Tee to Green March issue by Ursula Vlismas

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March 2012 • www.teetogreen.co.za

SA women’s golf set for revival p.5

Great

Scot! Soutar wins SA Amateur

p8-11

Bad Boy

on the T p.19-21

EDITORIAL TEAM

For SA’s young pros, anything is possible T

For years Ernie Els and Retief Goosen were the flagbearers internationally. But suddenly, you can’t hit a wedge sideways on any major tour around the world without hitting a South African pro.

he Telkom PGA Championship brought an end to the traditional summer leg of the Sunshine Tour, and it was indeed a summer to remember. There were breakthrough wins in the European Tour co-sanctioned events for Garth Mulroy (Alfred Dunhill Championship) and Branden Grace (Joburg Open), while Hennie Otto claimed an emotional victory in the SA Open. Louis Oosthuizen successfully defended his Africa Open title, while Oliver Bekker (Dimension Data Pro-Am) and Keith Horne (Telkom PGA Championship) won their first big summer events. Then there were the triumphs of Grace in the Volvo Golf Champions, played at Fancourt, and the win by Jbé Kruger in the Avantha Masters. And you also had George Coetzee teeing it up in a World Golf Championship event for the first time in the Accenture Match Play. These were just some of the summer highlights, and it reflected again the feeling amongst the current generation of South African professionals that anything is possible. For years Ernie Els and Retief Goosen were the flagbearers internationally. But suddenly, you can’t hit a wedge sideways on any major tour around the world

PUBLISHER CEO Easygolf Publishing (Pty) Ltd, Leon Plutsick • leonp@easygolf.co.za 082 8000 275 MANAGING DIRECTOR Rene Breuer • rene@easygolf.co.za 083 3255 080 ADVERTISING Erna Breytenbach • 0861 777 014 erna@teetogreen.co.za Andrea James • 0861 777 014 andrea@easygolf.co.za

without hitting a South African pro. And with Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel winning Majors has come the feeling amongst the younger pros that they can do the same. “Louis and Charl set the standard by winning Majors,” said Jaco van Zyl. “I mean, at the beginning of this year I moved into the top 100 in the world. It’s not something you set your mind on, but once you achieve one goal you realize the next step is top 50, then you start playing in WGC events and Majors, and you never know – the right things happen in the right week, you win a Major and everything changes.”

PROMOTIONS Marion Wentzel-Reprich marion@easygolf.co.za Tel: 0861 777 014

On another note, a warm congratulations to Iqbal Khan, golf writer for The Daily News, on receiving the Telkom Golf Journalist of the Year award at the recent Compleat Golfer Awards. In his 40 years of sports reporting, Khan’s influence has stretched far and wide. But even his fellow golf journalists were stunned when Khan received a phone call from the Los Angeles Times with a request to interview him about his award.

Eastern Cape, Jim Gray 084 470 3003

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Jbé Kruger won the Avantha Masters.

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FROM TEE TO GREEN

Horne joins the club with Telkom PGA Championship win Michael Vlismas

eith Horne has been walking Sunshine Tour fairways since 1996. But it was only when he rolled in a birdie to win last month’sTelkom PGA Championship that he felt like he truly belonged. With a final round of 69 at Country Club Johannesburg, Horne won South Africa’s second oldest professional tournament by three strokes on 19 under par. The 40-year-old professional, who has travelled most of Africa, Asia and Europe in search of titles, has waited a long time for the fifth victory of his career, but by far the biggest. “It has been a long time coming. I’m over the moon that I can tick this off. I would’ve been disappointed to have played in South Africa for so long and never won a big tournament. And this is a big one. It’s been going for many years with so many big names on the trophy. I really feel like I’m a big player in South Africa now,” said Horne. “I felt confident the whole week. It’s the first time I felt like I could win, was going to win and did win.” And at the age of 40, Horne feels like he’s just settling into an even better back nine to his career. “I’ve always thought my best golf is still ahead of me. Every year I’ve felt like my golf has been getting better and I haven’t levelled out yet. So I feel my best is yet to come.”

“...this is a big one. It’s been going for many years with so many big names on the trophy. I really feel like I’m a big player in South Africa now.”

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he tale of Morné Buys was one of the more remarkable ones to emerge from the Telkom PGA Championship. The Free State professional carded an impressive 65 in the third round that put him only three strokes off the lead, and he went on to finish tied 21st. Buys only started playing golf in 2003. He was a Springbok tennis player and Free State cricketer, but for various reasons decided not to pursue either. “A friend asked me to join him for a round of golf. I told him it wasn’t the game for me. I’d only ever played putt putt,” said the 33-year-old Buys, whose father Kobus and uncle Danie were both Springbok tennis players. But his view of the game changed when he shot 85 the first time out. “Two months later I was a plus 1 handicap, and eight months later I turned pro.” Easy game.

“A friend asked me to join him for a round of golf. I told him it wasn’t the game for me. I’d only ever played putt putt.”

FROM TEE TO GREEN

Porteous devours Italy’s Bolognesi

Lali Stander

outh Africa’s Haydn Porteous birdied two of his final four holes to win the South African Stroke Play Championship at Glendower Golf Club last month. Porteous surrendered a three-shot lead to Italian Andrea Bolognesi after his bogey at the 12th and then double bogey at the 13th. But the birdies at two of his final four holes saw him win on eight-under-par 280, one stroke better than the Italian. “Words can’t explain how I feel. My body is shaking and I don’t know if I want to laugh or Haydn Porteous hugs his playing partner and fellow cry. This has just been one of most unbelievable Central Gauteng golfer Musi Nethunzwi after winning the moments of my life,” said Porteous. SA Stroke Play Championship. Credit: Christiaan Kotze.

