2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge Programme by The Publishing Partnership

4-7 DECEMBER 2014

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25th Anniversary of MercedesTrophy World Final 2014

In 1989 when the first MercedesTrophy was held, six European countries took part. 25 years later, the MercedesTrophy is now a global invitation-only tournament series for amateurs, staged in over 60 countries. There are now more than 60,000 participants every year – and over the years nearly a million customers and fans of the brand have teed off at the MercedesTrophy. The Nations Cup at the 2014 anniversary event was won by the team from Latina with 185 points overall. Second place went to the team from the United Kingdom with 182 points, followed by the team from China with 181 points. The Team Spirit Award, the winner of which is chosen by the participants, was presented to the team from Australia. “2013 winners Team South Africa could not match the winning 2014 score and came in sixth place with 180 points. However, there were some good individual performances from the South Africans, with Kobus van der Westhuizen finishing runner-up in the singles Net A division, and Andries Claassens taking fourth place in the singles Net B division,” says Selvin Govender, Marketing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars. “The World Final is an excellent opportunity for us to welcome customers from all over the world to Stuttgart, the home of our brand”, said Selvin Govender. “This anniversary event delivered some stunning performances on the course, plenty of interesting off-course activities and culminating in a well-deserved win by the team Latina

defeating team South Africa, last year’s winners. Congratulations to everyone who took part!” Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador Martin Kaymer, the face of the MercedesTrophy, presented the trophies at the award ceremony. Brand ambassadors Bernhard Langer and Louis Oosthuizen also attended the World Final, taking part in special “Beat the pro” challenges against the participants and chatting with them in a series of “Meet & Greet” sessions. Those participating in the MercedesTrophy World Final were battling for the final place in this year’s special competition “Drive to the Major”, which was ultimately won by Oleg Pavlichenko from Team Central Eastern Europe. Everyone who takes part in the MercedesTrophy worldwide also has the chance of participating in another unique golfing event. Contestants can win a place in the qualification tournament for the “Monday After Event” in the “Straightest Drive” competition. As the official patron of the oldest golf tournament in the world, Mercedes-Benz is able to offer the chance to tee off on the course

where, just a day before, the professional golfers were vying for victory. Furthermore, the winners get to experience the Open Championship as Mercedes-Benz VIP guests. “The 2013 “Drive to the Major” winner also came from South Africa. Fred Wyngaard from Kimberley played at Gleneagles – and won this unique competition ‘Straightest drive’ again and was privileged to play in the Open championship course at the Monday After! We can see that the standard of our South African golfers is right up there with the best in the world, and we are proud to support them at these International tournaments,” adds Govender. This year too, donations have been collected at all MercedesTrophy tournaments held so far for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. In the World Final there was also a special ranking for the “Laureus Longest Drive”. Mercedes-Benz is a founder member of the foundation, which tackles social challenges worldwide using funds raised through sport. It currently sponsors more than 150 social projects worldwide.

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Contents 08 Welcome letters 20 Sponsor thanks 24 34 years and counting The Nedbank Golf Challenge continues to showcase South Africa as a globally competitive host

28 The field 34 Player profiles Defending champion Thomas Bjørn and selected players from the field

66 Extra cold moments A selection of well-known players who had to keep their cool under pressure

74 Golf’s new era The golfing world has been yearning for a new megastar. And Rory McIlroy is it

78 Carry on, caddies Just how much of a role do caddies play in the professional game?

84 Subdued Saffers South African golfers seem to be having a lull in the success stakes, but optimism appears be the name of the game

89 Victorious veterans Increasingly, seniors are proving that there is nothing quite like experience in this game

97 The pace of change SA women’s golf hit the spotlight this year with Lee-Anne Pace winning an LPGA event for the first time since Sally Little

102 The rise and rise of hybrids A closer look at the development of one of the most essential items in the professional golfer’s bag

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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2014

105 If the club fits... How club fitting can assist the amateur golfer’s game

108 Give me a good read Dale Hayes reveals some of his favourite golf books in an impressive collection

113 A pain in the back Amateurs and, more recently, professional players are experiencing back issues. We discover it is more than likely stress in others parts of the body

117 Show me the money! Golfers make good money… We know that. But often most of their income is made off the course

121 A future beyond the fairways The Sports Trust’s work with the South African Golf Development Board and South African Disabled Golf Association

124 Gifts that keep giving Each year, contestants receive a bronze statue hand-crafted by master sculptor Donald Greig

128 A guided tour Take a walk with us on the Gary Player Country Club course

142 Course layout 146 What’s new at Sun International New developments, ladies’ golf and much more

151 Behind the scenes Players and their families enjoy myriad activites off the field

157 Roll of honour Winners from the last 33 tournaments

FOR SUN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT CHAIRMAN Mike van Vuuren TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Alastair Roper SUN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS Alison McKie, Zoleka Skweyiya SPONSOR LIAISONS Irooshka Govindsamy, Elardus Senekal, Warren Rudolph, Sonja Hall FOR THE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP EDITOR Matthew Pearce MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Maritz ART DIRECTOR Ryan Manning COPY EDITOR Christine Curtis EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Mark Beare, John Morkel FINANCIAL MANAGER Naeema Abrahams ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Nic Morkel ADVERTISING SALES Sameegha Wolhuter, Grant van Willingh. For sales enquiries for the 2015 Nedbank Golf Challenge programme, please call Nic Morkel on tel: 021-424-3517 or cell: 082-468-6490. TRAFFIC MANAGER Janice McLean PHOTOGRAPHY Grant Leversha, Getty Images REPRODUCTION Hirt & Carter PRINTING ABC Press, Cape Town Produced for Sun International by The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg, 8018. Copyright Sun International 2014. Editorial and sales enquiries: tel 021-424-3517, fax 021-424-3612, email info@tppsa.co.za. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or Sun International. The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd and Sun International do not accept any responsibility for information published. For information on sponsorship and hospitality opportunities at the 2015 Nedbank Golf Challenge, phone Irooshka Govindsamy on 011-780-7067.

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WELCOME

WELCOME TO THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

es, folks, it’s that time of year again,

programme with a worthwhile keepsake.

producing the special players’ gifts that serve as

a time which, according to most who

Not only will you be slightly better acquainted

a constant reminder of their trip to South Africa.

you may encounter on the fairways

with some of the stars who will put their

We hope that you enjoy the read but also that

or in the marquees this week, marks the

skills on display at Sun City, you’re also

you embrace everything that this wonderful

beginning of the end of another year.

offered a behind-the-scenes look at what

event has to offer. There is music and comedy

the players enjoy away from the course, as well

to entertain in the public hospitality area

special recipe for success. Tapping into South

as some non-tournament specific items of

immediately after the conclusion of play, and

Africans’ general love of sport and a good

golfing interest.

plenty of mementos and gifts to choose from

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has such a

contest, it has combined world-class

Among other things, we look at the

at the Pro Shop’s official merchandise facility. The Nedbank Golf Challenge has earned

competition with superb hospitality and

increasingly important role of hybrids in the

entertainment to produce an irresistible

professional and amateur game, along with the

its nickname of ‘Africa’s Major’ through

end-of-year destination.

undoubted benefit of getting yourself properly

consistently delivering a top international field

fitted for the right clubs to achieve consistency

of players and staging a production as worthy

in your golf.

as any event on the global golf calendar.

While it may have been a relatively disappointing year for South African golfers on

The players are generally in a relaxed state

the world tours, this event continues to provide

We have also chosen 10 of the most crucial

inspiration to our professionals, with last year’s

putts ever holed under intense pressure, caught

of mind at the end of their season, a factor that

expansion and co-sanctioned status with the

up with the first South African woman to win an

plays a part in an attacking, low-scoring

European Tour again presenting massive

event on the LPGA for more than three decades,

approach being taken to the Gary Player

opportunity and potential.

and asked Dale Hayes about his top five choices

Country Club course.

Even though none of our compatriots take part in the Ryder Cup every two years, the event

from his extensive library of golf books. Then, if you have ever suffered from lower

Entertainment at every turn is at the core of the philosophy this week. Take care in the sun,

does tend to capture the imagination and

back pain after playing golf, we have some

enjoy it and celebrate the beginning of the end

attention of golf fans here, so to have so many

expert advice on making sure other parts of

of the year.

members of Paul McGinley’s victorious team

the body are strong in order to protect and

here this week is an undoubted thrill.

preserve your back. We also talk to the artist

Matthew Pearce

who has been tasked with designing and

Editor

We have done our best to provide you in this

8 NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2014

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WELCOME

Welcome to the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge, and thank you for joining us at the 34th edition of Africa’s Major. The Nedbank Golf Challenge presents a unique platform for us to appreciate our valued clients, while at the same time working with Sun International to showcase South Africa as a sporting and tourist destination. Thanks to SuperSport, our broadcasting partner, this magical event is broadcast from Sun City to more than 200 countries across the world. The tournament continues to draw some of the best golfers in the world

to our shores and we are delighted to welcome Lee Westwood back to Sun City for his 10th appearance at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, along with defending champion Thomas Bjørn. The eyes of the golfing world were fixed on the recent European triumph at the Ryder Cup, and the prospect of seeing six players from the winning team doing battle at the Gary Player Country Club is sure to excite and entertain golf enthusiasts around the world. Nedbank is recognised widely as the leading sponsor of golf in the country and it is something we are very proud of as we play our part in ensuring that South Africa continues to produce world-class golfers who carry our flag proudly on the world stage. In addition to our flagship Nedbank Golf Challenge, we also invest in golf development by supporting the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open and the First Swing golf clinics for children with disabilities. As the official banking partner to the Sunshine Tour, we are also the proud sponsor of the Nedbank Affinity Cup Pro-Am, a sanctioned event on the South African Sunshine Tour. The annual Sports Trust Challenge, a corporate fundraising event that takes place at the Gary Player Country Club course on the Monday after the Nedbank Golf Challenge, remains a significant fundraiser for The Sports Trust, raising in excess of R1-million for sport development annually as amateur players battle over the same course setup that the professionals played in the final round. I would like to thank Graeme Stephens, Alastair Roper and the team at Sun International for their partnership in this event and the effort that has gone into making this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge one to remember. A final word of thanks to the Sunshine and European Tours for their part in bringing some of the world’s best golfers to Sun City. I trust you will have a fantastic time at Africa’s Major. Mike Brown Nedbank Chief Executive

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‘The tournament continues to draw some of the best golfers in the world to our shores and we are delighted to welcome Lee Westwood back to Sun City for his 10th appearance at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, along with defending champion Thomas Bjørn.’

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WELCOME

As the highly anticipated Nedbank Golf Challenge comes around again this year, we are proud to host a tournament that has become one of the most prestigious events on the world’s sporting calendar. Our team works hard to improve every year on the superior levels of organisational excellence, hospitality and entertainment that we provide for this event. I have no doubt that this year we have put together another exceptional tournament. For 33 years, the Nedbank Golf Challenge has provided a global community with one of the most professional and entertaining sports events in the world. What began as a relatively unknown event in 1981 has grown in stature and prestige every year since – and is now attracting more than 65 000 visitors across four days, with as many as 22 000 people attending the final two days of the contest. The tournament is viewed by an international television audience of more than 1.4-billion. The Gary Player Country Club course is known to be one of the most demanding on the circuit. Last year, the event saw an increase in prize money and a larger field of 30 players. A major drawcard of this incredible tournament has always been its location at Sun City. As one of South Africa’s most recognised tourism icons, we are proud to fly the flag for our country’s tourism industry by showcasing some of the very best of our country in spectacular scenery and impressive hospitality. The Nedbank Golf Challenge is a very special opportunity to show the world what we have to offer. We know that to be the best, we must work with the best – and we are always grateful for the consistent and generous support from our partners and associates. It is only through this collaboration that we are able to innovate and deliver such a first-rate and exciting world event year after year. This year, as always, I am happy to extend to you all a warm welcome. Valli Moosa Chairman, Sun International Limited

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‘What began as a relatively unknown event in 1981 has grown in stature and prestige every year since – and is now attracting more than 65 000 visitors across four days, with as many as 22 000 people attending the final two days of the contest.’

WELCOME

The Nedbank Golf Challenge continues to be recognised as one of golf’s most exciting sporting events, capturing the attention of millions of fans across the globe. It is always a great privilege for us to welcome the world to Sun City for this prestigious occasion. We were delighted at the response to the changed tournament format last year. Not only did the field increase to a 30-man field, but we also significantly increased the prize money to $6.5-million. We expanded the eligibility criteria for a place in the Nedbank Golf Challenge to make it among the most globally represented tournaments in the history of South African golf. This definitely marked a new era for one of golf’s favourite tournaments and the world’s best golfers now have even more reason to want to qualify to play at the Gary Player Country Club. Apart from world-class golf, we make a special effort to provide all our visitors with a great choice of activities, dining and entertainment during their stay with us. The many thousands of supporters and visitors who come each year can expect us to provide a fantastic array of activities to make it another unforgettable Nedbank Golf Challenge experience. We are very proud of our association with this prestigious event and on behalf of Sun International, a warm welcome to you all. Graeme Stephens Chief Executive, Sun International Limited

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‘We expanded the eligibility criteria for a place in the Nedbank Golf Challenge to make it among the most globally-represented tournaments in the history of South African golf.’

