Tee to Green November 2011 by Ursula Vlismas

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EDITORIAL TEAM

Let the little children play golf

remember as a junior golfer standing on the first tee at my local golf club on a Friday afternoon, waiting for a gap in the field to be able to squeeze in nine holes. Friday afternoons was generally considered for the juniors. But we still had to wait for the adults. If you were on the tee and about to begin your round, and an adult golfer arrived, you

had to give way so they could go off before you. That was how it worked. We also had to wear those atrocious long rugby socks with our shorts. I look at how junior golfers are generally welcomed and accommodated at golf clubs today, and I marvel at how far the game has progressed in this respect. And yet there are still places, and people, who seem stuck in a time warp when it comes to junior golfers. I was at a Pretoria golf club recently, late on a Saturday afternoon. I noticed two mothers had brought their children to the putting green. The kids had their golf clubs with them and were extremely excited to be pottering around the putting green. They were well behaved and not a nuisance at all. The field was through, and most of the golfers were in the 19th already. It was not busy and they had timed it to be as unobtrusive as possible. But a gentleman who was chipping nearby was visibly irritated by their mere presence there. They weren’t in his way, but just by being there as kids they were a problem for him. So he complained to the mothers that he couldn’t chip as he would like because the kids were in the way. They took their kids and left, leaving the chipping area for His Highness’ sole use. If I was the golf director, I would’ve told that gentleman to get used to

kids on the putting green, and then I would’ve gone over to the mothers and immediately signed up all those kids for introductory golf lessons and discussed junior membership with them. I hear of so many stories of how golf clubs are struggling, how membership and rounds are down, how the game is just not growing. Then when I see an episode like this, I know exactly why. Until clubs and golfers accept that they need to accommodate children, as well as people who are learning the game and will as such be slow in a field, there will never be growth. Many clubs and golfers have made this shift, and it’s no surprise that their clubs and junior programmes are thriving. I’ve seen enough such examples from Nelspruit to Johannesburg. There are clubs with a vibrant junior section. My own Zwartkop Golf Club hosts a fantastic holiday golf programme for children. We speak a lot about how this game is a metaphor for life, and tolerance is certainly one of these lessons we need to focus on if this game is going to grow.

It’s good to be back on home fairways

fter virtually two months of traveling I am now back and boy does it feel good to be home. In between my trips and subsequent to my return I did manage to fit in a couple of fantastic golf days. The first was the inaugural Sunshine Tour Media Challenge at the newly named Els Club at Copperleaf (formerly Gardener Ross), where I had the great pleasure of playing with Jaco van Zyl, whom we featured on our cover last month. I would like to say that I put up a fight, but honestly, I was truly thrashed. Man this boy can play. What makes it even worse was that he had just taken a couple of weeks off and not touched a golf club. I must add though to what we said in the article - he really is such a nice guy, level-headed and friendly and no airs and graces for someone who is at the top of his game. He then went on and challenged at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship two weeks later. I would like to thank Jaco (pictured with me above) for his time and the fun we had and also wish him well in what is surely destined to be an illustrious career. At this point I must also congratulate Duncan Cruickshank and the Sunshine Tour for a wonderful event. I then had the pleasure of playing in two other golf days, firstly as a guest of Sun International at the Lost City Golf Club. This time congratulations are due to Alison McKie and Brett Hoppe and their team for another great day. The dinner and prizegiving was hosted on the

secluded lawns of The Palace, which was very special. Then en-route back to Johannesburg I was invited to the Friends of Tata Golf Day, marking my return to Copperleaf. Here thanks and congratulations must go to Tata and Dale Hayes Golf Events. Dale was in top form at the welcome. We were thoroughly spoilt by our hosts, and many corporates that invest large sums of money in golf days but who get them so wrong could certainly take a leaf out of their book. Thanks to Michael Pownall from the TAJ for the invitation and the rest of the team for securing the win. I did make a small contribution with three birdies. Talking of golf days, the Tee to Green Rhode Island Golf Days are coming to an end in KwaZulu-Natal. Don’t forget to check out these pages for a venue near you. They offer incredible value for money and are almost fully subscribed. They offer great value to small to medium size businesses that don’t want to put on a full golf day but can field a number of fourballs in ours. This month I am off to Australia to play on the international media team against the US journalists during the Presidents Cup in Melbourne. We will be playing at the prestigious Woodlands Golf Club, the third oldest in Melbourne on its original site after Royal Melbourne and Metropolitan. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate and wish Alastair Roper all the best for the upcoming Nedbank Golf Challenge; he has certainly assembled one of the strongest fields in years. Happy golfing, Leon “A great deal of unnecessarily bad golf is played in this world.” - Harry Vardon.

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FROM TEE TO GREEN

From Tee to Green Sunshine Tour Wrap

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McGuigan, Kamte triumph in October playoffs

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oug McGuigan won the KCM Zambia Open after five gruelling playoff holes with Jean Hugo at Nchanga Golf Club last month. McGuigan shot 69 to close the tournament at 16 under par, but had to play the 18th a further five times, the longest playoff of his career, before lifting the trophy. “The hole just seemed to get smaller, but it went in, and it’s really satisfying to come out on top. It feels sensational,” said McGuigan. On the first hole of the playoff, Hugo hit the flagstick with his iron from 100 metres and tapped in for birdie, but McGuigan stayed calm and one-putted from 12 feet to match him. They both played regulation golf for the next playoff hole, but on the third playoff hole McGuigan overshot the green. He made a solid up and down, and Hugo failed to capitalise on the opportunity when his birdie putt stopped two inches from the cup. During the fourth playoff hole the pair again played regulation golf, making the green in two and two-putting for par. But on the fifth Hugo landed behind a large anthill and had no clear line to the flag, while McGuigan landed square on the fairway. The latter played in to three feet from the pin, while Hugo failed to make the green with his chip and left McGuigan with two putts for the win. He needed only one. In Durban, Darren Fichardt shot a final-round 68 to win the Suncoast Classic by six strokes at Durban Country Club. Fichardt took his 12th Sunshine Tour victory on 13 under par, six shots clear of runner-up Ulrich van den Berg. And in Johannesburg, James Kamte won his fourth Sunshine Tour title when he sank a 10foot birdie putt to win the R600 000 BMG Classic in a sudden-death playoff with Dawie van der Walt. The pair finished level on 207 after 54 holes, giving them a one-stroke edge over Shaun Norris in third. He won the playoff on the first hole with an intimidating 320-metre drive which made the 90-metre approach he was left a simple affair. “That’s what you’ve got to do in a playoff,” he said afterwards. “Smoke it and don’t even look after it – just bend down and pick up your tee and walk.”

KEEGAN BECOMES SRIXON’S NEWEST STAR Keegan Bradley made history at the PGA Championship and instantly became the newest fan favorite on the PGA Tour. The 25-year-old rookie relied upon the Srixon Z-STAR golf ball and its superior all-round performance to score an incredible playoff win that won’t soon be forgotten. Congratulations, Keegan.

FROM TEE TO GREEN

China confuses Nicklaus, Norman while Player scoops the awards G

lobal economics is confusing at the best of times. But it appears even more confusing when looking at golf in China. Everybody is always going on about how the growth of golf lies in China. Then, just recently, the Chinese government clamps down on what they termed hundreds of “illegal” golf course developments. As golf course designer Jack Nicklaus said, “China, for example, is shut down right now golf-wise. We were over there about a month ago with a course two weeks from being finished that was shut down. They put a satellite up to monitor it to see that nobody was working.” But then fellow designer Greg Norman declares at around the same time, “The future of golf is in China. There are 600 golf courses in China and three million golfers. They want 26 million. I’ve signed six golf courses in China so far.” And while the two of them seem disagree, our own Gary Player just keeps on picking up the awards. The Gary Player-designed Hidden Tiger Golf Club was just named one of the three best new courses in China by Golf Digest America.