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Pro Hugo turns caddie for a week J

ean Hugo (pictured above right), a 14-time Sunshine Tour winner, was happy to turn caddie for a week as he carried the bag of former professional Leonard Loxton at the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship. According to Loxton, the idea sprang from a casual chat over Christmas. “I won the Club Championships at The Els Club Copperleaf and I told Jean that I was going to give the SA Stroke Play another shot this year. He immediately volunteered to caddie for me,” said Loxton, who went on to card rounds of 76-73-78-77 for a total of 304 to finish 24 shots adrift of Porteous.

Leading SA Amateur Stroke Play Scores 280 281 282

Haydn Porteous 68 71 69 72 Andrea Bolognesi (ITA) 69 70 68 74 Filippo Bergamaschi (ITA) 73 69 69 71; Drikus Bruyns 72 72 70 68 Photo Credit: Jeremy Campion.

FROM TEE TO GREEN

SA women’s golf set for a revival Michael Vlismas

Pace gets a surfing lesson in Oz

ost professional golfers fall into the fishing and hunting category. But Lee-Anne Pace took her passion for surfing to new heights. Pace was in Australia with the Ladies European Tour for the Australian Ladies Masters in Queensland, and decided to take in a bit of surfing on the famed Gold Coast. But she called in some professional help. None other than two-time world surfing champion Mick Fanning. After a few pointers on the beach, Pace took to the waves, and Fanning seemed impressed. “Lee-Anne did great – stood up first go, and by the end she was turning. She should be a pro surfer. I think golf and surfing are similar in terms of the mental attitude and having to be patient, and the core strength of it all is definitely similar,” he said. Pace is hoping to reciprocate, and has invited Fanning to the famed Jeffrey’s Bay, as well as promised to give him a golf lesson in South Africa as well.

aving been blown out of the water hazard by allegations of financial mismanagement that put an end to the Women’s World Cup of Golf and the successful Nedbank Women’s Golf Tour, women’s golf in South Africa is finally starting to get its groove back. There is talk of a new women’s tour later this year, featuring three tournaments. Three major corporates are said to have already indicated a keen interest to be a part of the new tour, which will be cosanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET). The LET was in South Africa as recently as last month to explore such opportunities, and are keen to grow their new LET Access Series, which would serve as a feeder to the main tour in much the same way as the men’s Challenge Tour does to the European Tour. Event promotion company SAIL is the driving force behind this revival of women’s golf. There is also talk of the Women’s SA Open making its return in KwaZulu-Natal in April.

FROM TEE TO GREEN

PGA tees off school golf programme T

he PGA of South Africa launched its new school golf development programme at last month’s Telkom PGA Championship in a bold bid to grow the game in this country. And the results were impressive. In the first two days, 21 schools took part in the Grow Golf Zone at Country Club Johannesburg. The Zone was an area where children could take part in a range of activities aimed at improving physical literacy and golf skills, all supervised by a qualified PGA professional. It forms the basis of the PGA of South Africa’s new focus to develop golf in schools. “The Grow Golf Zone is the launch of our new Grow Golf Programme and the Grow Golf Coaches Association,” said Andrew Gunn, the Education and Training Manager of the PGA of South Africa.

“Children in small groups go through a circuit of golfspecific and non-golf exercises that teach the various skills needed for the game. There are also hitting bays to have a quick look at the swing and six holes of mini golf, and even a jumping castle. A PGA pro and trainee supervise each school group, and there’s a safe area to eat and wait to be collected. The idea is to give children the opportunity to experience golf in a fun and exciting way.” The PGA’s next goal is to take the concept to shopping centres. “We’d like to see if we can take the Grow Golf Zone to other Sunshine Tour events around the country, and maybe even to shopping centres. In this way we hope to introduce many new golfers to the game, improve children’s physical literacy, and most of all for them to have fun,” said Gunn.

PGA professional Songs Sonamzi displays some of the equipment that formed part of the Grow Golf Zone at the Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg. Photo credit: PGA of South Africa.

SA tournament finds a home at Hall of Fame

SAGDB team impresses against Scots

Michael Vlismas

Lali Stander

he Sanlam Cancer Challenge celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year as South Africa’s biggest charitable sporting event, earning it a place in the South African Golf Hall of Fame. The nationwide amateur tournament, which last year drew 37 000 golfers from 800 club qualifying competitions, has since its inception in 1993 raised over R26 million for CANSA to assist with research into the disease and the treatment thereof. Now the tournament’s significant status in South African golf will be recognised in the South African Golf Hall of Fame at the Oubaai Golf Estate near George, where it will be permanently showcased. “Through golf, the Sanlam Cancer Challenge has helped to raise the awareness of cancer, and of golf’s impact on social responsibility,” said Barry Cohen, the CEO of the SA Golf Hall of Fame. Golfers can register for the 2012 Sanlam Cancer Challenge in February, followed by the nationwide club competitions from March to July, the Regional Finals from August to September, and culminating in the Finals at Sun City on both the Gary Player Country Club and Lost City Golf Club courses in October.

hey may have lost to the Scots and the Junior Proteas, but the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) squad still had plenty of reason to celebrate when the third annual one-day Triangular at Randpark Golf Club was played last month. The Scottish Golf Union’s National Squad defended their title with 12 ½ points to the 12 that the Protea side posted, and finished four points clear of the SAGDB team. The reason for their celebration was simple. “You have to look beyond the final scores at our overall performance to understand why we were in such great spirits,” said SAGDB team skipper Cedric Rooi. “Given our past results at the Triangular, we came into this tournament the rank underdogs. But we finished just four points behind the winners. That is an awesome result for us.” Rooi is certainly not wrong in his estimation of just how far the SAGDB side has come in three years. “In our first Triangular, we lost by more than 20 points to the SAGA Juniors,” he explained. “Last year our losing margin to the Scots was 20 points. To finish just four off the pace really shows just how much this squad has grown in experience.”