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2014/07/02 4:13 PM

WELCOME

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has always been one of the great events on the South African sporting landscape for a sports-mad public, and the Sunshine Tour is thrilled to welcome everyone to the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City as we continue with a new chapter in a great golf tournament’s illustrious history. Now that the field has been expanded to 30 players from all over the golfing world, the prize-fund boosted to $6.5-million, and the European Tour has come on board as a co-sanctioning partner with the Sunshine Tour, we saw a thriller during last year’s tournament, and we’re confident that fans will have plenty to enthuse over as the new format goes into its second year. It is a pleasure working with committed partners such as Nedbank and Sun International, and their decades of experience in putting on this tournament assures that fans and players alike get a top-class experience. To the European Tour, with whom we have staged so many events on the Sunshine Tour, we owe a debt of gratitude. The events on which we collaborate are among the best on the Sunshine Tour, and this one is the icing on a cake of decades of co-operation and friendship. With so many of the triumphant European Ryder Cup team in the field, there’ll be no shortage of great players to entertain the crowds. We hope that the 30 players in this great tournament in a sports-mad country enjoy it as much as some of the greatest golfers in the world have done before them, and like those greats, they feel moved to spread the South African golfing gospel as they spend the new year travelling to other places all over the world. Selwyn Nathan Executive Director, Sunshine Tour

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‘It is a pleasure working with committed partners such as Nedbank and Sun International, and their decades of experience in putting on this tournament assures that fans and players alike get a top-class experience.’

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WELCOME

The European Tour enjoys a long and prosperous relationship with South Africa and the Sunshine Tour, so it gives us great pleasure to formally launch The 2015 Race to Dubai here at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Following another magnificent season in 2014, there is plenty to look forward to in the new campaign, starting with the second staging of this prestigious tournament on The European Tour International Schedule. Last year, Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn triumphed by two shots from Sergio Garcia and Jamie Donaldson to claim his 15th European Tour title. It speaks volumes for the stature of this event that all three players went on to feature in Europe’s victory in The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September. We are delighted to have 30 of the world’s best players once again competing for a $6.5 million prize fund and a $1.25 million first prize on the Sun City course designed by one of the game’s all-time greats, Gary Player. Our thanks go to title sponsors Nedbank and Sun International, for their continued backing of the tournament, while we are also grateful to our partners at the Sunshine Tour, with whom we co-sanction this event. Finally, we must also acknowledge the role of the countless number of volunteers who help make this event happen, and all of the spectators who support it. We wish you all another enjoyable week. George O’Grady CBE Chief Executive, The European Tour

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‘It speaks volumes for the stature of this event that all three players went on to feature in Europe’s victory in The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September.’

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P L AY E R P R O F I L E

VICTOR DUBUISSON BIOGRAPHY Born: 22 April 1990 Turned pro: 2010 Special interests: Tennis, socialising, squash Career highlights: Claimed his European Tour card at the 2010 Qualifying School. Had an impressive 2012 season in which he finished tied 11th in the Maybank Malaysian Open, tied fourth in the Volvo China Open, tied third in the Ballantine’s Championship and tied fifth in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Won his first European Tour title in the 2013 Turkish Airlines Open. 2014 Highlights: A member of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles. Runner-up in the WGC-World Match Play. 2014 Majors: The Masters – Missed cut. The US Open – T28th. The Open – T9th. The PGA Championship – T7th NGC record: Second appearance. 2013 – T20th.

ictor Dubuisson is often dubbed the “Man of Mystery” on the European Tour. But there is no mystery to his talent. “This kid is the next superstar in Europe,” his Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell said this year. “He might be the best kid I’ve played with since Rory McIlroy.” But don’t try to get anything out of Dubuisson himself. He is famously secretive about every aspect of his life. Even the European Tour is not exactly sure where he lives – and he won’t tell anybody either. There is also little to learn about a childhood of which Dubuisson has only said, “I was left by myself.”

Dubuisson almost became a cult figure with his incredible saves from near-impossible positions during the Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year, where he finished second. Some of his close friends on tour have gone as far as saying his childhood wasn’t an easy one, but even they won’t disclose any more. Born in Cannes, Dubuisson started playing golf at the age of eight. When he was 15, he already had his mind set on a professional career in the game. And he backed up his self-belief with an illustrious amateur career in which he won the 2009 European Amateur Championship as well as the French and Mexican Amateur Championships. He also finished third in the Allianz EurOpen de Lyon on the Challenge Tour while still an amateur. Dubuisson turned professional in 2010 and has made impressive progress since then. He finished 24th in his

40 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

first tournament – the 2010 Nordea Scandinavian Masters – but wasn’t able to truly enjoy his winnings. The prize money of €16 400 went straight towards rent on his apartment in the expensive town of Cannes. In 2012 he finished tied 11th in the Maybank Malaysian Open, tied fourth in the Volvo China Open, tied third in the Ballantine’s Championship and tied fifth in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. But in 2013 Dubuisson really lived up to his potential when he beat some of the biggest names in the game to claim his maiden European Tour title in the Turkish Airlines Open, beating Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose. Dubuisson was ranked 108th in the world going into that tournament, and he came out of it with a place inside the top 50. Every door in the golf world suddenly opened to him, including all four Majors. This year he took a further step up on that stage, finishing tied ninth in the Open Championship and tied seventh in the PGA Championship. And he made an impact for the Europeans in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Dubuisson almost became a cult figure with his incredible saves from near-impossible positions during the Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year, where he finished second. But he immediately changed his phone number to avoid all the attention he was getting, with even European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley having trouble getting hold of a man known to be very shy of attention and who likes to keep it that way. But there is no doubting his talent. Tom Watson has described him as a sensation. Dubuisson describes himself as “a simple man”. Yet one with an unbelievable talent.

P L AY E R P R O F I L E

STEPHEN GALLACHER BIOGRAPHY Born: 1 November 1974 Turned pro: 1995 Family: Wife – Helen; children – Jack, Ellie Special interests: Football, fishing, cycling, snooker Career highlights: Won his first European Tour title in the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, beating Graeme McDowell in a play-off. In 2013 he won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic by three strokes. 2014 Highlights: Became the first golfer in history to successfully defend his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title. He had a further seven top-10s on the European Tour this year. Qualified for the European Ryder Cup team. 2014 Majors: The Masters – T34th. The US Open – Missed cut. The Open – T15th. The PGA Championship – Missed cut. NGC record: Debut

A slew of top-10 finishes on the European Tour this year earned him a phone call from McGinley, and he left Gleneagles with an experience he will never forget.

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uropean Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley called it the most iconic image of the 2014 Ryder Cup. “That summarised so much of what I wanted to achieve, a sense of bonding between the players that will last forever,” he said. McGinley was referring to the photograph of world number one Rory McIlroy dressed only in a kilt and an orange wig, with his arm around Stephen Gallacher as they celebrated their triumph over America at Gleneagles. “Stevie and Rory live different lives. Rory is in a stratosphere nobody is close to. Stevie is a local boy who has had an incredibly good year to make the team. And there he was with the superstar, and the two of them were so comfortable in each other’s company. That’s special.” It has indeed been a special time for Gallacher. Since turning professional in 1995, the 40-year-old Scot can claim three European Tour victories and a spot on a winning European Ryder Cup team as his career highlights. But that’s not to say he hasn’t had to face his challenges. A back injury put him out for most of the 1996 season. It was only in 2000 that Gallacher managed to finish within the top 100 on the European Tour’s money list for the first time.

Then he had to wait until 2004 to claim his maiden victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He beat Graeme McDowell in a play-off for a title that came exactly 35 years after his uncle and former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher claimed his maiden European Tour victory. Then, in 2009, Gallacher was the victim of a viral infection that attacked his lungs and joints, and he spent most of that year and 2010 recovering. But the last few years have certainly brought the best out of him. In 2013 he won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, and then defended his title this year to become the first golfer in history to do so. A slew of top-10 finishes on the European Tour this year earned him a phone call from McGinley, and he left Gleneagles with an experience he will never forget. “It was up there with probably one of the best weeks I’ve had. Just being involved in the team meetings and the team room with the five vice-captains and that wealth of experience – Majors won, Ryder Cups played – and to have intense meetings and good speeches, good people talking to you and videos, I think it’s one that, going forward, is going to help my game. I learned so much from that,” he said. “I don’t know how you can replicate the sort of level of intensity or the level of excitement, especially standing on the first tee playing against Phil Mickelson on Sunday was something that will live with me forever, just the reception and the amount of people there.” It had always been one of Gallacher’s dreams to play in a Ryder Cup. And now that he has achieved this, he is quite emphatic about what his next goal will be: “To play in it again.”

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P L AY E R P R O F I L E

THONGCHAI JAIDEE BIOGRAPHY Born: 8 November 1969 Turned pro: 1999 Family: Wife – Namfon; children – Titituch, Kittituch Special interests: Golf, fitness Career highlights: Was the first Thai golfer to win on the European Tour in the 2004 Malaysian Open. Won the Wales Open in 2012. Was the first player to break $2-million in career earnings on the Asian Tour. When he played in the 2006 Masters, he became the first Thai to compete in all four Majors. 2014 Highlights: Claimed his sixth European Tour victory with a win in the Nordea Masters, beating European Ryder Cup players Victor Dubuisson and Stephen Gallacher in a play-off. Had a further five top-10 finishes on the European Tour. 2014 Majors: The Masters – T37th. The US Open – Missed cut. The Open – T39th. The PGA Championship – Missed cut NGC record: 2nd appearance. 2013 – 9th.

Thongchai Jaidee with the trophy at the Nordea Masters in Sweden.

true legend of Asian golf, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee was the first Thai golfer to win on the European Tour, to compete in all four Majors, and to earn more than $2-million on the Asian Tour. He’s won a massive 13 Asian Tour events and this year claimed his sixth European Tour victory in the Nordea Masters, beating European Ryder Cup players Victor Dubuisson and Stephen Gallacher in a play-off. But don’t assume that there is anything of an ego behind the brilliant smile of one of the most liked and approachable professionals in the game. Born in Lop Buri, a city north of Bangkok, Jaidee grew up in a rudimentary wooden house without a flush toilet or shower. He escaped to the golf course behind his home, where he would often sneak onto the fairways and play golf with a club that he made out of the discarded head of a five iron tied onto a bamboo stick. Jaidee joined the Royal Thai Army in 1989 and became a paratrooper. But 10 years later he turned professional at the late age of 29 and embarked on a career in golf, still very grounded by his upbringing. In 2004 he became the first Thai golfer to win a European Tour event in the Malaysian Open, a title he defended in 2005. The Thai government rewarded him with a diplomatic passport to facilitate his travel around the world.

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Above: Jaidee gives US actor Bill Murray some advice during the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns, Scotland. Left: Miguel Ángel Jiménez, captain of Team Europe, presents Jaidee, captain of Team Asia, with a gift after the single matches of the EurAsia Cup at Glenmarie G&CC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When Jaidee played in the 2006 Masters, he became the first Thai golfer to compete in all four Majors. With 13 victories on the Asian Tour, Jaidee proved he could win on European soil, too, when he won the 2012 Wales Open. But the irrepressible Jaidee keeps setting new goals, fuelled by an unbelievable work ethic that sees him in the gym for two-and-a-half hours a day – a legacy of his days in the military. “In those days I would be training at the seaside, in

Jaidee joined the Royal Thai Army in 1989 and became a paratrooper. But 10 years later he turned professional at the late age of 29 and embarked on a career in golf, still very grounded by his upbringing. the jungle, the mountains… wherever. I was carrying 30-40kg on my back and running – not walking – but running all day. It was really hard. But the most important thing is that it made me mentally tough. In the army, there is no schedule. You don’t know what you’re going to have to do that day, and that helped me control my emotions. It really helped me mentally. As pros, we all get angry if we duff a chip or whatever, but I’m able to control any mistakes I make as a result. Being in the army has helped me with controlling my feelings.”

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It was this training that he needed to draw on in 2008, when he suffered a serious back injury. “We travel anywhere in Asia, Europe, America, and the flights are very far and long. I went to see a doctor and he said a bone inside my back had come out. For three months I couldn’t do anything. It was a tough time.” But he returned to win two European Tour co-sanctioned tournaments in Asia in 2009. Then, in May this year, he added to his list of European Tour titles with a dramatic play-off victory in the Nordea Masters, taking the title with a birdie on the first play-off hole. Yet the humility and self-control of the man shone through again when he declared after his win, “I’m very happy but there will be no partying. I will just enjoy that I played well and was able to land my second victory outside of Asia.” Jaidee runs a foundation in his home town that assists young children with education, and he has a golf academy for talented young Thai golfers. And, as a man who naturally loves his Thai green curry, Jaidee also owns a few restaurants. He also supports the Asian Tour wherever he can. “I spend a lot of time outside my country – probably seven months a year. So when I come back home I like to see my friends and family. I love the Asian Tour. I never forget the Asian Tour and will always play there if I can. It’s good to see the tour growing so much, and we have many young players coming through.”

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MIGUEL ÁNGEL JIMÉNEZ BIOGRAPHY Born: 5 January 1964 Turned pro: 1982 Family: Wife – Susanna; children – Miguel Ángel, Victor Special interests: Cars Career highlights: Winner of 21 European Tour titles, four of them coming in a memorable 2004 season, and then a further three in the 2010 season. 2014 highlights: Became the European Tour’s oldest winner with his victory in the Open de España in 2014 at the age of 50 years and 133 days. Again featured as a strong vice-captain in a victorious Ryder Cup for Europe. 2014 Majors: The Masters – 4th. The US Open – Missed cut. The Open – Missed cut. The PGA Championship – Missed cut NGC Record: Fifth appearance. 1999 – 11th. 2000 – 12th. 2008 – 12th. 2010 – 4th.