The Big Divorce I

Bell tolls for Abery In these tough economic conditions, it’s pleasing to see that some companies are still willing to put their money behind South African golfers. Warren Abery has secured a new sponsor in Bell Equipment. The timing is significant, with Abery preparing to attend the European Tour Qualifying School in December. Now he has a sponsor who is prepared to quite literally move heaven and earth for him.

t’s bigger than any of Nick Faldo’s divorces. Rory McIlroy has split from his longtime agent Chubby Chandler. Nobody quite knows why, but the general consensus is that a young kid with more money than he could ever spend suddenly realised his power in the game, and the ego awoke. Chandler’s own larger-than-life personality and his celebrity status seemed to play a part in McIlroy’s decision. And there are the conspiracy theories. Some golf fans were so devastated by the split that they blamed McIlroy’s new girlfriend, tennis ace Caroline Wozniacki, referring to her as “Yoko” in reference to the woman who split up the Beatles. Graeme McDowell has also been blamed with helping to poach McIlroy for the Horizon management agency he is with, which McDowell denies of course. “That’s life, it’s business, not personal. We are one big travelling circus out here and it pays to get on with each other,” said McDowell. Lee Westwood, who has had a bit of a tense relationship with McIlroy over the past few months, described the young Northern Irishman’s decision as “bizarre”. To which McDowell replied, “Bizarre is Lee Westwood’s opinion. Perhaps Rory just wants a different view on things, the way his business life is run off the golf course. It’s Rory McIlroy’s decision. He’s a very smart kid.”

Nobody quite knows why, but the general consensus is that a young kid with more money than he could ever spend suddenly realised his power in the game, and the ego awoke.

FROM TEE TO GREEN

Teens are tops in Sanlam Cancer Challenge Finals A

fter 800 club competitions featuring about 37 000 golfers nationwide, it was two teenagers who won the overall men’s and women’s titles at the Sanlam Cancer Challenge Finals at Sun City. Thirteen-year-old Shawnelle de Lange from Fochville and 15-year-old Benji van de Rheede from Kleinzee

emerged victorious from the total of 99 golfers who qualified for the Finals at the Gary Player Country Club and Lost City Golf Course. De Lange, a six handicap from Goldfields West Golf Club, won with a total of 74 points that also saw her win her A Division. Van De Rheede, a 21 handicap from Kleinzee Golf Club, took the honours

with 75 points that was also good enough to earn him victory in his C Division. Both De Lange and Van De Rheede were inspired to enter Africa’s biggest amateur tournament by their own experiences with cancer. “My younger sister Monique passed away last November after a long

Shawnelle de Lange. Credit: Sportzpics battle with leukaemia and I entered to honour my sister,” said De Lange, the youngest finalist this year. Van De Rheede was playing as a tribute to his mother. “My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer but she received treatment and is still in remission. When I entered the club competition I told her I was going all the way and I would win this for her, because this tournament raises money for a great cause.” There were plenty of heartwarming stories at the Finals. None more so than that of 51-year-old Lynette Jordaan. Jordaan qualified for her first Finals, which was made that much more significant by the fact that she is a cancer survivor. “I had a melanoma in my eye, which I thankfully recovered from,” said Jordaan, who plays off an 18 handicap. “But I am still happy to blame a poor putt on my eyesight.” Jordaan admitted to being very nervous, and that’s when she relied on the remedy of a good friend. “Before the tournament, my friend packed a small bottle of Brandy in my golf bag. She said that if I get nervous on the course I should just mix it with some Energade or something to calm the nerves. “So I was on the second tee at the Lost City Golf Club, and the nerves hit. It was so bad that I took out the bottle and had a clean swig of it. No mixing. I told my playing partner that this is not normal for me, and that it’s just part of my First Aid package. Once I had that shot, I was good to go and really played well thereafter. “Cancer reminds you that you have an expiry date and that you have to live every day to the full.”

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

The spectator-lined 9th hole at the Gary Player Country Club - Photos: Grant Leversha.

World number one Donald leads strong field for Nedbank Golf Challenge

Michael Vlismas

orld number one Luke Donald heads a field including two former world number ones, three of the world’s top six players, four Major winners, eight of the current top 10 on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings, as well as seven Ryder Cup and two Presidents Cup stars in this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City. Donald is the second consecutive world number one to tee it up in the annual showpiece, following Westwood’s appearance and victory in 2010. The strength of this year’s field is enhanced by another former world number one in Martin Kaymer. “I think it speaks volumes for the status of the Nedbank Golf Challenge that for the second year in succession we have been able to secure the world’s number one golfer for our tournament,” says Alastair Roper, the Tournament Director of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

“The fact that we also have the last three world number ones in our field in Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer makes it that much more special.” Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship, also leads a strong list of Major winners in the field, including 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and current Open champion Darren Clarke. “We have a strong list of Major winners, with Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel and Graeme McDowell also at the forefront of the future of the global game. And in this group we are privileged to have the reigning Masters and Open champions in Charl and Darren Clarke,” says Roper. The field includes a total of seven Ryder Cup players in Westwood, Donald, Kaymer, McDowell, Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Robert Karlsson. Schwartzel and Kim Kyung-Tae are also both in the International

Team for this year’s Presidents Cup in Australia. American Jason Dufner, who came close to a maiden Major this year when he finished second to Keegan Bradley in the PGA Championship, joins McDowell, Kaymer, Kim and Dyson as the players making their debut in this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge. “The fact that the Nedbank Golf Challenge still attracts the best golfers in the world after three decades reaffirms the event’s status as Africa’s Major. It is an achievement we are tremendously proud of,” says Andy Scott, head of group sponsorships at Nedbank. “I think this year’s field showcases the amazing depth in world golf at present,” adds Roper. “In the current global golf climate and with the leading tournaments of the world vying strongly for the attention of the top players, I am very pleased with the field we have secured.” Continues p.13.

“The fact that the Nedbank Golf Challenge still attracts the best golfers in the world after three decades reaffirms the event’s status as Africa’s Major.”

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

LUKE DONALD

LEE WESTWOOD

DARREN CLARKE

Lee Westwood’s staggering eight-shot victory in the 2010 Nedbank Golf Challenge was significant in so many respects. It was a victory against an elite field of the world’s 12 best available golfers only a few weeks after he claimed the world number one ranking from Tiger Woods. It was also a victory at a Gary Player Country Club course that has held a special place in Westwood’s career. In 2001 he rose to fourth on the world rankings. Then he crashed to 259 in the world in 2002. One of the most natural golfers in the game suddenly didn’t have a clue what he was doing. But raised in the blue-collar mining town of Worksop, Westwood knuckled down and began working his way back to the top. He rebuilt his swing with David Leadbetter, and most importantly, took the athletic side of his profession far more seriously with a rigid gym programme and diet. When he reached the top of the golf world in October 2010, it was only apt that he should celebrate again with a victory on the fairways at Sun City. Westwood unseated Woods as world number one, bringing to a close an era of dominance many thought would never end. Then again, Westwood has a penchant for doing that, having also ended Colin Montgomerie’s amazing dominance of the European Tour Order of Merit in 2000. “Everyone thought it was unattainable. People go through different things in life, and form comes and goes. I know as well as anyone you can lose your form,” said the Ryder Cup veteran. “My next goal is to win a Major championship. It’s the dream of all professional golfers to get to number one in the world rankings, and I’ve done that. I haven’t won a Major yet and that’s the missing thing, so that’s what I gear all my practice towards and my scheduling.”