CG16

SANLAM SA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Last Scot standing wins Sanlam SA Amateur Championship Lali Stander

cotland’s Brian Soutar kept the Sanlam South African Amateur Championship title in Scottish hands after he took his golf to a new level by defeating South Africa’s number one

amateur, Brandon Stone, in a gripping final round in Cape Town. Two years ago, Englishman Laurie Canter beat Allen Versfeld in the final at East London Golf Club. Then, 12 months ago,

Scotland’s Brian Soutar is the 2012 Sanlam SA Amateur Championship winner. Photo credit: Luke Walker.

Michael Stewart lifted the title by beating Paul Shields in an all-Scottish showdown at Vaal de Grace. Soutar brilliantly emulated his compatriot to claim the biggest title of his career and South Africa’s oldest and most coveted amateur tournament by eliminating the country’s rising star 2&1 in a gripping 36-hole final at Mowbray Golf Club. The 27-year-old Fife golfer is one of the seven-man Scottish Golf Union National Men’s Squad, who arrived in the country in January on a winter training programme supported by Aberdeen Asset Management, South African businessman Johann Rupert and the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation. While four members of the Men’s Squad booked their places in the last-32 of the South African Amateur Championship, Soutar was the only one to take the championship the full distance. However, the last Scot standing was in danger of an early departure after carding an indifferent 71 with five bogeys on his card in the first round of the 36-hole Stroke Play Qualifier. But a brilliant bogey-free 65 saw him finish just two off the pace from Proudfoot Trophy winner, Dylan Raubenheimer. Soutar began his winning march with a confident 6 & 4 win over Southern Cape’s Morten Brehahl in the first round. Having dispatched fellow Fifer Scott Crichton 3 & 2 and then home hope Paul de Beer from Limpopo 2 & 1 to reach the quarter-finals, the Leven Links golfer produced some his best golf to hold off in-form Central Gauteng

golfer, Louis Taylor at the 20th hole in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, things looked dire for the Scotsman when he was two down with five to play against Southern Cape’s Shaun Smith, who had swept his last-eight opponent aside by 8 and 6 earlier in the day. But Soutar conjured up another late rally, rolled in a 25-footer to extend the match, and a well-timed birdie putt at 19th clinched his spot in the final. Meanwhile Stone sent Namibia’s Glen de Waal packing in the first round with a 7 & 5 defeat. But he needed three extra holes before he could dispatch fellow Gauteng North amateur, Pedrie Oosthuizen. He reached the top eight with a 4 & 3 win over Shields, but was taken all the way to the 19th hole by a determined Michael Loppnow before he could secure a semifinal match against Jamie Clare. Stone had it all to do again against the English amateur, who had knocked out his compatriot Toby Tree, but clinched his spot in the final at the 19th hole. Soutar and Stone went toe-to-toe for the first 18 holes of a gripping final to finish all-square. Continues on p.9

The 27-year-old Fife golfer is one of the seven-man Scottish Golf Union National Men’s Squad, who arrived in the country in January on a winter training programme...

“All credit to Brian, because he played like a true champion. It was one of the best matches of my career and he deserved to lift the trophy.” - Brandon Stone

SANLAM SA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP The status quo remained until Soutar edged ahead with pars at the 20th and 25th holes of the afternoon round. But Stone showed his great resolve and nerve to win the 29th and 31st holes to square the match. Refusing to let the victory slip from his grasp, Soutar laid down the marker with a superb 15-footer for eagle at the par-five 32nd, claimed the 34th hole and clinched victory at the 35th. Soutar won the Leven Gold Medal in 2007, claimed the 2011 Scottish Champion of Champions and helped Fife to a first-ever Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship crown last year. But having his name etched on a trophy alongside South Africa’s Major winners Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman was his sweetest success yet. “It is such an honour for me to lift this trophy,” the Scotsman said. “I said at the start of the week that I rated this tournament as high as the Scottish Amateur. The standard of golf in this country is incredibly high and the talent and depth of the players is world class. “To go all the way to the final, to face the country’s number one and to win is a dream come true. “It may have looked as if I didn’t break a sweat, but my heart was racing a few times, especially when I gave two holes away coming down the home stretch. I knew I couldn’t give Brandon an inch. If I did, he would pounce. Even with a cold putter, he is that good; a very tough opponent. I’ve won today, but he is going to be a force one day. “Winning this event will be good for me in terms of team selections for the Eisenhower Trophy and St Andrews Links Trophy this year. But I can’t wait for the South African Open, where I will hopefully make my European Tour debut. That’s the stuff you dream of.” Stone graciously saluted his rival. “All credit to Brian, because he played like a true champion. It was one of the best matches of my career and he deserved to lift the trophy.”

South Africa’s Brandon Stone with his father Kevin on his bag. Inset: A visibly disappointed Brandon Stone after his defeat in the Sanlam SA Amateur. Photo credit: Luke Walker.

SANLAM SA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

SA Juniors shine at SA Amateur W

estern Province golfer Dylan Raubenheimer struck a winning note for the country’s junior golfers when he lifted the Proudfoot Trophy at the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship at Mowbray Golf Club. Raubenheimer fired a 69 and a flawless 65 to hold off the country’s leading amateur Brandon Stone and top English import Toby Tree by one stroke to win the Stroke Play Qualifier on a winning score of 10 under 134. But the 16-year-old Strand golfer was not the only one flying the flag for junior golf in South Africa. No less than 35 juniors (amateurs under the age of 19) teed it up in the qualifier, including Tree and fellow English amateur Jamie Clare. Among the 14 South African juniors that made the grade for the Match Play, Victor Lange, Philip Kruse, Zander Lombard, Haydn Porteous and 15-year-old Tristan Strydom survived the top 64, while Stone advanced all the way to the final. (Clare made it to the quarter-finals and Tree the top 16).