Jiménez enjoying his victory in the Open de España, which made him the oldest winner on the European Tour, at the age of 50. 48 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

SPN have called him “the most interesting man in the world”. His love of fast cars has earned him the nickname “The Mechanic”. He eschews the mineral water and low-carb diet of the modern professional, preferring instead to soak himself in a good red wine and finish it off with a cigar. He’s been known to say, “I don’t always look at my yardage book, but when I do it is with my favourite cigar.” And then he goes and finishes fourth at the Masters this year. At the age of 50. And he got married this year. At the age of 50. “Most interesting man in the world? Hell, forget that,” says longstanding golf writer Jaime Diaz. “Miguel Ángel Jiménez is so much more intriguing than that.” He lives large and plays golf with a deeper insight about the place of the game in his life. But make no mistake, Jiménez is not all just fun and games. He is a serious competitor. “For me, just coming to play on the tour just to get a salary, it’s better to go home. I want to win.” How badly? Well, when he was once asked if his desire to win stretched to even wanting to beat his teenage sons on the golf course, Jiménez smiled in an uncomfortable way, knowing he was in a corner. Is he a competitor, or a father? He punched the air with his fist: “Win.” Enough said. One of seven brothers, Jiménez started playing golf at the age of 15. In 1979, while caddying at the Spanish Open, he was inspired by the play of Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance, and decided to take the game more seriously. Known more for his ability as one complete package rather than any strong individual part of his game, all honed by South African coach Jamie Gough, Jiménez has gone on to win 21 times on the European Tour, play in several victorious European Ryder Cup teams, be an equally strong vice-captain of many

“

If you ask why I’m a comfortable-looking man, maybe it’s because I come from a nice family. Poor but always happy. Money helps you live better but happiness is from the soul. Playing golf has been my job and my joy. Is there a luckier way to make a living?

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of them, made a record eight appearances in the Seve Trophy and represented Spain 13 times in World Cups. In 2004 he had one of his most prolific seasons, when he won four times on his way to finishing fourth on the European Tour’s money list. He had another run of victories with his three wins in 2010. And in 2014 he became the oldest winner on the European Tour, at the age of 50 years and 133 days, with his victory in the Open de España. Let’s face it, even when the man warms up it becomes an internet sensation. Diaz relates a story from José María Olazábal about his close friend Jiménez. “He is standing nearly naked in front of a locker-room mirror (the mind’s eye can’t avoid a vision of bikini briefs), and saying, ‘I am such a beautiful man.’” But there is a hard-working side to a man who early

on in life had to join his brothers in the job market to support their family. Jiménez worked as a mechanic for a time, earning him his most enduring nickname. After turning professional in 1982, he made five attempts at the European Tour’s Qualifying School before finally securing his card. His first victory on the European Tour came in the 1992 Belgian Open. In 2000 he began to make an impact at Major Championship level with his finish of tied second in the US Open. In 2001 he had a tied-10th finish in the Masters and tied third in the Open, and followed this up with tied ninth in the 2002 Masters. He tried to take his game to the PGA Tour, but is said to have missed the fuller life offered by the European Tour. And it’s quite obviously a life that is good for his game: he has won 14 times since he turned 40. There’s also no sense that he’s going to be slowing

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Where some might fear the choke or the nerves tingling in their bodies, Jiménez embraces that knot in his stomach as a sign that he is still very much alive as a competitor.

Above: Miguel Ángel Jiménez celebrates after Europe defeated the United States at the 2014 Ryder Cup.

down either. When he broke his shin in a skiing accident in 2012, he was asked whether he’d be giving up skiing in order to protect his golf career. “No,” he said simply. Why? “Because I like it.” And that is what so many of Jiménez’s peers admire about his approach to golf. He likes it, while others are obsessed and sometimes haunted by it. Where some might fear the choke or the nerves tingling in their bodies, Jiménez embraces that knot in his stomach as a sign that he is still very much alive as a competitor. And as writers such as Diaz have noted, he is very real. As real as the soil from the Malaga of his childhood, where for 2 800 years they’ve perfected the art of living. “If you ask why I’m a comfortable-looking man, maybe it’s because I come from a nice family. Poor but always happy. Money helps you live better but happiness is from the soul. Playing golf has been my job and my joy. Is there a luckier way to make a living? “To have played a few practice holes with Arnold Palmer. To have competed with Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time. To have played golf with Gary Player and Tom Watson and Seve and Ollie and Langer and Els and Phil and Faldo and Tiger and Vijay and Norman and Woosnam and Lyle and Price and Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington and Sergio and Couples and Crenshaw and Kite and Love and Rose and Scott and now the next generation, Rory McIlroy, Matteo Manassero. All the generations of my 50 years. I am so lucky.” As a result of this kind of grounding, Jiménez calls it as he sees it. Who can forget his response to Jim Kelly’s question on stage during the gala dinner of the 2008 Nedbank Golf Challenge? Kelly asked Jiménez to rate Nick Faldo’s performance as captain of the European team that year, and started him off with, “Would you give him an A, B, C, D…”, to which Jiménez added, “Or an E, F, G, H…” Jiménez also gives back to the game that has been so good to him, through his support of junior golf in Spain. And when the European Tour’s Open de Andalucía was in severe financial difficulties, he reached into his own pocket to try and save it, sponsoring it for a few years. According to Diaz, he even asked Tiger Woods to play in the tournament in an attempt to save it. And he asked in his own inimitable way. “He’d say, ‘Tiger, why don’t you play? Money? I don’t have any money. But I will put you in a nice hotel, cook you some great meals and you can save my event.’” Jiménez has never really lit up the fairways in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. But it’s his ability to light up those fabulous cigars and have a bit of fun with the galleries that make him such a pleasure to watch. “Before I leave on a trip, I’ll pick up some Cohiba cigars,” he has said. “You never know if they’ll have them where I’m going.”

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I was given the opportunity to make one of the most pressurefilled and memorable putts in the history of our sport. So, yes, memories are strong and will stay with me for the rest of my life. There will never ever be a more important putt in my life.

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MARTIN KAYMER BIOGRAPHY Born: 28 December 1984 Turned pro: 2005 Family: Single Special interests: Football, basketball, go-karting Career highlights: In 2010 he won three tournaments on the European Tour and his first Major, the PGA Championship. He finished the season as the European Tour’s number one. He earned €4.5-million in prize money over the season, beating the record Lee Westwood set the previous year. In 2007 he became the first German to receive the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award on the European Tour. He was on the winning European Ryder Cup team in 2010 and 2012. In 2012 he holed the putt that ensured Europe would retain the Ryder Cup at Medinah. 2014 Highlights: He won his second Major with a dominant display in the US Open at Pinehurst. He also won The Players Championship and was part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team. 2014 Majors: The Masters – T31st. The US Open – 1st. The Open – 70th. The PGA Championship – Missed cut NGC record: Fourth appearance. 2011 – 8th. 2012 – 1st. 2013 – T16th.

artin Kaymer believes he was given a gift. And for that reason, he says, he will never tire of talking about it. Kaymer’s eight-foot putt to seal victory for Europe in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah is still as fresh in his memory today as it was when he felt the hopes of a continent on his shoulders. In Kaymer’s mind, the fact that he made it is the reason everybody still talks about it. And to be able to talk about it in a positive way is the gift he believes he was given. “I was given the opportunity to make one of the most pressure-filled and memorable putts in the history of our sport. So, yes, memories are strong and will stay with me for the rest of my life,” he said. “There will never ever be a more important putt in my life.” Kaymer returns to Sun City this year as a man also known for claiming his second Major when he won the US Open at Pinehurst. He did so with a record score of 130 over 36 holes, and he went on to win by a crushing eight strokes. It was one of the highlights in another spectacular year for the affable German, who also won The Players Championship and was on another winning European team in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. In fact, some have suggested that Kaymer’s ability to dominate the big stage this year resembled that of Tiger Woods in 2000. And there is no doubt still plenty to come in a career that began when a 10-year-old wandered out of his yard and onto the nearby Mettmann Golf Club in Düsseldorf to hit his first putt. Kaymer’s father, Horst, wasn’t easy on him, forcing him to play off the back tees from a young age. Kaymer recalls how his father didn’t even allow him to tee the ball up when hitting the driver, in the belief that when he was given this privilege in a tournament it would make the game that much easier for him. By the age of 15 he was already a scratch golfer. He went on to win the 2003 Austrian Amateur and 2004 German Amateur titles, as well as a tournament on the European Professional Development (EPD) Tour.

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In 2005 Kaymer turned professional and continued to play on the EPD Tour through to 2006, winning five tournaments and the Order of Merit. One of his finest moments included the 59 he shot in the second round of his victory in the Habsburg Classic. Progressing to the Challenge Tour, Kaymer won twice in eight starts here and earned his European Tour card for the 2007 season. At first he struggled to make an impact, missing the cut in six of his first seven tournaments. But when he broke through, he did so in style. During the Portugal Masters in October 2007, Kaymer shot a first round 61 and went on to finish seventh. A finish of sixth in the Volvo Masters thereafter saw him end the season in 41st place on the Order of Merit and earned him the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. He was the first German to achieve this. In 2008 he was the only player under 25 in the top 50 on the world rankings. That same year he finished second behind Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic. Steady victories carried him through the 2008 and 2009 seasons before he took the step up to Major champion when he won the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, becoming only the second German after Bernhard Langer to win a Major. In 2011, Kaymer displaced Woods at number two on the world ranking. And then, with his second-place finish in the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, he nudged Lee Westwood out of the world-number-one spot. But the number-one ranking and the pressure associated with it took its toll on Kaymer. He admits he made some mistakes, and says if he ever gets there again he’d do things differently. “I would say no to a lot of the things I got invited to. You get offered a lot of nice things that you always wanted to do in your life, or that you were dreaming of when you were young. Then all of a sudden you have the opportunity to do all of that, and you say, ‘Why not?’ But then you lose a lot of time for practice and your private life. “Sometimes you have those moments where you’re not really happy, and you wonder why. You’re playing good golf, financially you’re fine, your family is fine, but you’re still not happy because you don’t have time for yourself.” Such introspection included a bit of an obsession about not being able to hit a draw, which he felt was something the world number one needed to be able to do. He set about remodelling his swing, and of course it came at a price as he dropped to 63rd on the world rankings. Kaymer was also not immune to the jibes from his critics during his slump, and this affected him as well. But it’s often overlooked just how hard he works on his game and his overall fitness. His fitness regime has been described as ferocious, and he’s followed some of the

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Above: Kaymer celebrates his eight-stroke victory during the 114th US Open this year.

Kaymer’s return to Sun City will certainly be met with approval from a gallery who still remembers how he beat Charl Schwartzel in 2012 to secure a German double that year, with Langer winning the Champions Challenge for senior golfers.

great hard workers in the game by hitting balls until his hands blistered as he worked his way out of his slump. But arguably the most impressive thing about Martin Kaymer is his humility. After winning The Players Championship he was photographed at Jacksonville Airport waiting to board a plane. It wasn’t a private plane, which certainly would have been befitting of one of golf’s biggest stars. It was a normal public airline. And he wasn’t waiting in a specially reserved area either. He was seated on the floor, among ordinary passengers, charging his phone at a wall plug. There’s also a story of him paying for the coffees of two women in front of him in the queue at Starbucks. They didn’t have enough cash on them and didn’t know who he was. For a 29-year-old, Kaymer shows incredible maturity and a willingness to think deeply about life and his place in it. “We all need to give both others and ourselves a bit more space. In today’s society we judge everything far too quickly. There is this saying, ‘Form is temporary, class is permanent.’ I would rather subscribe to that idea.” Kaymer’s return to Sun City will certainly be met with approval from a gallery who still remembers how he beat Charl Schwartzel in 2012 to secure a German double that year, with Langer winning the Champions Challenge for senior golfers. “I felt more pressure than usual because everybody, even the German media, was talking about a German double after Bernhard won,” said Kaymer. “You look at all those great names on the bronze plaques on the walkway to the ninth green, and it’s nice to know mine is on there as well.”

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LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN BIOGRAPHY Born: 19 October 1982 Turned pro: 2002 Family: Wife – Nel-Mare; children – Jana, Sophia, Emma Special interests: Hunting, movies Career highlights: Won the 2010 Open Championships and finished runner-up in the 2012 Masters after losing in a play-off to Bubba Watson. Winner of 12 tournaments. 2014 Highlights: Started the year with a successful defence of his Volvo Golf Champions title at Durban CC. 2014 Majors: The Masters – 25th. The US Open – T40th. The Open – T36th. The PGA Championship – T15th. NGC record: Fourth appearance. 2010 – 12th. 2012 – 4th. 2013 – T14th.

When Thomas Bjørn played with Oosthuizen in the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions, he said he could do nothing but enjoy the experience of spending 18 holes watching one of the most beautiful swings in golf.