Two years ago, Darren Clarke joined a few European Tour players at a development clinic ahead of the Joburg Open. A child asked one of the professionals why Tiger Woods was so difficult to beat. The professional pointed to Clarke and told the child, “That man right over there has beaten him”. “Oooooooh yes,” said Clarke, with a broad smile. And then he held up two fingers. “Twice,” he added. “And in America”. Such has been the talent and status of Darren Clarke that for many years the golf world could not fathom how the Ryder Cup star and winner of 22 tournaments worldwide could drop to outside the top 100 on the world rankings. And few ever thought he would return. His form began a steady decline, compounded by his wife Heather’s illness. She suffered from breast cancer, and passed away in 2006. It was a devastating blow for Clarke. It’s a measure of the man and his popularity that he still teed it up in the 2006 Ryder Cup and played a major role in Europe’s victory at the K Club. In 2008, he ended his win drought with an emotional victory in the BMW Asian Open – his first win in almost five years. At the age of 42, Clarke claimed one of the most emotional and popular victories in the Open Championship at Royal St George’s. It was his first Major triumph. At the start of 2011, he had said at a tournament in South Africa that, “I want to play well in the Majors and compete there again”. Little did he know that this would finally be his year. Through triumph, turmoil and heartache both on and off the golf course, that’s exactly what Clarke has done. Continues p.14.

t was on the 16th hole at Kingsbarns golf course in Scotland when it finally happened. It was a day of glorious sunshine in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It was the day that Luke Donald ended one of the most remarkable streaks in golf – 449 holes, or nearly 25 rounds, without a three-putt. It was an eight-footer for par, and he missed it. Yet this statistic reveals so much about a golfer who is considered by his peers to have the best short game on the planet, and which will stand him in good stead at the Gary Player Country Club. Playing junior golf with his brother Christian, who later caddied for him on Tour, Donald soon distinguished himself. Following school He joined Northwestern University, where he studied Art and won the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship in 1999, beating the scoring record held by Woods. In 2001, he joined the professional ranks. His first victory came in November 2002, when he beat South Africa’s Deane Pappas by a single stroke to win the PGA Tour’s Southern Farm Bureau Classic. But subsequent victories did not come as fast as expected. It was in 2004 when he won again in the European Tour’s Scandinavian Masters and the Omega European Masters – both of them by five strokes. Again there was a lengthy gap in victories that followed before he won the 2006 Honda Classic on the PGA Tour and the 2010 Madrid Masters on the European Tour. In February 2011, Donald finally silenced the doubters when he beat Martin Kaymer 3 and 2 in the final of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. And it was his legendary short game that earned him the victory after he blew a 3-up lead in that match before holing key putts coming home to take the title. Luke Donald.

Lee Westwood.

Darren Clarke.

MAIN FEATURE

Charl Schwartzel.

CHARL SCHWARTZEL When Schwartzel won the Africa Open and Joburg Open back-to-back on the Sunshine Tour in 2010, he said with all the humility that has been the hallmark of his career, “I feel like I can beat anybody in the world”. At Augusta National Golf Club in April this year, the young South African did just that. With four birdies over the final four holes, Schwartzel took his place amongst the game’s elite in one of the most consummate victories ever witnessed on those hallowed fairways. “I’ve always worked hard and I’m very particular about things. I think having that kind of personality helped me in the Masters” he said. After becoming the third youngest player at the age of 18 to earn a European Tour card, he perfected the art of winning on both the Sunshine Tour and European Tour. At just 20 he had already joined the European Tour winner’s circle with victory in the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Championship, and at 22 had already competed in three of the four Majors. Schwartzel qualified for his first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2006 through the new criteria that allowed a place in the field for the winner of the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit. He finished fifth, and revelled in realising a childhood dream that week. “My dad and I came to watch the tournament when I was younger. I was watching Ernie Els putting on the practice green. Then he left to tee off, leaving behind his golf ball. So I nipped under the rope and stole it.” Schwartzel returns to Sun City now very much a part of world golf’s elite, and no longer the wideeyed youngster in the field. As arguably the best player over all four Majors this year, Schwartzel is primed to add Africa’s Major to his list of achievements.

GRAEME MCDOWELL For a country with just under 2 million people, Northern Ireland has done a fine job of dominating world golf of late. And Graeme McDowell has been one of their flagbearers. His eight victories as a professional was highlighted by his US Open triumph at Pebble Beach last year, and with that came a significant number of firsts. McDowell became the first Northern Irishman to win the US Open, as well as the first European winner of this Major since Tony Jacklin in 1970, the first

Graeme McDowell.

player from the United Kingdom to win a Major since Paul Lawrie won the Open in 1999, and the first Northern Irishman to win any Major since Fred Daly won the 1947 Open. He has gone on to win six times on the European Tour, excluding the US Open, and retained his card comfortably every year since 2002. In 2004 he finished sixth on the Race to Dubai rankings, then fifth in 2008 and a career high of second in 2010. McDowell is a man who loves to socialise. He enjoys his wine, good music, sport and is a die-hard Manchester United fan to the extent that he skipped the par-three contest ahead of the 2011 Masters in order to watch a UEFA Champions League match between United and Chelsea. Although he has a penchant for beating South Africans – first Immelman and then James Kingston in the 2008 Barclays Scottish Open – his love of a good “barbeque” will surely see South African fans warm to him at Sun City this year.

MARTIN KAYMER When the Mettman Golf Club first opened its doors in this suburb of Düsseldorf, little did anybody think of the role it would play in shaping one of the greatest young talents of this generation. At the age of 10, Martin Kaymer wandered across the road from his home to the new golf club, and hit the first few balls that would shape an amazing career. By 15 was already a scratch golfer, and had started to shift his focus away from his other talent as a footballer and concentrate on golf. In 2008 he was the only player under 25 in the top 50 on the world rankings. He won twice on the European Tour in 2008 and 2009 and despite a brief layoff due to an injury sustained in a go-kart accident, he seemed to be building for greater glory. That moment came in 2010. The year began with victory in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. He missed the cut in the first Major of the year, the Masters. But he followed that with an eighth-place finish in the US Open. Then came a seventh-place finish in the Open Championship, and there was a definite feeling that Kaymer was becoming more and more comfortable at the highest level of the game. He confirmed this when in August 2010 he won his first Major – the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, becoming only the second German after Bernhard Langer to win a Major. It was a

Martin Kaymer.

memorable year that was capped by the role he played in Europe’s victory in the Ryder Cup in Wales, and winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. He continued where he left off in 2011, winning a third Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in four years and displacing Tiger Woods at number two on the world rankings. And with his second-place finish in the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, he nudged Lee Westwood out of the world number one spot. Kaymer had become only the second German after Bernhard Langer to be ranked number one in the world. He later lost that ranking to Westwood again, but Kaymer has entrenched himself as a world top-10 golfer and seems set to stay there for many years to come.

KIM KYUNG-TAE Asian golf has delivered its next major star in Kim Kyung-Tae. The South Korean golfer has been a revelation on the Japan Tour since he turned professional in late 2006 after winning the Korean Amateur Championship, the Japan Amateur Championship and virtually every major amateur title in Asia. His first professional tournament was the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic. He not only made the cut but went on to finish a credible 37th behind eventual winner Anton Haig of South Africa. A month later and Kim claimed his maiden professional title on the Korean Tour. Then he truly announced himself on the Asian stage with a victory in the 2007 Maekyung Open. His three victories on the Japan Tour in 2010 saw him become the first Korean golfer to lead the money list there. In 2011, Kim started to make an impact in the Majors. “After I made the cut at the Masters, I had more confidence to play golf. And after that I played really well in Korea and even on the Japan Tour. So I got more confidence coming up,” he said. Kim moved on to Congressional Country Club where he teed it up in his first US Open, also with impressive results. He played all four rounds and finished tied 30th. “That is my final destination – the PGA Tour,” he says. With a finish of sixth in this year’s WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, Kim is becoming more and more comfortable in the bigger events. All of which shouldn’t make him feel too concerned about making his debut in a select field of 12 of the world’s best at Sun City. Continues p.15.