Left and above: Dylan Raubenheimer in action; Dylan receiving the Proudfoot Trophy from Sanlam Group Marketing Sponsorship manager, Gary van Loggerenberg. Photo credit: Roger Sedres

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SANLAM SA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Fife welder comes full circle

hortly after Scotland’s Brian Soutar earned a degree in engineering from Edinburgh University in 2006, he landed a lucrative job as a welding inspector with a global conglomerate in Amsterdam. But the Fife golfer always dreamt of making golf his life. So, he put in the time, put a major portion of his earnings away and four years later, put his professional life on hold to pursue an amateur career that would hopefully pave the way to the paid ranks. “I had enough put away to give myself a few years to chase my goals, so I decided to cash out and devote the next three years to my golf career,” said Soutar, who enjoyed international honours in 2010. He was off to an auspicious start when he won the 2011 Scottish Champion of Champions Golf Tournament at Leven Links, but then disaster struck. “I put my back out in the second tournament and that put me on the bench for a few months. I was no sooner back than I broke my ankle during a practice round ahead of the Home Internationals in Ireland.” However, the Leven Golf Society amateur retained his spot in the 10-man Men’s National Squad that travelled to Abu Dhabi for warm weather training in November-December and South Africa this January. “Winning the Sanlam SA Amateur was my early goal for the season. The others include the Scottish Open and British Amateur. I also want to play my way onto the Scottish team for the Eisenhower Trophy and the Great Britain and Ireland team for St Andrews Links Trophy. And then I definitely want to tee it up at the South African Open Championship in my European Tour debut, so I’ll just have to make sure I get my card at qualifying school.”

Sanlam SA Amateur Championship: Road to the final

Brian Soutar – Scotland

Brandon Stone – South Africa

Qualifier: 136 (71-65) Top 64: Bredahl Morten (Southern Cape 6&4 Top 32: Scott Crichton (Scotland) 3&2 Top 16: Paul de Beer (Limpopo) 2&1 Quarters: Louis Taylor (Central Gauteng) 20th Semis: Shaun Smith (Southern Cape) 119th

Qualifier: 135 (69-66) Top 64: Glen de Waal (Namibia) 7&5 Top 32: Pedrie Oosthuizen (Gauteng North) 21st Top 16: Paul Shields (Scotland) 4 & 3 Quarters: Michael Loppnow (Western Province) 19th Semis: Jamie Clare (England) 19th

Shields pays his dues H

aving let the prestigious title slip 12 months ago, Scotland’s Paul Shields vowed to make the Sanlam South African Amateur Championship final again when he teed it up Mowbray Golf Club. “I really planned to go the distance but Brandon Stone is a tough nut to crack,” said Shields. Still, the Kirkhill golfer did get to the final... on the bag for finalist and eventual winner, Brian Soutar. “I guess I’m in the final, one way or the other,” he joked. But the 21-year-old also had a debt to settle. “Brian and I got into a friendly little wrestling match last year during a practice round for the Home Internationals in Ireland and he broke his ankle. I felt, once he made the final, that the least I could do was make sure he wins, to square things away. Never thought it would take him 35 holes to beat Brandon. That was above and beyond the call of duty to make me carry that heavy bag for so many holes. He’ll be buying me at least 35 beers, at least, before we are really squared.”

Tee off with the pros and celebs at Koro Creek C

elebrities, professionals and amateur golfers will head to the bushveld for the 4th Annual Kudu Tournament at the Koro Creek Golf Estate from 27-30 June in what promises to be four days of unbelievable golf in one of the most unique settings in the country. The tournament will feature a Pro League and a Celebrity Golf Day. Leading celebrities will also play alongside the amateur golfers. And the money raised will be donated to various local charities. Amateur golfers will also stand the chance to win fantastic giveaways and prizes, including game viewing and hunting packages. The Kudu Tournament is open to all levels of golfers, who have to play for at least three of the four days to qualify for the main prizes. Leading celebrities will also entertain the amateurs at the prizegiving dinners. It’s a perfect opportunity to bring the family and enjoy golf in bushveld. Only 90 minutes from Pretoria, Koro Creek Golf Estate offers luxury accommodation, including guesthouses and self-catering cottages, as well as the best game viewing in the Limpopo Province. Please contact the Koro Creek Pro Shop on (014) 717 1181 to book tee-off times, or email proshop@korocreek.com. For more information on the golf course and estate, please go to www.korocreek.com.

*Win with Tee to Green Two lucky Tee to Green readers can each win a copy of the book You’ve Got Mail by answering the following: What or whom would you like read about in your next issue of Tee to Green? Please email your details and your input to andrea@easygolf.co.za by 20 March 2012 and you could win this entertaining read.

20 - 23 May 2012

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SENIORS

Bernhard is back B

ernhard Langer is reportedly fit and ready to dominate the Champions Tour again. In March 2011, Langer suffered an injury in a biking accident that required surgery to repair ligament damage and kept him sidelined for nearly three months. It was a new experience for Langer, who has not only never had surgery before, but was also perplexed by not being a force on the senior circuit. “I never had surgery before last year. Over the years, I had a few minor aches and pains. I’ve had lower back pain, neck pain and forearm issues here and there, but never surgery,” he said. But Langer’s desire to win hasn’t changed. “I do have the same passion and I still love to win. My goals are to win tournaments and be in contention every week. I still think I can win more Major titles on the Champions Tour. Ideally, I still think I can be near the top of the money list and the Charles Schwab Cup standings at the end of this year.”