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t’s been a frustrating year for Louis Oosthuizen, as he’s struggled to work around a recurring back injury. Its effect on his game was nowhere more evident than at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. Oosthuizen’s back flared up again when he arrived in Scotland, causing him to cut his practice round short, and by the Friday afternoon he was in pain and considered withdrawing from the tournament. He spent some good time with his trainer, however, and was pain-free on Saturday morning. And he shot 62 on the Old Course to surge up the leaderboard and challenge for the title on Sunday. Oosthuizen started the year in impressive fashion when he defended his Volvo Golf Champions title successfully at Durban Country Club, becoming the first player in the history of the tournament to do so. It marked the fourth successive year that Oosthuizen had won his first tournament of the year. He went on to finish tied fifth in the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, and also had top finishes of tied second in the Maybank Malaysian Open and tied 11th in the Byron Nelson Championship. His best finish in the Majors was tied 15th in the PGA Championship. When he is not struggling with his back injury, Oosthuizen’s potential seems almost limitless. He showed it at Mossel Bay Golf Club in 2002, when he shot 57 in a game with some friends. His dominance of the 2010 Open Championship in St Andrews was another example of how unstoppable Oosthuizen is when his game is on. He’d missed the cut in the previous three Open Championships he’d played in before he won in such spectacular fashion, beating Lee Westwood by seven strokes. Oosthuizen followed a similar pattern in the Masters. He’d also missed the cut in his first three

Masters before finishing second in 2012, when he lost in a play-off with Bubba Watson. A Major, 12 professional victories, a Presidents Cup debut in 2013 and a career-high ranking of fourth in the world are the highlights of his career thus far, but there’s no doubt among the biggest names in the game that he has potential for much more. When Thomas Bjørn played with Oosthuizen in the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions, he said he could do nothing but enjoy the experience of spending 18 holes watching one of the most beautiful swings in golf. It’s this talent that was spotted early in his career and saw him drafted into the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation. He won his first tournament on the Sunshine Tour, but the most memorable of his South African victories was the 2008 Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg. Oosthuizen won by 14 shots with a score of 28-under-par 260, including rounds of 66, 63, 66 and 65. It was the biggest 72-hole winning margin in the history of the Sunshine Tour. Oosthuizen also came close to matching the biggest victory in relation to par in the history of the Sunshine Tour, which was Mark McNulty’s 29-under 259 in the Royal Swazi Sun Pro-Am at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club in 1987. “Those were probably the four best rounds of my career,” he said later. But even though he has reached considerable highs, Oosthuizen remains a man very much rooted in traditional values. He is a strong supporter of South African junior golf through his own academy as well as his sponsorship of a tournament on the Glacier Junior Series. And he loves nothing more than returning home to spend some time on his farm near Mossel Bay and ride the John Deere tractor he bought with his Open winnings.

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CHARL SCHWARTZEL BIOGRAPHY Born: 31 August 1984 Turned pro: 2002 Family: Wife – Rosalind; child – Olivia Special interests: Hunting, cars, flying Career highlights: Won his first Major at the Masters in 2011. Has won nine times on the European Tour and six times on the Sunshine Tour. Won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit three years in succession in 2005, 2006 and 2007. 2014 Highlights: He had five top-10s on the PGA Tour this season, including tied fourth at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. His Major championship season included a high of tied seventh in the Open Championship. 2014 Majors: The Masters – Missed cut. The US Open – Missed cut. The Open – T7th. The PGA Championship – T15th. NGC record: Sixth appearance. 2006 –5th. 2007 – 10th. 2011 – 6th. 2012 – 2nd. 2013 – 6th.

harl Schwartzel returns to the Nedbank Golf Challenge as South Africa’s leading player on the world rankings for most of this year. He admits that this is not a particular source of pride for him in a year the country’s top golfers slipped down the rankings. And it’s a measure of the high standards Schwartzel sets for himself that he shares the frustrations of SA golf fans in this instance. Schwartzel has always set the bar very high for his own performance. In December 2012 he won the Thailand Golf Championship by 11 strokes and a week later produced the lowest ever tournament total of 24 under par at Leopard Creek to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship by 12 strokes. Yet he still proclaimed that he wasn’t at his best. “I don’t want to expect anything. Expectation is not a good thing. I just play,” he once said. “There have been too many people asking, ‘What do you want to achieve?’ and you say, ‘Well, this, this and this.’ Sure, you want to do things, but the more you force the issue the less you

Schwartzel’s performance at Augusta National Golf Club was one of the finest ever seen in the Masters. With four birdies over the final four holes, he took his place among the game’s elite.

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Above left: Phil Mickelson presents Schwartzel with his Green Jacket after winning the Masters in 2011. Right: Confident with tongs in hand, too. do it. I don’t want to think about anything. I just want to tee up, hit the ball down the fairway, hit it on the green, make the putt and see where it leads me. “We all want to win tournaments, but thinking about winning golf tournaments is not going to win tournaments for me. I have to stay right here where I am, plod along, and if I play the best I’ll win. By playing well and winning, the world ranking and money list all takes care of itself. You can’t take the step ahead and say I want to become world number one.” Schwartzel’s world has changed significantly since his 2011 Masters triumph. His performance at Augusta National Golf Club was one of the finest ever seen in the Masters. With four birdies over the final four holes, he took his place among the game’s elite. He got married in the same year, and this year his life has changed again with the arrival of daughter Olivia. In light of this, and that he’s settling down to life in West Palm Beach in the US, Schwartzel says he’s not too concerned that he hasn’t won this year and believes he’s remained consistent enough to not lose too much ground. This kind of perspective is something Schwartzel has always sought to maintain. It showed itself during a moment in the 2007 Sunshine Tour season. Schwartzel was set to board a plane and take up his place in the Accenture Match Play in Tucson, Arizona. He was looking forward to a first-round match against Ernie Els and a field including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. It was a dream stage for the young professional. But he’d set himself another goal as well, so he started to unpack his suitcase. Schwartzel decided to make his way to Country Club Johannesburg for the Sunshine Tour’s final event of the 2006/7 season instead, in a bid to win a third consecutive Order of Merit title, which he did.

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The respect he’s garnered among his peers is for his ability to be his own man no matter what the occasion. Schwartzel proved this when he decided on the format of the Champions Dinner for the 2012 Masters. Like any good South African, he went for a braai.

“There will be plenty more Match Plays for me in my lifetime. The chance to win a third Order of Merit title only comes around once,” Schwartzel said at the time. His perspective on the game is also evident in what has been his steady and determined progression through the ranks of international golf. He became the third-youngest player at the age of 18 to earn a European Tour card. By the time he was 20, Schwartzel had already won on the European Tour in the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Championship. And at 22 he had competed in three of the four Majors. It’s hard to believe that the boy who once nipped under the ropes at the practice putting green at the Gary Player Country Club to grab a ball Ernie Els had left behind as a memento of his first visit to the Nedbank Golf Challenge will now be making his sixth appearance in this tournament as a world-class player. The respect he’s garnered amongst his peers is for his ability to be his own man no matter what the occasion. Schwartzel proved this when he decided on the format of the Champions Dinner for the 2012 Masters. Like any good South African, he went for a braai. “I have a special spice that I put on boerewors, so I’ll use that for sure. But I think the fillet is my real speciality. I make this secret marinade for it. I think it’s fantastic. Louis Oosthuizen loves it, and he’s a very fussy meat eater so it must be pretty good,” he said before the occasion. And his confidence around the coals reflected his confidence on the fairways. Asked which of his braais has been the best, Schwartzel replied, “All my braais are good. But I suppose the best braais are the ones where you eat the meat right off the fire. I can certainly hold my own around a fire. And besides, I think it’s time we put some meat on those fine athletes.”

Follow the green and gold whilst they blaze through to the UK taking on the best. Lose yourself in the sheer ferocity of the Springboks and watch these momentous matches first hand whilst the Springboks charge for their third Rugby World Cup win.

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P L AY E R P R O F I L E

LEE WESTWOOD BIOGRAPHY Born: 24 April 1973 Turned pro: 1993 Family: Wife – Laurae; children – Samuel Bevan, Poppy Grace Special interests: Films, snooker, cars, Nottingham Forest FC Career highlights: In November 2010 he became world number one for the first time in his career. He finished runner-up in both the Masters and Open in 2010. In the 2008 Ryder Cup he equalled Arnold Palmer’s record when he went 12 matches unbeaten. In 2000 he won seven tournaments and finished top of the European Tour’s Order of Merit. 2014 Highlights: He won the European Tour’s Maybank Malaysian Open and had a top finish in the Majors of seventh in the Masters. He was on the winning European Ryder Cup team. 2014 Majors: The Masters – 7th. The US Open – Missed cut. The Open – Missed cut. The PGA Championship – T15th. NGC record: 10th appearance. 1998 – T4th. 1999 – 4th. 2000 – 2nd. 2001 – 5th. 2004 – T4th. 2008 – T5th. 2010 – 1st. 2011 – 1st. 2012 – 5th.

ngland’s Lee Westwood will be making his 10th appearance in this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, and returns to Sun City as one of the great champions of this tournament. In 2010, just a few weeks after claiming the world number-one ranking from Tiger Woods, Westwood confirmed his status as a dominant player that year with his staggering eight-shot victory at the Gary Player Country Club. He then returned a year later to defend his title successfully with a two-stroke victory. That saw Westwood become only the sixth player in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge to defend his title successfully, joining Seve Ballesteros (1983 and 1984), David Frost (1989 and 1990), Nick Price (1997 and 1998), Ernie Els (1999 and 2000), and Jim Furyk (2005 and 2006) as the other players to have defended their titles. “I’m delighted. It’s a great tournament to win. You just have to look at the names on the trophy to realise how special it is. It’s not the winning margin that is important to me but coming back and defending the title that is so satisfying,” said Westwood. That year, Westwood laid the foundation for his shot at Nedbank Golf Challenge history with a third round of 62. And his knowledge of the demanding Gary Player Country Club course, gleaned from years of competing in South Africa from early on in his career, shone through when he spoke of what that round meant to him. “You’re always delighted with a good round on this golf course – you know you’ve played well,” Westwood said of his bogey-free round. Westwood is no stranger to South African golf fans.

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Westwood became only the sixth player in the history of the Nedbank Golf Challenge to defend his title successfully, joining Seve Ballesteros (1983 and 1984), David Frost (1989 and 1990), Nick Price (1997 and 1998), Ernie Els (1999 and 2000), and Jim Furyk (2005 and 2006) as the other players to have defended their titles.

In 2000, one of the seven victories he claimed worldwide that year and that carried him to number one on the European Tour Order of Merit was a win in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Sun City. He was also narrowly beaten in a play-off for the Nedbank Golf Challenge by Ernie Els at the end of that year. By 2001 Westwood had soared as high as fourth on the world rankings, but a sudden loss of form saw him drop to 259th in the world in 2002. But for a man who hails from the working-class town of Worksop, there was certainly no lack of character to be able to dig deep when it matters most and claw his way back to the pinnacle of the game. Westwood rebuilt his swing and took to a rigid gym programme and diet that honed him physically. And it seemed only right that he should celebrate his rise to the top of the golf world in October 2010 with a triumph against a world-class field in South Africa. This year Westwood hasn’t reached the kind of standard he’d have liked, but he did claim a win on the European Tour in the Maybank Malaysian Open, as well as play another key role in terms of his experience for the European Ryder Cup team. Westwood is still searching for his first Major victory, despite an impressively consistent record at this level of the game. From 2009 through to 2013, Westwood finished in the top 10 in two of the four Majors every single year. His best year in the Majors was in 2010, when he finished second in the Masters and the Open Championship. But this year he’s struggled in the Majors, with only a seventh-place finish in the Masters as a highlight.

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MEMORABLE MOMENTS

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THERE IS NOTHING IN GOLF QUITE LIKE THE DRAMA OF A VITAL PUTT HOLED AT A CRITICAL TIME. HERE IS A SELECTION OF THOSE PLAYERS WHO KEPT THEIR COOL WITH THE PUTTER UNDER THE MOST INTENSE PRESSURE AND SCRUTINY TO SECURE FAMOUS VICTORIES.

nee-knockers. Nerve-janglers. Clutch putts. Call them what you like, they all have the same thing in common. The biggest, most memorable putts in the history of golf have all come with a healthy dose of pressure and nerves, and have required bucket-loads of BMT to execute. The men who have remained ice cool under such intense pressure are not immune to nerves. That fear of choking under the gun sits in the minds of all golfers, whether it’s over a three-foot putt to win a Saturday league match or a three-footer to win the Open. Sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella said it best when he wrote, “If there is one thing that is perfectly clear to me after 35 years of working with the greatest athletes, golfers and businessmen in the world, it is that everyone feels pressure.” And as Gary Player, one of the fiercest competitors in the history of the game, also said, “Everybody has nerves. So, in a sense, all of us are potential chokers.” But the Grand Slam champion also summed up what he believed to be the most dangerous golfer of all: “Give me the man with a good mind and a great putter any day.” But just as one man’s pressure is another man’s piece-of-cake, so, too, it would be purely subjective judging the top 10 ice cool moments in putting history. Here then are our top 10 most memorable putts in the history of golf – those moments when the men in the heat of battle stayed ice cool under pressure.

Ernie Els

2000 Nedbank Golf Challenge

It was the chance to win the biggest payday in golf: $2 million. Ernie Els and Lee Westwood finished 72 holes tied for the lead. And so began a sudden-death play-off, starting on the par-three 16th. Both players parred the hole. Then, on the par-four 17th, Els hit a nine iron to five feet, while Westwood finished 11 feet away with his approach. Westwood missed his putt, leaving Els standing over one of the biggest putts of his life. “It’s difficult to compare it to a putt to win a Major, but this was the most nervous I have ever been,” Els said of that five-footer. “I guess money does talk.” And it did – all the way into his bank account as he made the putt to win.

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Jack Nicklaus

1986 Masters

Costantino Rocca

1995 Open Championship

The greens on the Old Course at St Andrews are notorious for some tricky breaks. But it’s a job made even harder when you’re putting from off the green through the humps and hollows of this venerable layout. That was what Rocca was faced with. The Italian needed a birdie at the last hole to force a play-off with John Daly. Problem is, he would have to do so from the infamous Valley of Sin just short of the 18th green. This is a spot where many a player had either chipped from or putted from, only to watch his ball trickle back and stop at his feet again. But Rocca was unfazed, and holed a 60-foot putt in front of the most discerning gallery in golf to muscle his way into a play-off with Daly. It was a play-off he ultimately lost, but nobody will forget the nerves of steel he showed in getting there.

Standing over an 18-foot putt on the 17th, the 46-yearold Nicklaus had to sink it to take the lead. It didn’t matter that Nicklaus hadn’t won a Major in six years. It didn’t matter that 46-yearolds weren’t meant to still be winning Majors.