“I’ve always worked hard and I’m very particular about things. I think having that kind of personality helped me in the Masters” - Charl Schwartzel

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE JASON DUFNER American Jason Dufner has a remarkably simple piece of advice for any parent who thinks they have a golfing prodigy on their hands. “Just let your child find their own way. I played a lot of sports growing up and didn’t get interested in golf until I was 14. You can’t pressure kids into doing things they don’t really want to do. If they like it they’ll practice on their own. Then you know there’s something there.” Perhaps the crowning glory of his amateur career came in 1998, when Dufner made it to the final of the US Amateur Public Links at Torrey Pines. Here he came up against South Africa’s Trevor Immelman, who beat him 3 and 2. After graduating from Auburn University with a degree in Economics, Dufner turned professional. In 2006 he finished eighth on the Nationwide Tour’s money list, earning his card for the PGA Tour’s 2007 season. But he failed to retain his card, and also missed out at Tour School. He returned to Tour School in 2008 and finished 11th to see him back on the PGA Tour in 2009. That year he finished in the top 10 six times, including a second place in the Deutsche Bank Championship in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Dufner finished the season in 11th place on the FedEx Cup standings and 33rd on the Tour’s money list. “I just play golf. I love playing golf. I love the competition, and I want to be as good as I can be. If that’s 20th in the world with no majors, or first in the world with 10 majors, or never to win a Tour event, I’ll be fine with it.”

ANDERS HANSEN

enmark’s Anders Hansen makes his return to the Nedbank Golf Challenge on the back of a year in which he established himself in the bigger events, with finishes of third in the WGC Cadillac Championship in March and then third in the 2011 PGA Championship. Hansen played in his first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2010 as the winner of the previous season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. His love for South Africa was reflected in his victory in the 2009 Joburg Open and then a few weeks later the Vodacom Championship. He added a sixth-place finish in the Telkom PGA Championship and third in both the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the South African Open to easily win the Order of Merit title, becoming the first European to do so since 1972. The Dane’s Joburg Open victory seemed an unlikely one as he only made the halfway cut by a single stroke. But a 64 on the Saturday changed everything. “Suddenly I was only one off the pace,” Hansen

Jason Dufner.

15 said. “In the final round I made five birdies in the first nine holes and I held on on the back nine for the win.” Hansen closed with a 66 on the East Course to claim the victory by one stroke on 15-under-par 269. With a few big events under his belt, the Dane is now poised to do something great at Sun City.

ROBERT KARLSSON A long jump pit seems an odd place for the start of a golf career. But Sweden’s Robert Karlsson credits the pure freedom he felt playing there as a child with the start of his successful, but often frustrating, path in the game. The first golf club he picked up was a five iron, and fuelled by a competitive streak to be better at the game than a friend who was two years older than him, Karlsson began driving himself towards a career that would include 11 victories on the European Tour, Ryder Cup appearances and rankings within the top 10 in the world. The highlight was no doubt the Order of Merit title he won in 2008, becoming the first Swedish golfer to do so, and being ranked in the top 10 in the world. But the 6 ft 5 in golfer admits it hasn’t always been easy. “If anyone had asked me a few years ago if I thought I would be ranked in the top 10 in the world during my career, I had not thought it possible. I have always known that I had more to give than my results had shown. I carried this immense frustration that I did not live up to my own expectations.” Karlsson’s record in the Majors hasn’t always been at the level he expects from himself. His top finishes include fifth in the Open Championship in 1992, eighth in the Masters and US Open in 2008, and fourth in the PGA Championship in 2011.

THOMAS BJØRN At the beginning of 2010, Thomas Bjørn sat on a couch in a press centre and declared, “I’m at the crossroads with everything. I’m getting a bit older and making swing changes to carry me through to my mid-40s.” It was a moment of pure honesty for a man who has been described as a “a veritable block of Scandinavian ice”. But in 2011, Bjørn reaped the rewards of his new focus. Following his victory in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in February, Bjørn claimed back-to-back wins in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and the Omega European Masters at the spectacular Crans-sur-Sierre in Siwtzerland. The latter triumph marked the first time in 14 years a player over 40 had won on the European Tour.

Thomas Bjorn.

And the significance of this was not lost on the Danish golfer. “With what Darren (Clarke) did in winning the Open, we can show that we are both capable of playing with the best in the world. At this age, you are by no means finished. You can’t write people off when they get past 40 because this game has so much to do with experience,” he said. In his current form, many are talking about his return to the European Ryder Cup team, but this time as a player. His selection in 1997 made history as the first time a Danish golfer had been selected for the European Ryder Cup team. He has also twice served as vice-captain.

SIMON DYSON England’s Simon Dyson is looking forward to making his debut in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He hopes to follow the footsteps of another great English golfer in Nick Faldo, who won at Sun City in 1994. After representing Great Britian and Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1999, Dyson turned professional in September of that year. He went East and honed his competitive skills on the Asian Tour. His three victories there in 2000 saw him top the Order of Merit. In 2001 he joined the European Tour, but had to wait until 2006 for his maiden title there in the Indonesia Open. But with the first win out of the way, Dyson quickly added his second when he won the KLM Open later that year. That season saw him break into the top 100 on the world rankings for the first time in his career. But it was in 2009 that Dyson really reached his potential. He won the KLM Open again and also the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the home of golf in St Andrews on his way to finishing eighth on the Race to Dubai rankings. And in 2011 Dyson has continued his climb. He won the Irish Open and then added a third KLM Open title for his sixth win on the European Tour, and which lifted him into the top 30 in the world for the first time. His third victory in the KLM Open also saw him join an illustrious list of three-time winners of this event, including Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer. “I’m absolutely delighted to be on the same trophy as names like those two,” Dyson said. “It’s something special, a dream come true really. To win any title once is tough, but to win it three times is a fantastic feeling.” Dyson is not a great fan of the travelling required from a professional golfer but there’s no doubt that a maiden appearance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge will have him happily packing his bags for Sun City.

Robert Karlsson.

SENIOR NEWS

Franklin crowned SA Senior Amateur champ K

illarney Country Club’s Lawrence Franklin took the overall honours in the Indwe SA Senior Amateur Open at Royal Cape and Rondebosch golf clubs last month. The title was decided after a titanic struggle between Franklin and Mowbray Golf Club’s Herman September over the last nine holes on the final day. Franklin was a model of consistency as he made 11 straight pars following a triplebogey eight at the par-five seventh of the Royal Cape Golf Club. September held a three-shot lead going into the final nine holes. He birdied the par-four 10th but then made bogeys at the 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes that allowed Franklin to tie him on five-overpar 221. Both players recorded the same scores for each round - 73, 72 and 76. Lawrence then parred the first extra hole in the playoff to take the title. The tournament was played over both the Royal Cape and Rondebosch courses. Peter van Coller from Strand and Frans Bruwer from Kleinmond took the first round lead with their 71s at Royal Cape. Bruwer set the course alight, turning in fourunder 32. But their challenges faded over the home stretch in round three and they both tied for 26th. Franklin and September held the second round lead on 145, with Tim Hewan from Country Club Johannesburg closing in after a 71 at Rondebosch. However, a disappointing final round 80 ended Hewan’s challenge and he finished in 14th spot. East London Golf Club members Denis

IndweEssence_GolfStripAdPaths.indd 1

Jones and Norman Phillips both tied for third on 223. Julian Visser from Bellville, Rondebosch’s Jonathan Hobday and Francois Le Roux from De Zalze finished on 224. The 72-year-old Hobday shot a 71 for the low round of the final day. In the B Division, Manual Branco from Westlake took the victory on a countout after tying with Clive Norman from Rondebosch on 107 stableford points. Jean Kriel from Vredenburg placed third on 106. Phillip Hollick from Mount Edgecombe recorded the only hole-in-one of the tournament at the par-three 14th at Rondebosch Golf Club. The tournament drew a bumper field of 273 players, with 208 players challenging in the A Division and 65 in the B Division.