Scots vote for Sam the man

am Torrance has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Scottish Golf Union at their annual awards ceremony this month. Torrance is only the third recipient of the award, following former Open champion Paul Lawrie and eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie. The victorious Ryder Cup captain has claimed 21 European Tour victories and, to date, 11 European Senior Tour wins, as well as three European Senior Tour Order of Merit titles. Torrance was also a Dunhill Cup winner for Scotland in 1995, but his achievements on the Ryder Cup stage were even more memorable. He made eight consecutive Ryder Cup appearances between 1981 and 1995, winning three times, and famously holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 1985 – Europe’s first win over the United States in 28 years. “I have enjoyed a wonderful career and I would like to think I am not finished yet,” said Torrance.

European Senior Tour growing

Lehman to take it easier in 2012

The 2012 European Senior Tour will feature one new tournament in its 15-tournament schedule. The Pon Senior Open will be one of two tournaments played in Germany this year. On the Major front, the US Senior PGA Championship will take place at Harbor Shores, Michigan, for the first time in May. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course will host the Senior Open Championship for a record seventh time in July. The US Senior Open will be played at Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, Michigan, also in July. “The schedule once again reflects the global appeal of the Senior Tour and its members,” said Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour.

Tom Lehman says he’s going to play a more limited schedule this year to the 29 tournaments he played in 2011. “I won’t do that again, I can assure you that. I might get 23 or 24 in,” Lehman said. The affable American enjoyed a standout 2011, winning three times, including a Major at the Regions Tradition, winning the Charles Schwab Cup, topping the money list and earning Champions Tour Player of the Year honours. He also made history by becoming the first player to win Player of the Year honours on all three tours –the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour and the Nationwide Tour.

Results Central Gauteng Senior Amateur Open Championships – Randfontein Golf Club 143 – Jock Wellington 69 74 147 – Phillip Bierman 70 77, Lawrence Franklin 75 72, Schalk Naude 72 75, Gavin van Aswegen 72 75 148 – Mohaphi Malaka 74 74, Colin Weinstein 75 73

March 2012 Fixtures

1-2 March: Western Province Senior Amateur Open, Steenberg GC. 4-5 March: Cape Winelands Senior Amateur Open, De Zalze GC. 25-26 March: KZN Senior Amateur Open, Umhlali CC.

South African Golf Tourism Association turns one

he South African Golf Tourism Association, comprising of the key golf clubs, golf resorts and golf tour operators in South Africa, is just over one year old and has made excellent progress to date with 64 members signed up. The most important factor that we as a nation are starting to realize is that South Africa presents a stunning golf destination to visitors from around the world due to the great variety of golf courses on offer (parkland, links, bushveld, coastal) the variety of experiences available such as wildlife, wine and culture mixed with the unique experiences of “meeting” our friendly rainbow nation. As we grow in confidence and take our stake as one of the top golf destinations, we

IndweEssence_GolfStripAdPaths.indd 1

encourage you the golfer to “brag” about what we have to your international friends and family and get the word of mouth spreading like hot fire. This together with the great work that SAGTA is doing to drive golf tourism in this country, is sure to soon place South Africa on the center stage for the Best Golfing Destination in the World! For more information visit www.sagta.co.za or contact Natalie van Blerk on info@sagta.co.za.

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SWING THOUGHTS

Swing Thoughts

with Theo Bezuidenhout

Quick tips to combat slow play Frustration, aggression Playing with a slow player and irritation. These are outh African born PGA Tour player, Rory Sabbatini, knows all about slow play. His solution to the slow play he was exposed to from Ben Crane in the 2005 Booz Allen Classic? Proceed to tee-off while Crane was still putting out on the green. Is it in the spirit of the game? Definiteonly some of the emoly not. Is it fair to the faster player? Absolutely. Is there potential for this to lead to conflict on the green or tee? Probably a hundred percent. tions you may feel when So without trying to finish the round before your playing partner does, what can you do to stay mentally focused when faced with a slow player? Firstly, do not try to compensate for his or her slow play by playing faster yourself. In doing this you disrupt your own rhythm and you are taking faced with one of the your focus off your own game. Rather try to stick to your routines and the way you play your game while at the same time trying to speed up in between shots. As the adage on tour goes: “Walk fast, play slow”. most serious scourges of Secondly, make the other player aware of when you are falling behind the fourball in front of you. In this way you are neutralizing a potential ict by focusing his or her attention on an impersonal “villain”: the field. In making sure the slow player has something “pulling” them you can modern golf: slow play. confl still focus on your own game while every now and again reminding them that you are falling behind. The key is not to bottle up your own frustraThis alarming trend on tion and emotion for the whole round. Rather find a productive way of dealing with the situation and the person. the fairways of South Slow play on the tee-box Africa, and the world, As is often the case on a busy Saturday or Sunday on the links there may be some hold-ups on tees. It is quite easy to get agitated at a long wait is not only leading to on a tee-box and this is where many rounds go south in that players cannot let go of the bad shot they hit after a long wait. Rather than bemoaning the slow play, either take a mental breather or take stock of the round thus far. short-term bad moods, In the first instance, taking a mental break refers to taking a complete break from the round. This may include having a stretch, walking away from tee-box you are waiting on or focusing on your breathing for a few seconds. How you choose to do this is up to you but the crucial aspect to it is also leading to the the it is to dial into a relaxed mindset. By using breaks such as these productively you can combat mental fatigue and loss of focus by taking a “menlong-term loss of golfers. tal holiday” during breaks rather than getting angry about it. The second technique that you can use, taking stock of the round so far, is useful if you have played really well or really badly so far during your In a recent study in the round. The reason? If you have played really well you’ll be raring to go with the next shot and this can lead to playing too quickly or not paying attention. If you have played badly you USA one of the primary may be too angry to focus your attention adequately on the next shot. Once you start looking your round from a “coach’s” perspective you can distance yourself from your mistakes and reasons golfers had for at start to re-focus on how you want the round to go. giving up the game was Either way you will gain a measure of emotional distance from your good and bad shots and this will ensure that you can once again focus on your gameplan and not on your emotions. slow play and the length The most important thing to avoid when waiting on the tee-box if you are first to tee-off is to tee the ball up and to stand and wait for the players to clear off. In doing so you are commuof the average round. nicating to your mind and body that it needs to start focusing on playing a shot. only problem is that once you have given your body the “go signal” for the shot it expects In this month’s Swing The the same length of time you normally use for your shot. So instead of hitting the shot within Thoughts we look at the 30 to 40 seconds you now force the body to wait for anywhere from two to five minutes. The (often) resulting bad shot has much less to do with a bad swing than it has with impatience. psychological impact There is then also an unfair expectation that the mind and body will keep the intense focus it needs to hit a shot for a much longer period of time than normal. that slow play may have Rather step away from the markers and wait for a while. As soon as the players start clearing off the green other fairway, tee the ball up, do your routine and play your shot. In doing so on your game and how you will be able to zoom in at the right time with your focus, without wasting much needed you can combat it if you mental energy. Lastly, in dealing with slow play and slow players the first reaction is to attack the person. By play with the punctuality- rather seeking ways to actively and positively engage with slow play you can start to use it to your advantage rather than allowing it to upset you and in so doing ruin another good round impaired. of golf.