By the time Jack Nicklaus arrived at the 1986 Masters, he had nothing to prove. He certainly didn’t need to prove that he had what it takes to win under pressure. He also didn’t need to prove that he was one of the game’s greatest competitors. But he gave us all one more glimpse of his pure genius. Standing over an 18-foot putt on the 17th, the 46-year-old Nicklaus had to sink it to take the lead. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t won a Major in six years. It didn’t matter that 46-year-olds weren’t meant to still be winning Majors. All that mattered in the mind of Nicklaus was that this was the Masters, a Major he knew so well. This was Augusta National, a course he knew so well. And this was deep into the back nine of the most pressure-filled environment in golf, a feeling he knew so well. With the putt still en route, Nicklaus raised his putter in that iconic image. It dropped, and the roar hit the highest tops of those Georgia pines. But what makes a big putt even more memorable? Holing it in front of your son, for a start. Nicklaus’ son, Jackie, was on his bag at that Masters. No wonder they still call it the best Masters ever.

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MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Payne Stewart

1999 US Open

Tiger Woods’ fist pump in victory has to be one of the most enduring images in the history of this game. But it hasn’t yet become a statuesque example of the spirit of victory. The 1999 US Open will forever be remembered as the one where Payne Stewart produced that now-legendary punch into the air with his leg raised, forever captured in a bronze statue at Pinehurst. Stewart holed a 15-foot putt on the final hole to win the US Open on Father’s Day. It came just months before one of the great gentlemen of the game died in a freak plane crash. But if you want a putt that is so big and so memorable to leave a lasting legacy in the game, then this was it. Ever since, professionals have returned to Pinehurst and tried to replicate what is now known as “Payne’s Putt”. World number one Rory McIlroy tried it in a practice round ahead of this year’s US Open at Pinehurst. For the record, he missed it the first time around. But he made it on the second attempt. And he mimicked that famous punch into the air too.

Justin Leonard

1999 Ryder Cup

There are putts that change the course of a tournament. And then there are putts that change the course of tournament history. Justin Leonard’s putt in the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline was the latter. Leonard needed to hole a 45-footer on the 17th green to score a half against José María Olazábal, and as such retain the Cup for America. He holed it in one of the most incredible putts in the history of golf. But it sparked an out-of-control celebration by the American players, who ran across the green – some across Olazábal’s line, as the Spaniard still faced a putt to try halve the match himself. Olazábal missed the putt. America retained the Cup. But all sense of a magnificent American comeback was lost in that moment. The Europeans declared it one of the worst displays of sportsmanship they’d ever witnessed in golf. Indeed, the fervour of that moment was a wake-up call for both teams not to lose sight of the true spirit of the Ryder Cup ever again. It’s not often that a putt can move two continents to action.

Tiger Woods

2008 US Open

When it comes to clutch-putting prowess, few can argue that Woods deserves a place in the Putting Hall of Fame. At the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines, Woods took this to an entirely new dimension. Rocco Mediate had posted a clubhouse lead of one shot. That left Woods needing a birdie at the last to force a play-off. The 15-foot putt dropped in off the right edge, and Woods went on to beat Mediate at the 91st hole the next day. But what made his achievement all the more remarkable is the fact that he had played that Major with a fractured leg.

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Jean van de Velde 1999 Open Championship

Everybody remembers the 1999 Open at Carnoustie as the one where Van de Velde threw away a golden opportunity to claim his first Major. The Frenchman had TV viewers the world over gasping when he needed only a double bogey at the last to win the Open, and ended up making some disastrous decisions, including a trip to the burn that gave him a triple bogey. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that putt for a triple bogey that we applaud. After all the drama, standing on the green with his head in turmoil at what had just happened, Van de Velde needed an eight-foot putt to take his place in the play-off with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard. And he made it. He may have lost the play-off and the Open, but to make that putt under such circumstances was still impressive.

After all the drama, standing on the green with his head in turmoil at what had just happened, Van de Velde needed an eight-foot putt to take his place in the play-off with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard. And he made it.

Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson 1977 Open Championship

It was one of the greatest Majors in history. The Duel in the Sun at Turnberry. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson were so far ahead of the rest of the field that they were literally locked in a private battle for this one. Watson was one ahead playing the 18th. Then Nicklaus holed a 40-footer for birdie. That left Watson standing over a two-foot putt that suddenly felt like 20 feet. But he stepped up and rolled it in. Two of the greatest going head-to-head down the stretch in one of he greatest Opens of all time, and neither of them even flinched when they had to make the pressure putts.

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Martin Kaymer 2012 Ryder Cup

It took half a second. Martin Kaymer looked down at his crucial eight-foot putt in the Ryder Cup at Medinah, saw a footprint, and that’s when the thought came into his head. “I thought, Bernhard, okay, gone,” he said, referring to his countryman and mentor Bernhard Langer’s missed putt in the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island that cost Europe victory. But Kaymer was prepared for this moment. “I said to myself, ‘There’s no second doubt. Inside right, step up, make it.’” And he did, making the putt that ensured Europe would retain the Ryder Cup. “There will never ever be a more important putt in my life,” he said. A German golfer. The haunting of fellow countryman Langer’s missed putt. The weight of Europe on his shoulders. And Kaymer pulled through in epic fashion.

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Ernie Els and Tiger Woods 2003 Presidents Cup

Who could ever forget the epic play-off duel between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods at The Links? With darkness falling, these two giants of the game were selected as the gladiators to settle a tie in the Cup. But, after three play-off holes, neither had flinched. Each holed one pressure-laden putt after the other. Eventually, Mother Nature had to call time on this one at nightfall. And it was left up to captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to declare that nobody was going to lose this Cup, so they would share it.

Francis Ouimet 1913 US Open

A 20-year-old amateur golfer by the name of Francis Ouimet wasn’t given a hope in hell competing against British giants Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at Brookline. In fact, no American or American-born golfer was, because golf was dominated by the British in that age. But then Ouimet made it into a play-off with the two greats. It was a play-off he went on to win, shooting 72 to the 77 of Vardon and 78 of Ray. But the most crucial putt came right at the first hole. All three golfers parred the first with fives. Ouimet did so by holing a tricky three-footer. “After playing four shots, I was about a yard from the cup and I never felt more pleased over a putt in the entire championship than when that three-footer dropped out of sight,” he said afterwards. And with that putt, he set in motion a victory that saw him become the first amateur to win the US Open, and launched American golf as we know it.

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ON THE RISE

GOLF’S

NEW ERA WITH A VARIETY OF FACTORS COMBINING TO KEEP TIGER WOODS AWAY FROM MUCH OF THE COMPETITIVE SCENE IN 2014, GOLF GLOBALLY YEARNED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE MEGASTAR. ROARING IN CAME A REJUVENATED RORY… PROBLEM SOLVED!

hey were watching Rory McIlroy hit balls on a driving range in Scotland. When the world number one took out his driver, they moved a little closer. As McIlroy pounded them down the range, they talked among themselves about a swing that awed them all. “I didn’t even see that one leave the face of the club,” said one. “It’s unbelievable. Unbelievable.” “His club-head speed is ridiculous,” added another. If these were a few of McIlroy’s millions of fans marvelling at his swing, it would be perfectly understandable. But these were professional golfers. When McIlroy stepped onto the range, they had stopped what they were doing and gathered in a group behind him to watch him hit balls. And they watched him with a reverence reserved for only the greatest players in a game

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where all professionals hit the ball really, really well. This, more than anything, speaks volumes about the impact McIlroy is having on the game at present. With Tiger Woods no longer the playing force he once was, there is no doubt that McIlroy has stepped into this breach. His impact in the game has even impressed the Americans, with an ESPN analyst declaring after the PGA Championship victory this year, “When you’re not American and you can draw a public that big, it’s certainly good.” He was referring to the 36% increase in final-round ratings on the CBS broadcast this year – the network’s highest since 2009, when a certain Woods was in the hunt. The rating of 6.0 was significantly higher than that of the final round of the 2012 PGA Championship, which McIlroy also won, but had peaked at 3.9. This in itself is indicative of McIlroy’s rise in popularity among golf fans.

Main image: Spectators cheer as McIlroy sinks his winning putt during the Singles Matches of the 2014 Ryder Cup. Inset: Rory McIlroy celebrates his one-stroke victory during the final round of the 96th PGA Championship at Valhalla.

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ON THE RISE

Above: A jubilant 2014 European Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles. While his split from Caroline Wozniacki may have ushered in a winter of discontent among romantics, it has heralded an endless summer for golf. In a brief moment of reflection recently, McIlroy summed up his career to date with fabulous understatement when he said, “Winning three Ryder Cups and four Majors, and becoming world number one by the age of 25 is something I’m quite proud of.” A first Major at the age of 22, in recordsetting fashion at the US Open in 2011, then a second in the 2012 PGA Championship, followed by two more in the 2014 Open Championship, where he joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as one of the only three golfers to win three Majors by the age of 25 – and PGA Championship have put him on a course many feel will see him overtake Woods’ 14 Majors and be a serious challenger to Jack Nicklaus’ 18. “I think Rory has an opportunity to win 15 or 20 Majors,” Nicklaus said. The way Nicklaus speaks of McIlroy, the young Irish star comes across as some fairytale golfer for whom the sky is the limit as long as this mere game of golf holds his interest. “It depends on what he feels his priorities are, and that’s his call,” said Nicklaus. “You just don’t know what the guy’s priorities are going to be in life 10 years from now.” Darren Clarke echoed this when he said, “Any golf course in the world would suit Rory at the moment… Rory can do whatever he wants.”

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We’ve heard this kind of talk before when Woods was dominating the game. And it’s what the players say among themselves that is another powerful indicator of the McIlroy effect. Their endorsement of McIlroy’s talents saw him voted by his peers as the PGA Player of the Year for two of the last three years. And such recognition is not lost on McIlroy. “These are the guys you’re trying to beat week in and week out, so to get their vote means a lot to me.” These are but some of the reasons why Nike believed him to be worth their annual pay cheque of between $20 million and $25 million. And McIlroy has now shown a willingness to embrace the big responsibility alongside the big money of being the most obvious successor to Woods. Ahead of this year’s Ryder Cup he mentioned that, as the world number one, he feels he needed to step up and lead the European team with a level of golf that matched his status in the game. “I felt the difference, yeah. I felt like it was my time. It

was time for me to step up and be one of the leaders of the team, especially after the season that I’ve had and being world number one.” But as much as McIlroy appears so much like Woods, they’re very different in terms of their placing in the game. McIlroy’s timing is perfect for the game, coming when golf is looking for its next superstar. After all, this is a game that throughout the ages has relied on eras of dominance by one player. But can McIlroy’s effect on the game ever be bigger than what Woods achieved at the height of his powers? Both are extremely talented. Yet Woods had something McIlroy doesn’t. He was black in a traditionally white man’s sport. And he was brash and aggressive in a game that before him had never seen anything like him. McIlroy and a whole host of talented and marketable young players are coming into the game on the back of an era that Woods created and defined. It’s led many to wonder whether McIlroy could have a similar impact on his own, or whether he will rather do so as the brightest of a collection of young stars making a combined impact. Either way, there is no doubt that the McIlroy era has arrived. And he’s embraced his fame more easily than the often-reticent Woods did. Woods announced his arrival with those immortal words when he said in a Nike commercial, “Hello, world”. When it comes to McIlroy, it’s more a case of, “Hello, Rory”.

McILROYS’ BIG PAYOUT If it wasn’t enough that Rory McIlroy had earned €5.4 million (R75 million) by the end of October on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai standings – care of two majors (The Open and PGA) and a World Golf Championship victory – his family and friends cashed in as well. Ten years ago Rory’s father, Gerry, and three friends placed a bet that his son would win The Open before turning 26. They pooled together £400 (at 500-1 odds) – and walked away with £200 000 after the 25-year-old’s triumph at Hoylake.

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R I G H T- H A N D M E N

Carry on,

CADDIES OFTEN MALIGNED WHEN THEIR ‘BOSSES’ ARE HAVING ON OFF DAY, CADDIES PLAY A FAR GREATER ROLE THAN MANY THINK IN THE SUCCESS OF PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS. AND SOME HAVE BROUGHT MORE THAN A TOUCH OF FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT VALUE TO A SERIOUS BUSINESS.

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met Vincent Tshabalala. Vincent walked up to him and greeted him as ‘brother’. Rabbit looked at him and said, ‘Man, with a name as difficult as Tshabalala, you ain’t no brother of mine.’ And at the Open Championship one year, Rabbit said to me, ‘Gary, in this place I stick out like a fly in buttermilk.’” Eddie McCoy was another one of Player’s memorable caddies. “I remember arriving at the 1978 Masters in good form. Eddie was my caddie for that week. He came to greet me and his arms were out and he said, ‘Hey, Gary, I need a house, man.’ I started laughing and I said to him, ‘Eddie, we all need houses.’ And he said, ‘But, Gary, I really need a house. My family and I live in a crummy place,’ and he started to laugh again before adding, even louder, ‘I need a house.’ “I said to him, ‘Well, Eddie, I’m playing well so you’ve got a good chance of getting that house’. I never saw a caddie who was so nervous in all my life as Eddie was during that tournament. When I was seven shots behind with one round to play, he wasn’t feeling too confident about getting that house. Then I played the front nine in 34 on the final day, and Eddie was feeling a lot better about the situation. He was getting a little bit

“

Gary, in this place I stick out like a fly in buttermilk.