The title was decided after a titanic struggle between Franklin and Mowbray Golf Club’s Herman September over the last nine holes on the final day.

Allem doesn’t make the grade

ulton Allem was one of those who missed out in the first stage of the Champions Tour Qualifying School, played last month. The former PGA Tour champion and regular on the Champions Tour since 2008 failed in his qualifier at the Palm Course at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. But at the Primm Valley Golf Club in Las Vegas, Namibia’s Trevor Dodds made it through the first stage.

Some of the other notables who made it through were England’s Barry Lane, a five-time winner on the European Tour and three-time European Senior Tour winner, tow of those titles coming this year. Lance Ten Broeck, the caddie for Jesper Parnevik, also made it through. Angel Franco, brother of fourtime PGA Tour winner, Carlos, also progressed. The second stage of qualifying takes place this month.

2011/05/24 10:03 AM

PGA News

A Master and a gentleman

he PGA was delighted to welcome the CEO of 2011 US Open host Congressional Country Club Mike Leemhuis (pictured below) to its head office recently. He was here on a fleeting visit, mainly to attend a school reunion, but also to present his credentials to the PGA’s CPD panel, where he was honoured with Master Professional status by the PGA of South Africa. It would be fair to say that Leemhuis, who was recently named the 2011 Club Executive of the Year in the USA, is one of South Africa’s finest exports and is also a walking advertisement for getting ahead through education, education and more education. And it’s probably not surprising that he started his career as a school teacher. “When I moved to America, I realised that in South Africa anyone I needed to contact was just a phone call away,” he says, “Through school, university and work, you build up contacts, but when you move to another country all of that falls away and I soon realised that the best way to get ahead was to be as educated in my chosen field as possible. If nobody knows you, they take note of your levels of education, so I made sure that I had as much as possible.” During his time in America in the early 90s, he did a postgraduate degree in sports administration and management, as well as doing the PGA of America course. With the experience gained working in the golf industry there, he returned to South Africa as Sun City’s first fully fledged Director of Golf, running all golf operations from 1993 to 1997. He was instrumental in bringing sponsors on board for the Million Dollar, which until that time was sponsored in its entirety by Sun International. He was also responsible for various other events, including the DiData Pro-Am, the SA Open tennis championship and the entire golf operation at Sun City – and Sun International’s other golf resorts as well!

Now armed with qualifications and experience, he returned to the USA to work for the PGA Tour at the TPC at Avenal, managing some 120 staff. In 1999 he was employed by Congressional Country Club and is now the CEO, responsible for managing 330 staff and looking after 3 000 of the most discerning golf club members in the world. What makes the story of Mike Leemhuis remarkable is that he decided that one is never too old to chase one’s dream and certainly never too old to learn. “It’s all about arrows in your quiver,” he explains, “And every arrow I could add by having more qualifications made me that much better than the next guy trying to get the same job I was going for. There is no doubt that Leemhuis is a passionate person – just listen to him talk about Congressional and the challenges that they face, which are not dissimilar to the challenges that golf facilities are facing all over the world: “The game is taking longer and longer to play and people just cannot afford the time. What we have to do is provide a level of service not available anywhere else to ensure that our members enjoy their experience at the club and on the golf course. The course should be a pleasant experience for everyone, from youngsters, women, through to the oldest golfer. The key is to get youngsters and families into the game and make sure that everyone, no matter their playing ability, can enjoy the course. If that means ensuring that the fairways are closer to the tees so that there aren’t impossible carries, then that’s what we have to do. Leemhuis’ passion for education has seen him become a sought-after lecturer at courses run by the Club Managers’ Association of America and he regularly speaks at management workshops and conferences. “By making yourself better, you’re making it better for the people you work for and the people you work with,” he explains. If ever there was motivation for getting ahead, this man is it.

Moving on up PGA Professionals on the move... Brendan van Niewenhuizen has been appointed as the Head Professional at Koro Creek Golf Estate in Modimolle, Limpopo. Ed Retief has been named as the Director of Golf at Houghton Golf Club. He will be moving on from Glenvista Golf Club. Colin Hahn will be moving from Graceland Hotel Casino and Country Club to Mossel Bay Golf Club. PC Volschenk will move from Maccauvlei Golf Club to San Lameer on the KZN South Coast. Congratulations to... Kenneth Dube on his win in the Central Gauteng Regional Championships and the Assupol Club Pro-Am. Drikus van der Walt on his win in the KZN Freestate Regional Championships Keep an eye on... Former Sunshine Tour professional Henk Alberts (below) who, as the current PGA Apprentice champion, will represent the PGA of SA at the Australian PGA Trainee Championships.

SAGA

Welcome to the South African Golf Association’s bi-monthly column, where we keep you up to date with developments pertaining to amateur golf in South Africa.

We are delighted to share a great honour bestowed on the SAGA as we were nominated for the annual SA Sports Awards, but first I would like to congratulate Riekus Nortje, Daniel Hammond, Graham van der Merwe and CJ Du Plessis for winning the African Amateur Golf Team Championship for South Africa. This marked the sixth successive victory for our country since the inception of the biennial championship in 2001. Well done to Brandon Stone, Jared Harvey, Ruan de Smidt and Haydn Porteous for flying our flag at the Four Nations Cup and Shirley Open in New Zealand.

SAGA acknowledged at SA Sports Awards

he Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) hosted the annual South African Sports Awards at Sun City in August. While the SA Sports Awards recognizes athletes and teams who have excelled both on and off the field, Sport and Recreation South Africa broke new ground by introducing a category to acknowledge the top federations in the country. The criteria for nomination was that the federation properly accounts for the funds that SRSA and SASCOC allocate to it, that it submits documents and provides information timeously, manages funds properly and has top athlete achievers at least at National & Continental level. The South African Golf Association (SAGA) were nominated alongside Swimming South Africa, who

claimed the honours ahead of the SAGA, and the South African Hockey Association. During the nomination ceremony, the Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula noted that Sport and Recreation South Africa felt it very important to reward those who have achieved on and off the field of play. The SAGA’s nomination was based on their excellence in administration and their ability to develop sport by ensuring rigorous and frequent competitions are maintained in various age groups,. The nomination was based on eight principles, including good governance, leadership and its structures, transformation and related policies, transparency in administration, accountability, business and development plans, national and international relationships and conforming with government structures on sport. SAGA president Colin Burger said that the second

place achievement was a welcome and well deserved verification of the SAGA’s continued efforts to improve and accomplish their goals. “I also want to thank Neil Champion, in his capacity as the chairman of the Committee for Transformation and Development, for the stellar job he has done to promote the relationship between the SAGA, the Department of Sport and Recreation and SASCOC,” said Burger. “Neil worked tirelessly to oil the wheels of communication and this has led to a strong relationship between ourselves and Sport and Recreation South Africa. “Our Open Amateur section is very healthy, but both the Mid-Amateur section and the Junior Golf programme has blossomed in the last year and we look forward to building an even stronger organization in 2012.”

The South African Golf Association (SAGA) is the governing body for male amateur golf in South Africa. The association is affiliated to the R&A Ltd. by its Constitution it is bound by the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status. SAGA, in conjunction with Women’s Golf South Africa (WGSA), is also responsible for controlling and administering the Handicapping System for all affiliated golfers in the Country. The Association arranges international events for representative teams and awards National Colours to those participants.