FEELGOOD FAIRWAY

Fairway with Linda Scott • Nutritionist

A talent for golf – is there such a thing? For more information feel free to email healthline@mcnabs.biz

he question of what makes some people extraordinary performers has intrigued humans for millennia. Most people would say talent and hard work, of course. However, research has found that talent, if there is such a thing, and even IQ, have little to do with extraordinary performance. In studies of exceptional individuals, researchers find little evidence of precocious achievement before the individuals started intensive training. This is true across the board for exceptional musicians, artists, mathematicians, tennis players, golfers and so on. So, it seems hard work remains the key. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers developed the idea of the 10 000hour rule (equivalent to practising a specific task 20 hours a week for 10 years), which he considers critical to being successful in any field, along with the right environmental conditions. Gladwell cites, amongst others like Bill Gates, the success of the Beatles to back up his 10 000-hour rule (which they achieved through playing long hours in Hamburg clubs) and Paul McCartney had this to say in response: “I’ve read the book. I think there is a lot of truth in it …. [but] there were an awful lot of bands that were out in Hamburg who put in 10 000 hours and didn’t make it, so it’s not a cast-iron theory.” Studies support McCartney’s observation showing that hard work or repetitive practice is simply not enough – it has to be what Geoff Colvin in his book Talent Is Overrated calls “dedicated practice”. We all know from our own experience that we can practise something like a golf swing or musical piece over and over again with few signs of improvement.

Either on the driving range or piano, we usually do exactly what we’ve done before thereby only maintaining whatever level of performance we have already reached. The great performers, conversely, isolate remarkably specific aspects of their activities and focus on improving just these things before moving on to other aspects. For instance Tiger Woods would drop golf balls into a sand trap and step on them and practice endless shots from this difficult situation. Colvin also points that many outstanding performers had fathers who started designing their practice activities at very early ages; from Mozart and Picasso to Woods. 2. It should be repeated a lot. High repetition is the most important difference between the deliberate practice of a task and performing the task for real. Woods may only face a buried ball a few times a season but if these were his only opportunities to work on that particular shot, he’d

This is because deliberate practice is very different to ordinary practice. Colvin summarises the qualities of deliberate practice as: 1) It is designed specifically to improve performance. Most of us don’t do this.

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probably bungle them like most golfers do. Colvin adds, “Two points distinguish deliberate practice from what most of us actually do. One is the choice of a properly demanding activity just beyond our current abilities. The other is the amount of repetition”. Top performers are known to repeat their practice activities to the point of taxing human endurance. 3. It requires constant feedback. A teacher, coach, or mentor is vital for providing crucial feedback on the areas that require improvement. 4. It is highly demanding mentally. Deliberate practice requires a huge effort of concentration or focus and this is what distinguishes it from the mindless playing of scales or hitting of golf balls that characterises most people’s practice. 5. It is hard. Doing things we do well is enjoyable which is in direct contrast to what deliberate practice demands. Instead of simply doing what we’re good at, we need to relentlessly seek out what we’re not good at and work on perfecting it through deliberate practice. Deliberate practice delays the automatizing process. The mind always wants to turn newly learned skills into unconscious, automatically performed skills. By practicing slowly and deliberately, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and endlessly repeating and perfecting these skills, the dedicated performer forces the brain to internalize a constantly improving pattern of performance. It may seem a bit depressing that the most important thing we can do to improve, say, our golfing performance is going to be hard and demanding rather than fun. But the good news is that exceptional performance is not due to some mysterious innate genius or talent but the ability to develop and stick to a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine. And it is therefore available to us all.

SAGA

18 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 thrilled to announce a groundbreaking initiative from the Sunshine Tour to offer our leading amateurs the chance to test the waters on the professional circuit during this year’s Sunshine Big Easy Tour, presented by Stonehage (more on this exciting development below). Well done to Haydn Porteous for winning the South African Stroke Play Championship and congratulations to the Scottish Golf Union Men’s Squad for winning the annual Leopard Creek Trophy against South Africa and beating the SAGDB and SA Juniors teams in the Triangular.

SAGA President Colin Burger and Selwyn Nathan, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, at the announcement of the partnership allowing amateurs to compete on the Big Easy Tour.