“

imon Hobday has one of the most fantastic stories about a caddie ever heard. It’s one that you cannot write down. It has to be told. And Simon must tell it. Suffice to say, it begins with a caddie who arrives for work on Hobday’s bag more than just a little inebriated, rolls down a hill while trying to read a putt for him, and snaps a flagstick in half in the process… Some of the greatest characters in the game have been caddies. Fred Couples recalls how he once had a caddie who liked to have long conversations with other caddies during a round. When Couples asked him what they were talking about, the caddie replied, “It’s none of your business.” Couples’ response was, “I’ll hit this next shot out of bounds right now, so watch yourself.” Gary Player had the colourful Alfred “Rabbit” Dyer on his bag for many years. “Rabbit caddied for me for 18 years, beginning in the late ’60s, and we had a wonderful relationship that I will always cherish. He would often stay with me in my home in South Africa, even though it was frowned upon by our government at the time,” says Player. “Like me, Rabbit had a great sense of humour. I’ll never forget the first time he

Alfred “Rabbit” Dyer

Main image: Colin Montgomerie and his caddy, Alastair McLean, look in vain for his ball in the reeds. Inset: Gary Player and his caddie Alfred â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rabbitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dyer.

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encouraged, and could start to see a few windows going up in his house. “Then I started making all those birdies in that memorable back nine of 30, and all the way Eddie was like a cat on a hot tin roof. With every birdie I made he could see the roof going on, new doors being put in. When I holed the final birdie putt on 18, Eddie jumped from the side of the green like a grasshopper. He hugged me and thanked me for his house. Eddie walked off that 18th green so happy, it was like he had just become the Masters champion.” The local Sunshine Tour is also full of some interesting caddies. You won’t often hear their names, if ever. But they’ve been on the bags for some of the Sunshine Tour’s more recognisable stay-athome professionals for years. Men like Bin Laden, a man with a huge black beard from where he derives his nickname. Stanley Moeng has been on tour for 13 years now, and he’s known as “The Guide” among the local caddies, because he knows everything from where to eat on tour to which towns you should rather just drive through than stay over in. And Brian October is the quiet man on the course – and the joker off it. There have also been men such as Shaheed Daniels, Kamalie Robertson and Mervyn Stopforth. The 58-year-old Daniels once carried the bag of Bobby Locke, earning 10 cents for 18 holes. Both Robertson and Stopforth, based in the Western Cape, remember caddying for Trevor Immelman when he was a boy. And Stopforth was on the bag for a young Ernie Els when he lost the 1987 Western Province Stroke Play at Somerset West Golf Club to Chris Davison. More often than not, it’s what the caddies don’t say that ranks among their funniest lines. One of Colin Montgomerie’s many former caddies, Alastair McLean, was once asked in an interview how he managed to get the bag of one of the greatest European golfers of all time. “I suppose you can say I’ve always been a bit unlucky,” he replied. And Mark Fulcher, who has caddied for Laura Davies and Justin Rose, knows enough never to overestimate a caddie’s influence on a player. “I think the key is not to wrap the job up in too much mystique and acknowledge that Justin would do well out here if he was pulling a trolley,” he said. South Africans have been popular choices on tour in recent years. Glen Murray, Greg Hearmon and Neil Wallace have all caddied for

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Ernie Els and his caddie Ricci Roberts celebrate victory in the 141st Open Championship in 2012.

Sergio García and continue to be in demand, while few will forget the emotional victories Els secured at the Nedbank Golf Challenge with local Simon Masilo nor his Major successes with the hugely entertaining Ricci Roberts. The caddies are often the best source of all things relating to player news and politics. And they are quick to give some colourful nicknames to players as well. Some of the favourites include nicknaming a player “Crime” because he “doesn’t pay”. And “Guinness”, because he “doesn’t travel well”. Of course, the greatest caddies are also better known by their nicknames. The eccentric David Feherty recalls one caddie from his generation who they used to

call “Rhino”, because he was “thick-skinned and charged a lot”. But for all the banter between playersº– and caddies, the latter play a fundamental role in the success of the former, as so many long-term relationships in this field have proved. Billy Foster, who will be on the bag for Lee Westwood at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, has caddied at 12 Ryder Cups, a clear indication of the esteem in which he is held and what his calm presence means to a player under pressure. Keeping clubs dry in bad weather, accurate yardages, words of reassurance at the right time, being a sounding board in high-pressure moments… The role of caddies in the professional game entails so much more than the mere carrying of a bag.

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SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF

Subdued Saffers… but not for long!

AFTER MANY CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT AS A GOLFING NATION, THE TOP SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE SLIPPED WAY DOWN THE RANKINGS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS. BUT, AS THE SAYING GOES, CLASS IS PERMANENT AND, ACCORDING TO THE PLAYERS, THERE IS STILL PLENTY TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT.

or a country used to a steady stream of golf success, the relative South African lull in 2014 has come as something of a shock. With Trevor Immelman’s victory in the 2008 Masters, South African golfers went on a run of winning four Majors in five years. Consistent performances on the major tours of the world also led to a strong presence of South African golfers within the top 20 on the world rankings. But in 2014 it appeared as if every one of the country’s leading golfers went off the boil – and all at the same time. Contrary to what many think, it’s a situation that concerns the golfers as much as their fans. Charl Schwartzel expressed his own frustration when he was reminded that he was South Africa’s leading golfer on the world rankings for most of 2014, and dismissed this as something not really worth celebrating. “From a South African point of view it’s not great,” said Schwartzel. “We’re certainly not opening champagne now when it comes to the world rankings. I know a lot of the guys are frustrated by it. I know Louis [Oosthuizen] is. He’s had his injuries. Obviously there have

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been no wins, and everybody wants to see wins. I want to see wins. But you know, the skill is still there. It just needs to kick in and we’ll be flying again.” Schwartzel has tried to bring some perspective to his own performances in 2014. “Having a child, and my wife going through a really tough time with the birth where things didn’t go as planned put things in perspective for me. It was quite stressful, to say the least. So with those changes I don’t think I can be too disappointed with the way I’ve played. I’ve been consistent enough not to lose too much ground on the rankings. I’ve still got lots of tournaments left towards the end of the year, so there’s lots of space for improvement. The last two, three months I’ve put in a lot of work on my game. I’m actually really excited about it. The results aren’t showing it but I honestly don’t think it’s that far away from being really good again. You just can’t push it in this game.” His good friend Oosthuizen has been equally frustrated. Oosthuizen’s problems have been more physical: he’s struggled with back injury for the past 18 months. How this affects his game was evident during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

After a lot of travelling, Oosthuizen’s back flared up again when he arrived in Scotland. He had to cut his practice round short and by the Friday he was considering withdrawing from the tournament. But after some work with his trainer, he was pain-free again on Saturday. And he shot 62 on the Old Course to rocket into contention and came close to winning on the Sunday. It’s this kind of form, and swing, that once led defending Nedbank Golf Challenge champion Thomas Bjørn to describe Oosthuizen’s swing as the most beautiful in the game. “The game has always been there, but my body was never good the last year or so, and I’ve always had to change my swing to avoid pain. It shows me that I still have to be careful and do the right work to keep everything in position. It’s just the way my body is at the moment. I need to get it strong and I’ve proved to myself that if I do the work it will get better. I can then get through the ball with my swing,” said Oosthuizen. Branden Grace was another of the country’s young stars who seemed to lose his way. Grace had a breakout season in 2012 but – by his own admission – has been quiet since then. “Everybody knows I had a stellar year in

“

The last two, three months I’ve put in a lot of work on my game. I’m actually really excited about it. The results aren’t showing it, but I honestly don’t think it’s that far away from being really good again. You just can’t push it in this game.

“

Charl Schwartzel

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SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF

Above: Hennie Otto during the final round of the 71st Italian Open in Turin, Italy. He went on to win his second title here. Below: Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen during a practice round prior to the start of the 2014 Masters Tournament at Augusta National.

“

2012 and it’s hard to follow that up. But there were still good performances in 2013 and 2014. Sure, 2014 hasn’t been as good as I would’ve liked but there’s still a long way to go and it’s nothing a big finish to the season can’t put right,” he said. “My game is getting better and I feel it will click very soon again, and hopefully then I can get into the winner’s circle again.” As part of this process, Grace has decided to refocus his efforts on the European Tour. “At the moment I want to concentrate on Europe again and get myself back to where I think I should be on the world rankings, and competing in tournaments again the way I did in 2012. And when the time is right I’ll tackle America again,” he said. But there remains immense pressure on South Africa’s leading golfers to succeed as a collective and maintain this country’s impressive pedigree at Major championship level. From 1949 to 1952, Bobby Locke won the

At the moment I want to start concentrating on Europe again and get myself back where I think I should be on the world rankings.

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“

Branden Grace

Open three out of four years. Gary Player won two of the four Majors in 1974 alone. In 1994 Ernie Els won the US Open while Zimbabwean Nick Price won the Open and PGA Championship. From 2001 to 2004 there was a run where South African golfers won three Majors in four years. Retief Goosen won two US Opens in 2001 and 2004, and Ernie Els weighed in with an Open in 2002. And then Trevor Immelman ushered in our most recent run of success at the highest level of the game. South Africa has never lacked a steady flow of talent in the golf arena. Hennie Otto was a winner on the European Tour again this year. George Coetzee is still nowhere near his potential in the game. Richard Sterne is looking forward to a new challenge on the PGA Tour. And below them, Brandon Stone is slowly finding his feet in the professional arena, while Haydn Porteous and Thriston Lawrence are also tipped as stars of the future. South Africa is a proud country when it comes to its golf, and one that has always punched above its weight. In its current young stars, the country has arguably the most talented group of players in their age in the game. Quite simply, South African golf fans expect excellence from them. But they can take heart that these same stars are just as determined to get back to their winning ways as soon as possible.

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SENIORS

WHEN TIGER WOODS BURST ONTO THE WORLD GOLF SCENE IN SUCH EMPHATIC STYLE, THERE WAS TALK OF A NEW ERA AND THE GROWING INSIGNIFICANCE OF THE OLDER PROFESSIONAL GOLFER. YET THE SO-CALLED VETERANS OF THE PROFESSIONAL TOURS ARE COMMANDING INCREASING RESPECT, WINNING TITLES AND PROVING THAT THERE IS SIMPLY NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE.

VICTORIOUS

VETERANS A

fter he turned 50 in January this year, Miguel Ángel Jiménez was asked what keeps driving him to still be competitive against the younger generation. “Win. Win. Win,” he said. “For me, just coming to play on the Tour just to get a salary, it’s better to go home. I want to win.” Thomas Bjørn, who won the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge at the age of 42, uttered similar words when he said, “I want to compete and play with the best. I have no interest in being a guy on tour who just makes a living”. The truth is that the men who are considered the veterans, namely those who remember playing in a time when “launch angle” was still

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SENIORS

largely a military term, are making a bit of a comeback in world golf. Access to better technology has certainly allowed the over-40 and even the over-50 brigade to be far more competitive than their younger brethren feel comfortable admitting. With his win in the Spanish Open this year, Jiménez became the first golfer over 50 with a European Tour victory. And the year before, Jiménez led the Open Championship by one shot going into the weekend at Muirfield. It seems entirely apt that we were bound for a year of victorious vets in world golf in 2014. And it showed itself so clearly at the Masters in April. Jiménez finished fourth at the Masters, only four strokes off the winning total posted by the big-hitting Bubba Watson. But perhaps more significant is that he went into the final round only two strokes off the lead. And it gets better. Bernhard Langer, then 56 years old, wrapped up his week at Augusta National Golf Club with a finish of tied eighth. Bjørn finished in the same position as he hoped to make good on his declaration – after winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge the previous December – that he felt

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this could push him to greater heights in 2014. And the soft-talking, smooth-swinging 54-year-old Fred Couples glided to a finish of tied 20th. But at one point during the week he was as close as only two shots off the lead. In fact, the over-50 brigade of Couples, Langer, Jiménez, Larry Mize, Sandy Lyle and Vijay Singh all made the cut at the Masters. The reason? Langer summed it up best when he told reporters at Augusta, “Experience matters. ” When ESPN pressed Langer on this point, he explained the following scenario: “I was hitting balls next to Rory McIlroy on the range. I hit a four iron onto the green on the range and he was next to me and I saw his ball land right where my four iron landed. And I said, ‘What club was that?’ And he said, ‘Six iron.’ So he’s hitting two clubs less. And then he hits his drive 30 metres past me. He’s got a 40-metre advantage on every hole. That’s huge.” But by the end of the week, Langer and McIlroy tied for eighth in the first Major of the year. You can buy technology. You can buy the best coach in the game. But the Masters this

Above: Miguel Ángel Jiménez tees off during the final round of the 2014 Masters Tournament.

Jiménez finished fourth at the Masters, only four strokes off the winning total posted by the big-hitting Bubba Watson. But perhaps more significant is that he went into the final round only two strokes off the lead.