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GARY PLAYER INVITATIONAL

Parnevik back in SA for Gary Player Invitational

Jesper Parnevik will be taking part in this year’s Gary Player Invitational.

ccentric Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik returns to South African fairways for the first time since 1993 when he brings his volcanic dust and fashionable wardrobe to the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola this month. Parnevik, who has an affinity for eating volcanic dust and wearing drainpipe trousers, will join a stellar cast led by South Africa’s only Grand Slam champion in the 12th edition of the popular pro-celebrity tournament at the Zimbali Coastal Resort. The international champion will join a cast of worldwide winners in the regular Tour category, including countryman Peter Hanson, South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace, Italy’s Diana Luna as well as rising Scottish star Carly Booth. Hanson is a four-time European Tour winner who also makes his debut in Africa’s premier charity event, while the home challenge is strengthened by James Kamte and Jaco van Zyl. Kamte, who recently claimed his fourth Sunshine Tour title at the BMG Classic, made his GPI debut in 2006, while it’s a debut for Van Zyl, an eight-time winner on the Sunshine Tour. The Pretoria professional has spent most of his season on the European Tour where he has climbed to 48th on the Race to Dubai, boosted especially by a third-place finish in the Omega European Masters. But Parnevik will be one of the biggest drawcards in the field. He rose to fame when he spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the official world golf rankings in 2001. He represented Europe in three Ryder Cups (1997, 1999, 2002) and four Dunhill Cups and played for Sweden at the World Cup in 1994 and 1995. A four-time winner in Europe, Parnevik won five times on the PGA Tour between 1998 and 2001. But shortly after beating Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III in a playoff to win the GTE Byron Nelson Classic in September 2001, disaster struck and the Swede had to undergo hip surgery. For years Parnevik struggled to get back to his winning form.

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Parnevik, who has an affinity for eating volcanic dust and wearing drainpipe trousers, will join a field led by South Africa’s only Grand Slam champion in the 12th edition of the popular pro-celebrity tournament at the Zimbali Coastal Resort. His slow climb back and his passionate effort to make the European Ryder Cup team in 2010 was derailed in 2009 when he had right hip surgery in July. Then, in 2010, he had just five starts when it was discovered that he had suffered a broken lumbar vertebrae. The Swede went back under the knife for back surgery in February. But the irrepressible Parnevik is once again in ascendancy. Although he only started 10 events on the PGA Tour this year and only made three cuts, he dipped well below par in eight of those 13 rounds, including a scoring run of 70-65-70-68 at the Humana Challenge. The only previous time South African spectators were treated to Parnevik’s antics and his trademark upturned bill was in 1993, when he teed it up at the Gary Player Country Club in the Nedbank Golf Challenge that year. But this time around, Parnevik is not chasing a million dollars for himself. He has thrown his weight behind Gary Player in the quest to raise funds for charity. “It is an honour and a pleasure to have been invited to the Gary Player Invitational in South Africa,” he said. “Gary Player has been an inspiration to many people around the world, trying to make their way in life, in either sport or business. The Gary Player Invitational series is doing an incredible amount of good in raising funds for less fortunate children around the world. In these tournaments, it is the taking part that counts, not the winning.” The Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola will feature a mix of stars from the European Tour, the Ladies European Tour, the Champions and European Senior Tours, the LPGA Tour, a mix of local and international celebrities and, of course, eight businessmen who will captain the teams. In addition to his peers from the regular Tour, Parnevik will share the fairways of Zimbali with Gary Player and other Champions Tour stars including 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, European Ryder Cup captain Mark James, Champions Tour and European Senior Tour winners DJ Russell and Tony Johnstone, former French Open champion Vincent Tshabalala and SA PGA Championship winner Roger Wessels.

GOLF TOURISM

South Africa Talks Turkey T

he South African Golf Tourism fraternity is gearing up for the world’s biggest golf travel and tourism event, the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), taking place in Belek, Turkey from the 14th to the 17th November 2011. All the South African delegates will be represented under the banner of the newly formed South African Golf Tourism Association (SAGTA) and this year will have the biggest delegation from SA! A total of 16 South African golf-related products and companies will be attending including Fancourt, the Limpopo Golf & Safari Route, Sun International, Legend Golf & Safari Resort, Ascot Tours, EasyGolf and Pro Golf Africa Safaris. All exhibitors will be proudly represented under a specially designed South African branded pavilion, sponsored by South African Tourism who are showing their commitment to this attractive tourism niche. This year there will also be some special surprises to ensure that South Africa is the “talk of the town” such as a unique way to win a golfing holiday of a lifetime including return flights from Europe and golf and accommodation at most of the country’s top resorts including: Legend Golf & Safari Resort, Princes Grant, Fancourt, Sun City and some of the finest courses in Johannesburg. The whole spirit of the South African presence will be to reflect the stunning diversity and quality of golf in South Africa to attract many more international golfers to this beautiful country.

All the South African delegates will be represented under the banner of the newly formed South African Golf Tourism Association (SAGTA) and this year will have the biggest delegation from SA! For more information and to join SAGTA, please contact Natalie van Blerk on info@sagta.co.za or +27(0)82 805 6643.

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FEELGOOD FAIRWAY

Fairway with Linda Scott • Nutritionist

Managing our microbes

ur bodies are home to trillions of microbes. Most are neither good nor bad unless they get out of control, a few are diseasecausing and some are positively beneficial. These latter ones are collectively referred to as probiotics, meaning pro-life. A whole body of research now confirms that we should be taking special care of these particular microbes, the majority of which are bacteria with names like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The body’s microbe population (microflora) live not only on our skin surface but also in other “outside” areas including our gastrointestinal and respiratory

tracts (and the female genital tract). These areas are considered outside as they are constantly exposed to the world around us especially via the food we eat and the air we breathe. We are home to between 500-1000 different species, 99% of which are bacteria. Around a third of our stools comprise microbes, demonstrating the significance of their overall presence. A multitude of critical tasks are performed by probiotics that help to keep us disease free. Healthy people consistently have higher levels of gut probiotics than people with a variety of different diseases. And the higher the better, it seems. Probiotics protect us by keeping disease-causing microbes under control and the gut wall healthy. They also help to regulate and fine-tune immune function, dampening down overactive inflammatory responses in the gut and elsewhere. Chronic inflammation, due to an unregulated immune reaction, underlies many of today’s main chronic diseases including allergies. Supplements containing probiotics can help treat and prevent gastro-intestinal disorders (diarrhoea, chronic constipation, peptic ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance), thrush, urinary tract infections, and asthma, eczema, hay fever and other allergies. They also show promise in the management and prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, various autoimmune conditions, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and autism. Children of pregnant mothers who receive probiotics show reduced levels of allergies and asthma. Newborns are exposed to probiotics during vaginal delivery and via breast milk. These quickly establish themselves in their guts. Babies who are breastfed or receiving probiotic-enriched formula are less liable to develop colic and have a different type of microflora to colicky infants. Additionally, infants whose microflora consists mainly of probiotics have lower rates of allergies and asthma and fewer respiratory infections. Once our microflora have been established they

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stay pretty constant and only change significantly when we have antibiotic treatment, alter our diets radically, or are chronically stressed (stress tends to favour the growth of harmful microbes). While antibiotics are undoubtedly lifesaving their indiscriminate use in medical treatment and animal feeds has created a silent epidemic of reduced probiotic levels in our systems. Antibiotics wipe out bad bacteria but they also wipe out good bacteria and although bacteria soon re-establish themselves the probiotics take longer. Increasing exposure to antibiotics could therefore partly account for the phenomenal increase in the West of chronic inflammatory diseases like asthma and inflammatory bowel disorders. In the US, asthma rates increased by 80% overall between 1980 and 1995 and by a staggering 160% in children aged 0-4 years. Several studies have revealed a strong link between early childhood antibiotic treatment and the later development of asthma and allergies. If we need antibiotic treatment we should also take probiotic supplements to hasten the re-establishment of our beneficial bacteria. We must also ensure our diets include foodstuffs that selectively favour the growth of probiotics. These are called prebiotics and include foods rich in fibre (whole grains, fruits and vegetables), phenols (antioxidant compounds present in many plant foods especially legumes, herbs, spices, fruits, cocoa, tea and red wine) and fermented foods that contain probiotics themselves (natural yoghurt, sour milk, sauerkraut, fermented pickles) or those that have been fermented but no longer contain live bacteria, such as sour dough bread. Probiotic supplements or live fermented foods like yoghurt are totally safe for any stage of life or disease (except for people with severely compromised immune systems). As we have to cohabit with all these different microbes it’s in our interests to provide an environment that favours the good ones and boost our health as a direct result.