AMATEURS TO TEE IT UP IN BIG EASY TOUR

he Sunshine Tour has afforded top amateurs the opportunity to compete in this year’s Sunshine Big Easy Tour, presented by Stonehage. One player each from the SAGA, SAGDB, Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation and SAGA Junior Golf will be given a spot to tee it up in each of the 10 tournaments that make up the 2012 Big Easy Tour. This translates to 40 playing opportunities for the country’s leading amateurs to gain invaluable experience and test themselves against the professionals and gain invaluable insight into the pressures lying ahead when they join the paid ranks. It also affords the amateurs the chance to assess the state of their games and encourages an informed decision about their future in golf. As the official governing body for amateur golf, the SAGA provides the platform for the next generation of stars to prepare themselves for the professional ranks. This development is the result of a determined effort between the SAGA and the Sunshine Tour over the last 18 months to bridge the traditional divide between the amateur and professional ranks in South Africa. Since junior golfers from the SAGDB, Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation and South African Junior Golf all feed into the SAGA, as the custodians of amateur golf in South Africa, the decision was made to also include extend spots to junior golfers from these organisations. The Sunshine Big Easy Tour presented by Stonehage was launched in March 2011. As a mini-tour within the regular Sunshine Tour schedule, the series comprises 10 tournaments followed by a Tour Championship. The golf clubs are scheduled to host this year’s tournaments include Houghton, Observatory, Modderfontein, Kempton Park, ERPM, Benoni, Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, Maccauvlei, Irene and Glendower, with the Tour Championship at The Els Club Copperleaf.

JUNIOR GOLF Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen will host the Retief Goosen National High Schools Championships in 2012, while Vodacom and TaylorMade has also come on board to support the tournament. The inaugural SA High School Championship, which was contested by 19 high school teams, was won by Tuks Sport High School at Mount Edgecombe last year.

OPEN AMATEURS Brandon Stone cemented his position as the country’s leading amateur early in 2012 with back-to-back victories at the season-opening Prince’s Grant Invitational and KwaZulu-Natal Stroke Play. The 18-year-old was relegated to third though at the Gauteng North Stroke Play by winner Toby Tree from England and rising star Zander Lombard, who finished two shots off the pace. South Africa’s number two, Haydn Porteous, lifted the South African Open Championship title at Glendower with a one stroke victory over South African Open Championship of Italy. Musi Nethunswi broke into the winner’s circle for the first time when the claimed a two-stroke victory over Gert Myburgh at the Free State and Northern Cape Open at Harrismith.

MID-AMATEUR Tyrol Auret celebrated his birthday in style when he won Ekurhuleni Mid-Amateur Open sponsored by Volvo at Benoni Country Club by two strokes from Greg Sheard. Jaco Jacobs claimed his first mid-amateur title at the Central Gauteng Mid-Amateur Open Championship at Reading in January.

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.

TEE TALK

Thomas Msengana - also known as Bad Boy T - from 5FM.

On air with Bad Boy T A

t one point or another, anyone who owns a radio in this country has caught the smooth, dulcet tones and raucous laughter of Thomas Msengana. Undeniably one of the most popular radio jocks in South Africa, Bad Boy T has become a household name over the last 15-plus years. Msengana first hit the airwaves at Cape Town’s Good Hope FM, but it was when he followed Good Hope station manager Randall Abrahams to the newlylaunched YFM in 1997, that his fame really reached national status. After seven years with YFM, he switched to Metro FM where he hosted The Family Show before taking up his current gig - The Weekend Breakfast Show - on 5FM in 2010. Tee to Green’s Lali Stander caught up with Bad Boy T after the Sunshine Tour’s Joburg Open in January and discovered that the universal view that DJs are “wild party creatures” does not apply to Msengana. There might be a Bad Boy in every family, but in peeling back the layers, this 37-year-old is not just a radio jock.....he is a father, a husband, a music lover, a golfer and rugby fanatic and unwavering in his support for his family, country and it’s people. Most DJs can trace their start to a single point in their career. Where was that for you? Serving lunch. No, I’m not kidding. I was working as a waiter at a restaurant at the Waterfront in Cape Town and I used to serve a guy called James Lennox. He is a sports presenter these days on E-TV but back then he worked for Good Hope FM. We got to talking about music and he thought I had the right look and sound and suggested I audition for a DJ position. Randall Abrahams was the station manager at the time. He caught me in the passage after the audition and said “Welcome aboard”. And that was it, my career was launched. How did you get the ‘Bad Boy T’ tag? It’s all because I’m such an outrageous flirt! I was working with a producer and we were preparing for a show when a really good-looking, older women came into the studio at Good Hope. Of course, I flirted with her and after she left, the producer looked at me and said: “You’re a bad boy, T”. Voila, my stage name was born. You obviously play a lot of different styles of music, but what did you think when Adele won all those Grammys? She’s not exactly what one would call “mainstream”. I think it’s fantastic! She is like our own Zahara; they have such a unique sound and their music is real, absolutely real. It was great to see a real artist like Adele being recognised for a change. Continues on p.20

TEE TALK

Thomas Msengana in action during the Gary Player Invitational at Zimbali. If South Africa ever established a Radio Hall of Fame, who would be your first inductee? I’d vote for Randall Abrahams. He launched the careers of many, many DJs over the last 20 years. He is influential in so much that happens in the industry today and probably one of the most knowledgeable people in our industry. We know you are a golf nut, but you’re also a huge rugby fan. What was it like to be the centre of all the action with the Rugby World