SENIORS

Above: Jack Nicklaus acknowledges the crowd after winning the 1986 Masters at the age of 46. year proved you cannot buy experience. Tom Watson became the flag bearer for over-50 golfers the world over when, at the age of 59, he almost won the Open at Turnberry in 2009. Such has been the occurrence of the older champion on tour that NBC Sports locked

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their best statisticians in a room to trawl through decades of golf results. They came to the conclusion that only 8% of golfers have won Majors at the age 41 and over. By far the most prolific age for Major victories is the 31-35 age group. But while that’s what the stats may say,

you cannot help but think that, as the technology in the game improves and as golfers age better thanks to more dedicated fitness regimes, there will come a time when a golfer over the age of 50 wins a Major. After all, it’s not like they haven’t been knocking. Old Tom Morris was 46 when he won the Open in 1867, and he remains its oldest champion. Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he won the Masters in 1986. Julius Boros was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Hale Irwin was 45 when he won the 1991 US Open. Lee Trevino was 44 when he won the 1984 PGA Championship. Sam Snead was 52 when he was still winning tournaments on the PGA Tour. And Fred Funk was 50 when he won a regular tour event in 2007. Vijay Singh has definitely proved that age is just a number as the most prolific winner of regular tour events after the age of 40, with 22 wins on the PGA Tour. Even Langer, who has turned the Champions Tour into his own personal pension fund, believes that, much like the four-minute mile and some of the greatest barriers that have stood in sport, an over-50 Major winner will happen one day. “Somebody will win a Major over 50. There is no doubt in my mind,” he said at the Masters this year. Consider Langer coming within touching distance at this year’s Masters at the age of 56, and then think about a Tiger Woods not being at least as competitive at that age. Or would you even dare put money on Rory McIlroy not doing the same? If Gary Player can remain as fit as he is at the age of 79, how much more in shape will the younger golfers of today be when they reach that age, with a far better understanding of exercise and nutrition? Player predicted the rise of the modern professional as a more finely tuned athlete. As far back as 1991 he wrote, “In modern times there has been a complete rethink about physical fitness for golf… Physical fitness routines have extended the careers of senior players… If other sports have produced an ideal build, then golf itself will define its own ideal profile. Yet even the perfect specimen will still have to follow a punishing daily routine.” It seems only a matter of time before age becomes the next great barrier to fall in Major Championship golf.

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WOMEN’S GOLF

Lee-Anne Pace is all smiles after winning the Blue Bay LPGA in October.

THE PACE OF CHANGE

from Little to Lee-Anne WHILE IT MAY HAVE BEEN A RELATIVELY QUIET YEAR FOR SOUTH AFRICANS CAMPAIGNING ON INTERNATIONAL TOURS, LEE-ANNE PACE MADE THE WORLD SIT UP AND TAKE PROPER NOTICE WHEN SHE BECAME THE FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN TO WIN AN LPGA EVENT SINCE SALLY LITTLE. SHE IS, ONE COULD SAY, SETTING A NEW PACE…

or decades, Sally Little has been the queen of South African women’s professional golf, the only shining benchmark for success. A winner of 15 professional tournaments, including two Majors, Little was the obvious choice when invited to tee up as part of the festivities around what was then called the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City. Until recently, she was the only South African woman professional to have won on the LPGA Tour, the holder of the record to which every young South African golfer aspired. Then, with her victory in the Blue Bay

Championship this year, Lee-Anne Pace joined that exclusive club. Pace’s breakthrough victory in China came only a week after she won the Cell C SA Women’s Open at San Lameer Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal. Even after claiming her ninth victory on the Ladies European Tour, when she beat England’s Holly Clyburn in a play-off for the SA Women’s Open, Pace still didn’t think an LPGA title would come as soon as it did. “I started my career wanting to win as many tournaments as I could. After I’d won a few on the Ladies’ European Tour, the next natural

step was going to the LPGA, where it’s definitely more difficult and you’re playing against the best in the world every week. But you’re never quite ready for it when it happens. To win on the LPGA Tour this early has been a bit of a surprise. But now that it’s come, I’ve realised I can play against the best in the world, which is a very nice thing to know.” To find herself being spoken of in the same terms as Little is also somewhat overwhelming for Pace, whose skill with a golf club is surpassed only by her humility. “You know, I’m not really into all of that history and things, and my place in it. You

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“

People often ask me why I bloomed so late and I tell them it’s not really late. My career only started now because I only turned pro, like, yesterday.

“

know me, I’m not one of those people. But to be able to help SA golf and see the difference over the past year in terms of how much more interest there is in the game, the money being invested in it, and how many more girls are playing – then if I’ve had anything to do with that I’m very grateful. “I mean, we’ve got three of our golfers playing on the LPGA Tour and a whole lot on the Ladies’ European Tour. It’s massive. Hopefully we get a lot more superstars out there on the tours.” It’s been an incredible journey to this point for Pace. At the age of 12 she began caddying for her father, who used to pay her R20 per round. Pace excelled at most sports, including swimming, tennis and hockey. Her sporting prowess even extends to surfing. While playing in the Australian Ladies’ Masters in

IMAGE: JUSTIN KLUSENER

A week before her maiden LPGA Tour triumph, Pace won her first South African Women’s Open title at San Lameer CC.

Queensland a few years ago, Pace 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, having to be patient, and the core strength of it all is definitely similar,” he said. But it was golf that finally won her over. “I pretty much struck a jackpot with my choice of profession. I know how lucky I am to play golf for a living and I try not to take that for granted.” And despite being one of South Africa’s most successful female professionals since

We know Africa because we are African

WOMEN’S GOLF

Pace scored her debut LPGA Tour victory in China.

“

This win helps a lot with my Olympic ranking, and playing in the next Olympics is very high on my list of goals. I want to win a Major.

“

Little, Pace is still often overwhelmed by her own success. “People often ask me why I bloomed so late and I tell them it’s not really late. My career only started now because I only turned pro, like, yesterday. I’m glad I didn’t start any earlier, because golf is pretty slow, you know. I would have been bored.” As one of the stars of the Ladies’ European Tour, Pace had a breakthrough season in 2010, winning five times on the LET and becoming the first South African to win the tour’s Order

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of Merit that season. And then, in 2013, she added a further three titles on the Ladies’ European Tour. But, with the resurgence of women’s golf in her home country, Pace was desperate to match it with a victory in her national Open. It finally arrived at San Lameer Country Club this year. Pace closed with a strong back nine –including an eagle and birdies at two of her final three holes – to finish with a 67 and tied for the lead with Holly Clyburn on five under par. Then she birdied the par-four 18th, the second hole of a sudden-death play-off, to claim her ninth victory, but by far her most special. “I am so proud to be South African today,” said an emotional Pace. “I’m so happy that I could have won in front of such wonderful supporters.” To follow it up with her first LPGA Tour title made for a dream two weeks that have changed

her future plans significantly. “At the end of the year I’ll look at my schedule and revisit my goals for 2015. This win helps a lot with my Olympic ranking, and playing in the next Olympics is very high on my list of goals. I want to win a Major. But I have a lot of other non-golf goals as well, like a surfing holiday in Bali, backpacking in Vietnam, snow skiing, swimming with dolphins, white-water rafting, seeing the Grand Canyon, and fishing in Alaska.” There’s no doubt that life is going to change quite dramatically for this 33-year-old. But one thing, she says, will never change. “Am I going to live in America now? Are you crazy?” she asks, laughing at the idea of moving to that South African golfer’s province of Palm Beach in Florida. “I love SA way too much.” The feeling certainly is mutual.

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TRENDS

THE RISE AND RISE OF

HYBRIDS WHILE MOST SPORTS HAVE BECOME MORE CHALLENGING OVER TIME, GOLFERS HAVE ALWAYS SOUGHT WAYS TO SIMPLIFY THE GAME FOR THE WEEKEND AMATEUR. ARGUABLY THE GREATEST STRIDE FORWARD IN THIS REGARD HAS BEEN THE ADVENT OF THE HYBRID, NOW A REGULAR FEATURE IN MANY A PROFESSIONAL’S BAG.

hen the Scots invented golf, they must have been angry. Or wet and cold. Or angry, wet and cold – because there is no other sport created to be so impossibly difficult right from the start, and then left to generations thereafter to try make it easier. Most sports were fairly simple to begin with and have, over time, been made more complicated to keep them a challenge to the improving skills of those who play them. Swimming happened because mankind took running and said, “How can we make it harder?” Cycling happened because mankind said, “We do not look embarrassing enough in Speedos. So let’s make the Speedos bigger.”

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Cricketers looked at all the other sports and said, “Let’s play in all white and make our clothes even harder to wash than theirs.” And rugby came about just because their founders weren’t invited to any of the above meetings. But in the case of golf, it was pretty much game over from the start. We never stood a chance. As a result, so many landmark inventions or discoveries in human history have been followed with the question, “How can we use this to make golf easier?” Apart from the jungle tribesmen who’d known about it for some time, rubber and its uses were truly discovered in the late 1700s. By the middle 1800s we were making better

golf balls out of it. For goodness’ sake, there was still time for Dunlop and his men to put rubber to other more trivial uses such as the making of motorcar tyres, which they started doing in the late 1800s. And in 1744, when English astronomer James Bradley was trying to get his head around the fact that the earth has a small little wobble now and again that changes its angle with respect to the sun and alters the neighbourhoods of latitude as we know them, we were drawing up rules for this game of golf. After all, the earth can tilt off its entire axis for all anybody cares, but take relief from a difficult lie on the golf course when you’re not allowed to and your playing partner would be likely to take a tilt at you with his hickory club.

In the 1500s, the French thought it good to have a few soldiers for those odd occasions when you wanted to take over countries. They called them cadets, pronounced “caday”. But Mary Queen of Scots took one look at this and thought, “They’d be great for carrying a golf bag.” And then we started on a path of dramatic evolution in terms of our golf clubs. No game as tough as this will take you seriously if you’re swinging a piece of hickory at it. No, Sir. Are they sending men into space and landing on the moon? Then we want to know what their rocket ships are made of. Did somebody say “titanium”? The Olympic movement said “Faster. Higher. Stronger” as it sought to end warfare, poverty and famine, and have all men live in peace and understanding for the greater cause of humanity. And as golfers we said, “Yes! We’ll have some of that too… Golf clubs that we can swing faster. Golf clubs that make us hit the ball higher. Golf clubs that make even the weakest amongst us feel stronger.” This brought us, over the last decade or so, to arguably our greatest invention yet – the hybrid.

Of all the technological innovations in golf, hybrids must be one of the most positive in terms of how much more playable they’ve made the game for a greater segment of golfers. And it very seldom occurs that a technological advancement in golf has such a beneficial crossover effect for both professionals and recreational golfers. For example, a Titleist ProV1 golf ball

It’s their versatility that impresses most golfers – from good lies or bad ones, from the fairway to the rough. Hybrids are generally considered a great option for higher-handicap players, because they lack the swing speeds and skill of the professionals. Hybrids are also far more forgiving than long irons when it comes to mishits.

Of all the technological innovations in golf, hybrids must be one of the most positive in terms of how much more playable they have made the game for a greater segment of golfers. may be an incredible ball and many professionals will swear by this. But it’s not to say it’s the right ball for every recreational golfer out there. Yet, even at a professional level, the impact of hybrid golf clubs is evident in the fact that some professionals do not have an iron lower than a five in their bags. In short, hybrids are easier to hit, they launch the ball higher and so it naturally lands softer.

But there is a golden rule for how you should hit hybrids. While hybrid clubs are there to replace long irons, they should still be hit like irons and not like fairway woods. Coaching luminaries such as Hank Haney suggest your seven-iron swing as the yardstick for how to hit a hybrid. Hybrids have transformed the golf industry. That is, until brain surgery reveals how to remove the snap-hook segment of many a golfer’s brain.

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CLUB FITTING

IF THE CLUB FITS... IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE IN GAME IMPROVEMENT, DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING PROPERLY ‘FITTED’ FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT. NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE PARTNERS THE PRO SHOP HAVE TAKEN THE ART TO A NEW LEVEL, AS SUPERSPORT PRESENTER MATTHEW PEARCE FOUND OUT.

f you thought it was only through dipping into your pocket and investing in the latest in oversized driver heads, shaft materials and multi-layered ball technology that you could achieve the improvement in your game that you desire, think again. The club-fitting process that allows all professional golfers to work with their equipment manufacturers is now accessible to amateur golfers. This is due to the Master Fitting programme available through selected outlets of The Pro Shop. Having been through the process myself, I can recommend it highly – not only did it pre-empt a change in equipment but also a change in the way I thought about the game. I genuinely believe that the most value to be derived from a Master Fitting session is for a golfer who is reasonably consistent yet looking for a tangible improvement. So, what is the process? I pitched up at The Pro Shop to meet Master Fitter Clinton

Barnes, armed only with the clubs I had been using as my ‘weapons of choice’ for the past four years or so. Following back surgery a year ago, my swing has changed – shorter backswing, a little more protective and cautious on the follow-through. These factors have naturally affected my swing speed and angle of attack. My fitting process started with me moving through the bag from nine iron through to the longer clubs, hitting at least 10 shots per club while GC2 technology was used to measure, among other things, club speed, ball speed and spin rate as I pounded balls into the net. Taking into account your best five or six shots with each club, the technology and your fitter builds a profile. The aim, then, is to build consistent gaps between each club in terms of spin rate and carry, in my case a difference of 12m. And this is where the fitting process starts to add real value. Being a single-figure handicap,

I was managing to achieve a consistency of strike and fully believed the figures they were delivering on the GC2 system. The gaps between clubs from the nine to the five iron were wonderfully consistent and I was starting to think that, if nothing else, the process was going to give me a renewed confidence and belief over the ball. But then came the four iron… Having hit five or six as well as I believed I could, the statistics again didn’t lie. I had not been able to achieve the improvement in club head and ball speed that I had between the other clubs, the result being that the difference between a good five iron and a good four iron was only 4-5m as opposed to the 12m between the others. “Would you be happy to try some hybrids?” I was asked. What followed was a series of shots with a selection of hybrids, interchanging different heads and shafts until one combination delivered the incremental ball speed and distance between the other clubs.

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There was a similar issue between the three wood and driver, with the longest club in the bag not delivering nearly as much of a distance differential as it should. The reason? My relative inability to rotate with the longer clubs meant I was ‘forcing’ from the top to try and generate additional club-head speed. The solution? A slightly softer shaft and different driver head. Other tweaks that were made included slightly thicker grips and new wedges with slightly less bounce than the standard. This takes into account my angle of attack into the ball – and, as if by magic, the chipping action has become more consistent and a lot fewer ‘thin’ shots… Perfect! Another often-misunderstood element of clubs that is brought into focus by a fitting is the importance of the correct shaft. Be it steel or graphite, stiff or regular, the same club head will perform dramatically differently depending on its shaft. The GC2 technology is only available at The Pro Shop, while the Master Fitters (either PGA professionals or low handicaps with years of fitting experience) are all trained at the head quarters of the major golf brands.