For more information feel free to email healthline@mcnabs.biz

SWING THOUGHTS

Swing Thoughts with Theo Bezuidenhout

Pull the trigger on your potential

e crouches down behind the ball and carefully places it on the kicking tee. Once he has lined it up just right he gets up and carefully places his left foot behind the ball to simulate the point of impact. Once he is happy with the positioning of his foot he takes a few steps backward, measured, careful and precise. He taps his toe on the ground like a cat on a hot tin-roof and then he goes into that pose that most rugby fans know so well. Feet together, knees bent, arms outstretched, forearms together and hands folded into one another. Almost as if he is praying for the ball to go over. One look at the posts, a look down at the ball and bang, Jonny Wilkinson has kicked another three points. Wilkinson’s well-documented pose is what is referred to as a trigger or trigger pose. In sport psychology a trigger generally refers to any movement or pose that readies the athlete to execute a specific skill without much contemplation or thought and allows an almost automatic execution. Triggers also focus the mind of the athlete so that they have the right intensity over a shot, or in Wilkinson’s case, a kick. Triggers can also be important to higher handicapper golfers. Think back to your last Saturday or Sunday morning club round. Chances are that you spent at least some time waiting for the golfers ahead of you. This often leads to one losing focus or concentration before you need to hit your next shot and without proper triggers the chances are that you will not regain your focus before your shot. In this month’s Swing Thoughts we discuss the importance of triggers and how you too can generate commitment and focus on cue as and when needed.

Make it your own

The end

It is important that you figure out what you do before each shot that could count as a trigger. Most amateur golfers will not pay much attention to what they do before they hit the shot and it could be worthwhile to get a playing partner to watch you before you hit a few shots to look for consistencies. Do you adjust your cap before you start the process of the shot? Do you tug at your shirt sleeve or do you re-adjust the Velcro of your glove? These are all triggers that top players use to get into the process of hitting a great golf shot and all it takes is paying a bit of attention to your own tendencies. Triggers are not the same as pre-shot routines and in fact a trigger may precede a routine. I recently had the privilege of hearing Steve Hutchinson, son of well-known commentator Denis and a former Sunshine Tour player, discuss his personal triggers with a group of students. Steve discussed how he would always place his hand on his driver cover before he would start to discuss a shot with his caddie. This was well in advance of his routine and Steve explained how this always allowed him to be in the same frame of mind with each shot he hit in his professional career. The most important implication here is that the trigger you choose should be distinctive and it should be your own. It should also be something that you do without much contemplation and it needs to fit into your round easily without causing major distractions to you or your playing partners. Once you have decided on your physical trigger do not forget to link it to some verbal trigger as well, as the combination of physical actions and verbal reminders are very powerful. Statements such as “switch on”, “focus” and “let’s get ready for a great shot” are all verbal cues that can compliment your physical trigger.

In the same discussion Steve also mentioned that after he had hit the shot he would always place the club back in the caddies’ hand and that this was his cue that the shot was over and he could widen his focus again. This is very important in that most people have a good trigger to start the process of the shot but that they very seldom do something similar to end the shot. By ending the shot off as you begun it you allow your mind time to relax in between shots and this is exactly what we want, 70 or 80 shots broken up into small manageable chunks of intense concentration and focus. If one were to imagine your concentration span as an egg timer your trigger would be where one would turn the timer over, the sand starts running through and this symbolizes concentration being used. If the shot is executed well and you have another trigger at the end of the shot you turn the egg timer back and no extra concentration is wasted. If, however, you do not complete the shot with a physical and verbal cue your egg timer will keep on running and much needed mental energy will be wasted. If you are serious about introducing triggers into your game you will need something to focus your attention at the beginning of the process, but just as crucially, you will also need a trigger to indicate the end of the process. As with all mental skills they are called skills for a reason, as in, they need to be practised. So the next time you find yourself bored with bashing balls on the range practise your triggers at the beginning and end of some shots. You’ll be surprised at how much focus you can gain from pulling the “trigger”.

Most amateur golfers will not pay much attention to what they do before they hit the shot and it could be worthwhile to get a playing partner to watch you before you hit a few shots to look for consistencies.

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INSIDE RIGHT

The Battler, the Joker and the Golf Trip Maker E

very club that I’ve ever been at has the annual golf getaway, whether it’s The Shafter’s, The Divots, The Woodies or The Grafters – it is a must-do trip. Many of these groups make the annual pilgrimage to the various coastal resorts for three or four days of hard-fought golfing battles, late nights and most importantly lots of laughs. The group of eight, which in my opinion is the best size, has the usual complement of characters. There is the organiser, or as he is more fondly known, “The Hoof Seun”. He gets all the golf sorted, ensures that the two snorers share, that there are carts for each round and the night life might include but is not limited to a flutter at the local casino. No trip would be the same without “Dopy”. He’s always late, wears Friday’s team shirt on Thursday and leaves his rain suit at home. There’s always space for “The Battler”. He keeps his clubs well hidden for most of the year, but is the first guy to pay for THE golf getaway. He doesn’t have enough space in his bag for all the balls he’s going to lose and there are not enough clubs with ATM machines to service his bets – but not one complaint will ever be heard from this

Inside Right with Dave Usendorff

annual stalwart of the tour. The “Silent Operator” pretty much sticks to himself, sometimes you even forget to count him as the bus pulls off from the hotel reception, setting off for the carefully chosen course of the day. He however always manages to somehow feature at prizegiving after the final round and invariably cleans up. There is always a ”Joker”. After a big night you might find that your shoes have no laces 10 minutes before you tee off, that instead of headache tablets he slips you a sleeping tablet and during the day the continual banter is started and finished by Mr Fun. Every tour has a “Rookie” present - the new boy who got the nod after half a dozen regulars cancelled at the eleventh hour. This erstwhile character often tries too hard to fit in, tries to be the best golfer and invariably fails in his attempt to steal the humour prize from the Joker. This particular player also invariably ends up drinking too much and most often lands up sleeping next to the resident pig at Pistols Saloon on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, and never gets invited again. The “Bookie”, however, is the most important

member of this travelling band. Before and after each round he changes the odds for the next day, makes any necessary handicap changes and keeps the group abreast of their daily winnings, or losses for the above-mentioned Battler. He is forever consulting the piece of paper that records each and every Rand that will change hands at the end (as long as the joker hasn’t got hold of it). It’s difficult to put the last two into a box as there are always those who just cruise along for a memorable trip, they play hard, work hard and manage themselves well enough to share the winnings pot on the way home.

Every tour has a “Rookie” present the new boy who got the nod after half a dozen regulars cancelled at the eleventh hour.

