Tours, who did not par-

• Players who have been Regular Members in good standing with the Sunshine Tour for at least five consecutive years, commencing with the 2013 season. Players in this category will be ranked in order of career money.

The note to the re-rank has been expanded to state that should players in Category 9 be unable to play a number of consecutive events during the current season due to illness, injury or personal circumstances, they may apply to be exempted from the re-rank.

Qualifying: Should a player retire or be disqualified from a qualifying round, his retirement or disqualification will also apply to the main tournament and as such, he will be withdrawn from the main tournament Withdrawal Procedure: For tournaments where no qualifying rounds are played, a player who becomes exempt after 6pm on a Friday will only forfeit his entry fee and shall not be fined, should he subsequently withdraw. A player who becomes exempt after 10am on the Monday of a tournament will not be fined or forfeit his entry fee should he withdraw.

Tournament Registration: A qualifier who fails to meet the 10am pre q registration deadline shall be disqualified and removed from the qualifying round draw, and he shall be liable for his entry fee. In such a situation, the player will also Continued on Page 15

News Continued from Page 14

be removed from the reserve list for the main tournament. A player qualifying for a tournament, and who fails to meet the 10am deadline shall be disqualified and removed from the main tournament draw.

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tournament or exhibition match, whether private or public, scheduled against a Sunshine Tour sanctioned tournament offering prize money of R2 000 000 or more, without the prior written permission of either the Executive Director or COO”

Players need to play in at least 5 tournaments, or 2 more Sunshine Tour tournaments than co or tri sanctioned, whichever is the greater.

Marketing and Media Rights: No member (nor his representative nor any of his commercial partners) is authorized to make any use, commercial or otherwise, of the Sunshine Tour name or logo, without the advanced written approval of the Executive Director or the COO.

Conflicting Tournaments: This regulation has been re-instated, “Members of the Sunshine Tour shall not compete in any

Integrity Policy: This has been added and merged with the old “Anti Gaming Policy”

Order of Merit: Reference is made to the “Players List”

Admin Office Contact Details:

Joanne Newell | Administration Manager | Tel.: +27 (0)21 850 6513 Sonia Schoeman | Administration Assistant | Tel.: +27 (0)21 850 6504.

TEE OFF WITH THE NEWLY APPOINTED CFO ~ Lindé Jooste What/who has influenced you to pursue a career in finance?

Maths was my favourite subject at school, but I could not see myself as an Actuary. So the next best thing was accounting.

Please give us a brief background about your career?

After completing high school in Oudtshoorn, I did my BA Accounting degree at Stellenbosch University. I did my articles at Meredith Harrington in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. During my articles, I completed my Hons degree through Unisa and passed my board exams to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. Next stop was Robben Island Museum, doing contract Accounting work. This year May will be my 10 year anniversary at the Tour.

What will be your priorities for the next season of 2018/19?

To have less catching up after summer. I believe through proper planning we can stay up to date even with our limited staff during our busy summer period. Another priority is to improve communication within my department and the rest of the business.

Fast forwarding to three years’ from now, what would you like to have achieved over this period?

We’ve come a long way since 1997 when the Tour started in its current legal form. Back then we had substantial debt and being a membership organization the players could be held liable for it. Today, the Tour is a profitable business with substantial reserves instead of the debt. I would like to ensure it stays this way with even more playing opportunities for our members.

What do you do when you are relaxing?

Most of my free time is spent watching Peppa Pig with my 4 year old! I love our family time together. We don’t go often enough, but we are campers. I even own a caravan! Being a true Cape Townian, I spend lazy afternoons with friends on any wine farm, with a playpark of course.

What is your message to our readers?

Don’t be so focused on your goals that you don’t enjoy the journey on the way.

VAT rate increase from 14% to 15% effective 1 April 2018 On 21 February 2018 the Minister of Finance announced an increase in the VAT rate from 14% to 15%, effective 1 April 2018. Southern Africa PGA Tour will take the following approach: • Player entry fees will remain unchanged; • Southern Africa PGA Tour decided to absorb the increase in VAT for player related costs for the remainder of our financial year. These fees will only be changed from 1 October 2018; • All invoices to sponsors from 1 April 2018 will reflect the 15% VAT rate.

The delay in implementing the increased VAT rate on some fees will benefit players, as Southern Africa Tour will absorb the increase in VAT for the remainder of the 2018 financial year.

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Sunshine Tour Newsletter

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SUMMER SCHEDULE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE SUNSHINE TOUR The Cape Town Open presented by Sun International was an event which presented unique challenges to the Sunshine Tour and which gave rise to us hosting the first ever official “green and water-less” event ever.

The much-publicised drought in the Western Cape which affects many Golf Clubs there, due to the lack of available water to irrigate the courses properly, had a major impact on the Cape Town Open. It was not only the courses suffering, but a lack of potable drinking water and even bottled water in the Western Cape, forced the Tour to reconsider the venue of that event and even the way the tournament would be staged. With the course of Royal Cape in dire straits, the parties agreed to seek another venue that would be more suitable under the prevailing conditions, and so the move to the King David Mowbray Golf Club followed. This Club is fortunate to have access to ample supplies of treated effluent water from the surrounding community and its lush, green course was something to behold in the drought conditions that prevailed in the region. Together with the title sponsor, the City of Cape Town, the Sunshine Tour, event promoters and new host venue embarked on hosting a “green” and “water-less” event in pursuance of the City’s drive to save on usage of potable water. The showers at the Club were closed during the week of the event. Bottled water was trucked in from Gauteng and all catering was delivered with disposable and biodegradable crockery and cutlery, which eliminated the need to wash dishes. This was implemented in the players lounge, VIP lounge and public catering areas and proved to be a huge success. Those attending the event were educated about the reasons for this drastic move and it was well received. The awareness drive to save on water resulted in the least ever consumption of bottled water ever in a summer event on the Sunshine Tour!

The past summer proved a massive challenge operationally and ended with 6 big events hosted in consecutive weeks, from the Eye of Africa PGA Championship in the second week of February through to the Tour Championship hosted in the third week of March. Also during this time, the Sunshine Ladies Tour was in full swing which occupied the full-time attention and involvement of one of our key operational

Above: The new look of the on-course branding used during the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School.

staff members. Two new events were added to our schedule – the Team Championship at Steyn City and the Tour Championship at Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate, both during March when we also hosted our various Qualifying School events. The Team Championship coincided with the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School First Stage which was hosted over two golf courses, whilst the Tour Championship coincided with the Vusi Ngubeni Qualifying School. This stretched our resources to breaking point, having to staff and equip 3 golf courses at the same time, whilst preparing to send a team with equipment to the next week’s venues. We managed to get through this in one piece and staged successful events, and our staff, contractors and volunteers all earned a welldeserved break.

Equipment

Late last year the Sunshine Tour decided to donate to the sponsor hosts the on-course score boards it has been shipping to Mauritius for the annual AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open it cosanctions with the European Tour and Asian Tour. It was time to replace some of this equipment, so it was the best solution to make room in our warehouse for the new score boards.

The transport of these bulk items proved costly every year, so at least for the future staging of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the equipment is in the possession of the event hosts.

A change of image is always refreshing and the Sunshine Tour designed a new look for its on-course branding during the mid-winter break last year, which was then rolled out from the winter swing in August 2017.