Cup with the Vodacom Shosholoza winners? I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity. It was an incredible experience. You know, everywhere we went as a group, we were flying our flag and people came up to us and wanted to chat. We were there for two weeks and I was really struck by the mutual respect South Africans and the Kiwis have for each other. I think the fact that we both hate the Australians unites us in a way. Even though the Boks didn’t make the finals, people still really respected our team for the kind of rugby they played. Was one of my best Proudly South Africa moments. So, the Weekend Show on weekend. What about the rest of the week? Mondays and Fridays are sacrosanct. Monday is set aside for my regular fourball at Randpark Ridge and on Fridays I’m in preproduction for the two Weekend Breakfast Shows. My wife Unathi and I own a company called “A Star Trading”. We basically spend the rest of the week to raise money for various charities and schools with corporate events, golf days, MC work and public speaking. Let’s talk golf. When we first met at the 2010 Gary Player Invitational, it was actually your wife Unathi that was doing the playing. It’s a quite unusual combination, two DJ’s who both play golf. Do you ever play together, given your schedules? Only at the driving range! We go once a week with our son, Sinako. He is seven and already a great

little golfer. Unathi loves to go to the range and take the week’s pressure and stress out on a bucket of balls. She hits the ball beautifully because she used to play hockey. I’m always pushing, but she doesn’t like playing with me. It’s a pity really, because she is really a fine golfer. So the driving range is our only golf date, at least once a week. Where did you get your golf start? The first time I hit a ball was during a trip to Hartebeespoort Dam, about seven years ago. There was a gentleman hitting balls on a lawn. I watched him for a while and then asked him if I could give it a try. After I hit my first few balls, he told me I had a great swing and I should take up golf. I got some clubs and hit the driving range and my game has just evolved from there. I play off a 16. I’m a member at Eagle Canyon through Play-More-Golf, but I play most of my golf at Randpark Ridge. My regular fourball is myself and a couple of guys from SuperSport. I’ve never used a coach, but this is the year, though. Have you teed it up in any other golf tournaments besides the Gary Player Invitational? I played the GPI twice – last year and back in 2010. Unathi was actually playing, but she was pregnant at the time and after walking that very long Links course in the pro-am, she told me to take her place. I’ve played a lot of corporate tournaments, the BMW and the Springboks Farewell, but my only other professional tournament was the Joburg Open Pro-Am in January. Continues on p.21

There was a gentleman hitting balls on a lawn. I watched him for a while and then asked him if I could give it a try. After I hit my first few balls, he told me I had a great swing and I should take up golf.

21 What was it like to tee it up with professionals in the GPI and Joburg Open? Playing with pros puts your whole game into perspective. At the end of the day, golf is an individual sport; it’s about your round and your score. But once you see how far the pros can take the game, it inspires you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, young or old, once you get into the game and start working at it, you continue to improve and that is addictive. Which are your favourite golf courses in South Africa and abroad? Does Zambia count for a course abroad? Unathi and I played Livingstone one year and it was a great experience. There are too many courses I like in South Africa to mention. Let’s just say Randpark Ridge is still my favourite, even though it gets the better of me every Monday. Do you favour the longer, more modern courses or the older, more traditional courses? I’ve never thought about that before. I suppose the more modern courses. I’m not a long hitter but I love the challenge of trying to get to the green in two on the parfours and fives on them. Fantasy Fourball? I like to play with Unathi, my dad Bezi, my son and Tata Mandela, so I’ll take a Fantasy Fiveball. It would be the most profound five hours of my life for us to play together. Who are the pro golfers you admire and why? There are great international players out there, but I’m inspired by the young South African players like Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. And the new guys coming through, Jbe’ Kruger and George Coetzee. Ernie Els and Retief Goosen were a generation in front of me and I couldn’t really appreciate or understand their struggles. These youngsters are doing it now, during my “golfing career” and they really inspire me and the younger generations. And I think George will be our next Major winner. It’s great be around and to be inspired by history being made in my lifetime. So, Tiger Woods is on a bit of a comeback; do you think he can still win enough Majors to tie or better Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18?

TEE TALK

I think so. I mean, you know that when you are playing badly, you need to slow it down and go back to the basics. It was the basics that launched Tiger’s career and it looks like that is what he is trying to do right now – to go back to basics. When things start to click for him, he will be unbeatable again. Like I said earlier, when the guys like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player set the world alight, I wasn’t around and I would love nothing more than to see Tiger break that record in my lifetime. If you could tee it up in any Major or in any other tournament and play alongside the world’s best, which ones would it be and why? I want to play the Tournament of Hope in South Africa next year. Just image - the top 50 players in the world, R64-million in prize money. It’s coming here for the next five years and it’s for a great cause. Where better to raise money for Aids prevention and awareness than right here. It would be a dream come true to tee it up in a world golf championship here on home soil against the best golfers in the world. If I got a spot in that pro-am, I’d be pinching myself from morning to night every day till I hit my opening shot! Any advice for your fellow amateurs? Challenge yourself to hit it better every single time you step onto the golf course. Which life lessons do you as parents hope to instil in your children? Our children should know they are Xhosa, proud South Africans and they have opportunities in abundance. We would like them to grow up believing in themselves, to believe in and to go for their goals, to never limit themselves but to never to lose their humility, no matter what they achieve. There is a Xhoza saying that goes: “Every man stands on his own under the sun”. It means that when judgement day comes, you need to answer for your own actions. I think I am a pretty humble person, just in terms of how I was raised, but in meeting Gary Player, I really got a lesson in humility. I think sometimes, because of social networking, we forget about the individuals and we focus on ourselves too much. Gary Player takes humility to another, almost surreal level. He never, ever forgets about the individual. Unathi and Idols last year...just how much of the show did you have to suffer through?

Thomas Msegana and Diana Luna at the 2011 Gary Player Invitational. Can I just start by thanking DSTV for Dual View? She would be in the lounge watching Idols and I’d be in the bedroom, happily catching Manchester United or some game. I would just send up a prayer of thanks to DSTV every Sunday. Sometimes she would laugh out loud and I would ask her to rewind so I could see what was funny, but that’s about all. I can’t; I just can’t! How do you like to spend your free time? I like to go to the golf course, play squash with Unathi or watch loads of movies in bed. Let’s wrap it up with what you love most about living in Joburg? Joburg may have that New York hustle and bustle but it’s people are warm, friendly and respectful. They have that “Let’s Live” attitude I love. And I just love the Gautrain.

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Contact Andrea James • andrea@easygolf.co.za • 0861 777 014 Erna Breytenbach • erna@teetogreen.co.za • 082 464 8391 • 0861 777 014