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2011/08/29 10:12 AM

INDUSTRY NEWS

Johannesburg collective debuts at International Golf Travel Market

or the first time ever, a Johannesburg the country. By partnering with Joburg collective comprising the Joburg Gems, we offer business travellers Tourism Company and the city’s best a reason to extend their stay and golf clubs, spa and hotel will be leisure travellers an affordable and represented at the world’s biggest conveniently located golf tour option.” golf travel and tourism event, the Joburg Gems is managed by Lauren International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), Collier and Natalie van Blerk, both taking place in Belek, Turkey from 14 to of whom will be at IGTM this year. 17 November 2011. Commenting on the opportunity, Collier Joburg Tourism Company has partnered said, “With South Africa being named with Joburg Gems, comprising Royal 2011 Golf Destination of the Year Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Africa, Indian Ocean & Gulf States by Club, Glendower Golf Club, Randpark the International Association of Golf Golf Club, Parkview Golf Club, The Tour Operators, we felt it important Bryanston Country Club and The that Joburg be included in the country’s Fairway Hotel & Golf Resort in order representation at this year’s IGTM. The to market the city as a premier South city is already well positioned as a African golf destination at IGTM. business and conference destination, Joburg Gems was launched in May so by exhibiting and networking at at Indaba 2011 in order to offer IGTM, it will give us the chance to affordable golf and accommodation market Joburg as a premier leisure and packages for South African golfers lifestyle destination as well, through its Various stakeholders from the SA golf industry were on hand to accept the or international visitors who live in or magnificent golf facilities.” award for ‘2011 Golf Destination of the Year - Africa, Indian Ocean & Gulf around Johannesburg or who travel to In addition to the city’s advanced States’ at IGTM in 2010. the city for business or leisure purposes. transport, business and retail Right from the beginning, it was infrastructure, key selling points are its international media for four days of pre-scheduled important that Joburg Gems work closely with the cultural heritage, magnificent parklands, fantastic appointments, networking opportunities and city’s key tourism stakeholders, and as such they year-round weather and the fact that a golf ball will industry updates. This year, there will be 16 South formed a strong alliance with the Joburg Tourism always travel further, due to the altitude. African golf-related products and companies Company. After successfully collaborating on Joburg Gems packages start from just R800 for attending IGTM including the likes of South initiatives for Women’s Day and Arbor Month, three rounds of golf within a five day period at any African Tourism, Limpopo Golf & Safari Route, Joburg Gems approached Joburg Tourism with the of the participating Joburg Gems golf clubs, or from Sun International, Fancourt, Legend Golf & Safari idea of being represented at IGTM 2011, and the R2 400 per person sharing for three rounds of golf Resort, Ascot Tours and EasyGolf. proposal was immediately accepted. and a two-night stay at The Fairway Hotel & Golf Speaking on behalf of The Joburg Tourism IGTM is a premier event within the golf travel Resort. For more information or to book a golf tour, Company, CEO Lindiwe Kwele said, “Johannesburg industry. Over 600 international golf tourism please contact Natalie on 082 805 6643 or via has the most sophisticated transport infrastructure suppliers join 350 pre-qualified buyers and 140 natalievblerk@gemcmarketing. in South Africa and acts as a gateway to the rest of

VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS

European champions heading to South Africa S

outh Africa will host a record fifth European Tour event when the prestigious Volvo Golf Champions tees off at The Links at Fancourt in January. The country currently hosts four tournaments cosanctioned by the European Tour and Sunshine Tour. The Volvo Golf Champions is not co-sanctioned by both tours, but represents a massive endorsement of South Africa’s golf economy as another European Tour event on these shores. The European Tour’s first-ever true “tournament of champions” event has been confirmed for South Africa’s number-one golf course from 19–22 January, with the prospect of the finest field ever assembled for a European Tour event on African soil

chasing an approximate R3.5-million first prize. The Volvo Golf Champions is open only to European Tour players who have won an event on the previous year’s European Tour International Schedule and current Tour Members with ten or more European Tour wins to their name. Defending champion Paul Casey has already confirmed his place in the field. “I think that the news that the Volvo Golf Champions is heading to South Africa will be very well received by the players as we have heard nothing but amazing feedback on the Links course. I haven’t played a tournament in South Africa for a while so I am really looking forward to starting my year there. With only winners qualifying this year, it is going to

be a smaller, more elite field which will make it feel even more prestigious.” Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is equally excited about teeing it up in such a major event on home soil. “This is a very prestigious tournament and it is a huge compliment that the Volvo Golf Champions is coming to South Africa. Fancourt will provide a fantastic showcase for all the wonderful assets South Africa has to offer. I spend so much of my year travelling around the world that I relish the opportunity to play in front of my home fans. I have won four of my seven professional titles in South Africa so the fans obviously give me a great home advantage which hopefully will help me in January.”

The European Tour’s first-ever true “tournament of champions” event has been confirmed for South Africa’s number-one golf course from 19–22 January, with the prospect of the finest field ever assembled for a European Tour event on African soil...

Retief Goosen is set to join the elite field assembled for the Volvo Golf Champions at The Links at Fancourt in January.

SA OPEN

Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate will be hosting the 2011 SA Open in November this year.

Goosen, Els set for Serengeti sizzler in SA Open Michael Vlismas

etief Goosen and Ernie Els will resume their South African Open rivalry as the two biggest stars in this month’s showpiece at the Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate. Goosen first won his national Open in 1995, and then again in 2005. And on both occasions he beat Els to the title. At Randpark Golf Club in 1995, Goosen beat Els by five strokes. Then in 2005, he birdied the final two holes – including a chip-in on the 17th – at The Links at Fancourt to again win a dramatic final round battle with Els. At Durban Country Club last year, Els had the final say when he beat Goosen in another memorable final round to claim his fifth South African Open title. Els won following a marathon 36-hole duel with Goosen on the Sunday of a tournament which was affected by rain. Goosen did his best to finish with four birdies in his final five holes, but it was not enough to stop Els winning by a single stroke. “Ernie and I have had an interesting rivalry in the South African Open over the years,” said Goosen. “It’s something I’m particularly proud of, that we can produce our best golf against each other in our national Open. It’s important for the South African fans as well as the tournament, which is one of the oldest in world golf and one which we as South African professionals are very proud of.” Els is equally keen to resume their rivalry in the national Open. “It’s really nice to come back to a tournament where I have such great memories,” said Els. “The South African Open has always been one of my favourite weeks of the year and it’s a tournament that means a lot to me.” Apart from his triumph in the 100th playing of the South African Open at Durban Country Club last year, Els has also won the country’s flagship golf tournament on four other occasions: 1992, 1996, 1998 and 2006. Victory at the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout would put Els among an esteemed list of multiple past winners. Sid Brews won the SA Open eight times, Bobby Locke nine times and the legendary Gary Player collected a record 13 victories.

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ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP

Young stars hunting glory in Alfred Dunhill Championship Rising stars like Jaco van Zyl will be out to make their mark in this year’s Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

Michael Vlismas

outh Africa’s rising stars will seek to claim their place in the illustrious history of the Alfred Dunhill Championship when the €1 000 000 tournament is played at the Leopard Creek Golf Course this month. The first of four European and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned events in South Africa offers a unique opportunity for the country’s young professionals to make their mark as they hope to capitalise on the commitment of the more established golfers to the World Cup of Golf and the Presidents Cup. The Alfred Dunhill Championship has over the years played its part in the careers of some of the biggest names in the game, including former world number one Lee Westwood and Major champions Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy. This year’s tournament will serve as a fitting tribute to what has been another memorable year for South African golf. On the European Tour alone there have been four South African triumphs in this calendar year, with two victories from Schwartzel as well as wins from Oosthuizen and Thomas Aiken. “The Alfred Dunhill Championship is one of the most powerful advertisements of South African golf in that it has always showcased not only some of our most prominent players, but also this country’s staggering golf potential,” said Selwyn Nathan, the executive director of the Sunshine Tour.

The Alfred Dunhill Championship has over the years played its part in the careers of some of the biggest names in the game, including former world number one Lee Westwood and Major champions Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.

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