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Another often-misunderstood element of clubs that is brought into focus by a fitting is the importance of the correct shaft. Be it steel or graphite, stiff or regular, the same club head will perform dramatically differently depending on its shaft.

Going into a fitting, it is important to be completely open-minded about brands. The fitters are not incentivised to promote one brand over another, so any bias towards a particular make will come from you and you alone. Their only objective is to get you as close as possible to the perfect set of clubs. Arguably the most important club in the bag, the putter, is also very important to assess, and the fitters will find the correct length, lie and face to suit your natural stroke. The technology will also provide feedback on the most suitable ball for your game, based on ball speed and spin-rate measurements, so by the time you leave, you will be armed with the best possible equipment through the bag. The best thing about the post-fitting process is that The Pro Shop’s 30-day guarantee on equipment holds strong. If you are not playing better golf within 30 days, return your fitted equipment for a full refund. Not something I will be doing, as I have seen the benefits, both in ball flight and on the scorecard. So go on, get fit(ted) for golf and you’ll be amazed at the results.

FESTIVE

GiFT Give the Gift of Golf Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t decide on a gift? Why not give a gift card! twitter.com/theproshop

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LEISURE

Give me

a good read THERE ARE PLENTY OF GREAT GOLF BOOKS TO KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON, AND WHO BETTER TO RECOMMEND ONE THAN THE MAN WHO HAS ACCUMULATED THE MOST IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF BOOKS OVER HIS WONDERFUL LIFE IN GOLF, DALE HAYES.

ale Hayes has one of the most extensive golf libraries in South Africa, including rare books such as Gholf Saam met die Boere, one of the few Afrikaans golf books ever written. And when you sit with him in his library, with rows and rows of books stretching to the ceiling behind him, asking him to pick his top five seems an impossible task. But Hayes has come up with a list that he feels represents the best of this game. “My top five are all very different from each other but they’re all by great writers,” he says. First on the list is The Bogey Man by George Plimpton. “Plimpton wrote many books by going into the world of professional sport as an amateur and chronicling the experience. In this one he joins the PGA Tour as a weekend golfer for a month and writes about his experiences playing with some of the best in the game. Often he’d also just sneak onto golf courses and play practice rounds with the top players. “He has a lovely way of writing. He’s written movie scripts so he’s a terrific writer. He wrote various books about doing the same in other professional sports. But this is really one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read.” Final Rounds by James Dodson is second on Hayes’ list, although he admits, “If I had to choose only one book, it would be this one.” “This is the true story of Dodson taking his father back to Britain, where he was stationed

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during the war, and playing golf with him there. His father was dying of cancer. It sounds like a sad book but he has a way of turning it into a very nice story.” And it was a book that inspired something similar in Hayes. “My father had just passed away. I finished the book and I said to my brother, ‘Come, you and I are going to Augusta to watch the Masters.’ And we had the most wonderful week, just having fun with each other. It was something we’d never done before and have never done since. But it was so special. That book put me onto Dodson as an author and I’ve read all of his books. He also wrote Arnold Palmer’s biography.” One of the great characters of South African golf himself, it’s no surprise that Hayes’ next book is about one of the greatest characters in the history of the game: Walter Hagen. “Growing up, I was always interested in the characters of golf – Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros and Walter Hagen. Hagen is my favourite golfer that I’ve never met, and The Walter Hagen Story, written by the man himself, is an incredible book. “When I first heard the stories about him, I was in awe. He was the first man to make a million dollars out of sport – but the

him going back to Britain and experiencing golf as it was meant to be played. He went to courses that hadn’t changed much over the years, and where they believe golf courses shouldn’t be watered but rather maintained by sheep and so on. You get a real sense of the origins of the game and an understanding that it is just a game – and one that is there for the enjoyment of people to socialise with each other. It’s not so much about who wins and who loses. It’s a test between you and the course, not between you and other people.” As a man with a sharp wit and great sense of humour, Hayes completes his list with a book by Dan Jenkins, one of the funniest writers in the game. “Jenkins must be the most prolific golf writer ever with everything he’s written about golf. He got his start in the ’50s. He worked on a newspaper in Fort Worth, the same town Ben Hogan came from. So he started in Hogan’s

“

footsteps. In Jenkins at the Majors, he goes through 60 years of watching all the Majors, and his thoughts on each one of them. It’s quite incredible that one person could have attended all of those great Majors. For anybody who likes to follow pro golf, this is a must.” As for one of the first golf books he ever read, Hayes says it was Go for Broke by Arnold Palmer. “I’d been a pro for just a few years when I read this. It was about Palmer’s usual aggressive style of play and going for every shot. So I was playing in the Rhodesian Open at Chapman Golf Club in Harare. I was doing well when I came to the 10th hole. My ball was behind a big tree, and I thought about Palmer’s book. I decided to go for it. I ended up making an eight and lost the tournament by one shot. That was the end of my ‘Go for Broke’, and also the last time I read golf books while playing in tournaments.”

You get a real sense of the origins of the game and an understanding that it is just a game – and one that is there for the enjoyment of people to socialise with each other.

“

only problem was that he spent two million. He had those wonderful sayings like ‘I never wanted to be a millionaire, I just wanted to live like one,’ and ‘Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and stop to smell the flowers along the way.’” But Hayes hadn’t realised Hagen had played golf with his father, Otway. “I must have missed it in the book. Then somebody pointed it out to me. Hagen writes in there that when he did a world tour in the ’30s, his first round of golf in South Africa he played with my father in Cape Town. My father was only about 16 years old. He also wrote about playing with Bobby Locke and tipping him to become a star. “Hagen tells the stories about not being allowed in the clubhouse at the Open Championship and changing in his car. And when he won they wanted to hand him the trophy in the clubhouse and he said, ‘No, you hand it to me where I’ve been the whole week, in the pub down the road.’ Golf professionals weren’t allowed in the clubhouses in those days, and Hagen changed this. Arnold Palmer spoke at a tribute dinner for Hagen, and started his speech by saying that if it hadn’t been for Hagen, he would’ve been making the speech in the caddie shack.” Hayes’ fourth favourite book of all time is To the Linksland by Michael Bamberger. “This is the first book of his I read. It’s about

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2 2011

2 2012

20 2013

2014

FITNESS

Lee-Anne Pace is all smiles after winning the 2014 Blue Bay LPGA.

MANY AMATEUR GOLFERS SUFFER LOWER-BACK PAIN, BUT LATELY IT HAS BEEN PREVALENT IN THE PROFESSIONAL GAME TOO. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT IT IS OFTEN ABUSE OF OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY THAT PUTS THE LOWER BACK UNDER EXCESSIVE STRAIN.

A PAIN IN THE...

BACK

t’s one of the most difficult and frustrating injuries a golfer can face, and it can wreak havoc on a swing and a career. We’ve all been told that the golf swing is not a natural movement for the spine, and a spate of back injuries in the professional game has highlighted this again. Retief Goosen has struggled over the past few years with a recurring back injury that eventually forced him to have surgery. Ernie Els has also had to work through a back injury in his career. It almost ended the career of Fred Couples. Richard Sterne suffered a back injury that put him out of the game for more than a year. Louis Oosthuizen is only now coming to grips with managing a back problem that often flares up when he travels long distances. “For the last year or so I’ve always had to change my swing to avoid pain. I have to be

careful and do the right work to keep everything in position. It’s just the way my body is at the moment. If I do the work it will get better. I can then get through the ball with my swing,” said Oosthuizen. It’s a scenario Garth Milne, a conditioning specialist who works with several of South Africa’s top young golfers, is all too familiar with. Milne believes there are several factors to consider before assigning the cause of the injury to an actual spinal problem. “Let me start by making a bold statement. The lower back is rarely the original cause of the pain,” he says. “It may be the current source of the pain, but it’s rarely the cause of the pain. More often than not, abnormal motions or restrictions coming from other areas of the body force the lumbar spine to do excessive work until it completely breaks down itself.

“So the lumbar spine is usually the area that is being overworked unnecessarily, doing a job it is not designed to do. This forces it to the point of injury. It is basically the overused and overabused part of the body that just goes and goes until it breaks down.” Milne has treated his fair share of such injuries over the years. “In my experience, the lack of mobility seen in the ankles, hips, thoracic spine and shoulders of many golfers forces the lower back to carry all of these excessive loads and is the primary cause for most back injuries. So any player suffering from lower-back pain should first focus on improving their mobility in those areas as this is often the culprit.” Milne believes there are several reasons professional golfers experience back injuries – and some of them at surprisingly young ages. “Many people are blaming the increased workout regimen for the high incidence of

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lower-back pain in professional golf. For me, there are three other reasons for this. Firstly, there is no off-season long enough for golfers to truly recover and condition their bodies away from golf to withstand the demands placed on a professional athlete. “The second reason goes hand in hand with the first, in that golfers are forced to generate extreme amounts of power due to the modern golf swing required to play the extremely long golf courses they’re faced with on a weekly basis. Shot Link has shown that players who hit it long have consistently better performances on the money list. “Finally, the early specialisation where juniors are forced into focusing on golf alone does not allow them to develop their overall athleticism during their adolescent growth phase. “Parents need to support their child’s physical development by encouraging them to play a multitude of sports up to the age of 15. Then they can specialise in their chosen sport. I recommend you play other sports that require body rotation and striking a ball as these movements are easily transferable to golf.” The obvious question to ask is why, in this day of better-conditioned golfers and more scientific fitness programmes, so many

“

Parents need to support their child’s physical development by encouraging them to play a multitude of sports up to the age of 15. Then they can specialise in their chosen sport.

“

Garth Milne

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golfers are still struggling with back issues. But Milne argues that it’s precisely because of their improved fitness that many of these golfers are able to still perform at all. Tiger Woods took physical conditioning in the game to an entirely new level. And because of his physical prowess, he’s been able to play through injury a lot more than your average golfer would, and remains competitive in spite of several weaknesses in his body. “In my opinion, fitness is what is actually keeping these players on the golf course.

Above: Fred Couples walks in pain after hurting his back on the 10th hole during the Wachovia Championship in 2003. So anyone suffering from lower-back pain needs to get themselves assessed as to whether it is a mobility issue or perhaps just a weakness. As we know, men are usually inflexible. They need to engage in a programme to improve this element of their game. I’m a big fan of Pilates for golf, as it teaches good postural tone along with optimal movement patterns.”

TOP EARNERS

Show me the money!

WHILE WE ALL MARVEL AT THE SUMS OF MONEY AT STAKE IN PROFESSIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENTS, IT IS OFF THE COURSE WHERE SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PLAYERS HAVE REALLY MADE THEIR MARK FINANCIALLY.

e recently claimed third place on the Golf Digest 50 money list, despite the fact that he last won a tournament 40 years ago. No wonder they call Arnold Palmer “The King”. Such is the nature of this game that a player’s earnings on the course are often hardly anywhere near what he’s making off it. As exorbitant as the prize money in golf is these days, what with lucrative limited-field events such as the Nedbank Golf Challenge and $10-million payouts in the FedEx Cup, the real money is being made outside the ropes. The five international tours – the PGA Tour, European Tour, Sunshine Tour, Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia – all add up to a pretty decent bank balance during a player’s season. But off the course players have started to diversify a whole lot more to increase their earning potential. Beyond traditional endorsements from sponsor’s logos and so on, avenues that have been exploited include golf-course design, wine farms and labels, publishing, clothing, corporate engagements, appearance fees and,

in the case of a man like Greg Norman, even beef and grass. A professional golfer’s earnings have become so diverse that Norman still considers it a compliment that a Coast Guard official once stepped aboard his boat for a routine inspection and asked, “Hey, are you Greg Norman, the wine guy?” Norman’s appetite for business remains as voracious as you’d expect from the Great White Shark. His ventures include the Greg Norman Turf Company, the Greg Norman Collection (golf-inspired sportswear), Greg Norman Wine Estates, Greg Norman’s Australian Grille (a restaurant), Greg Norman Australian Prime (beef production) and the Greg Norman Production Company (event management and sports marketing). In 2013, according to Golf Digest, Norman made not a single dollar on the golf course. But off it he raked in $14-million. It’s a similar tale for Gary Player, who still ranks as the highest

earning South African golfer with a brand that appears to be timeless. Golf-course design makes up a huge element of this, enhanced by everything from clothing and books to rooibos tea and jewellery, and a series of limited-edition wines celebrating his Major triumphs. That’s how the Grand Slam champion made $16-million in 2013 to place him seventh on the list of golf’s top earners that year. In fact, an indication of just how powerful a good brand in golf can be is the fact that two of the top five on the Golf Digest list no longer even play the game. One is Palmer, who is said to be making more money each year than even he knows of, and the other is Jack Nicklaus. At number four, Nicklaus is estimated to have earned $26-million off the course in 2013. Make no mistake, there’s still big Top left: Phil Mickelson makes about $40-million annually. Left: A major contribitution to Ernie’s $12,5-million off-course earnings in 2012.

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TOP EARNERS

money to be made inside the ropes. Henrik Stenson, after losing most of his career fortune through some investments that went sour, promptly earned it all back – and then some – with a stellar year in 2013, when he won several times and established himself as easily the best golfer on the planet that year. He crowned it with a massive payday by finishing first on the FedEx Cup standings and the Race to Dubai. That year alone he made more than $18-million on the golf course, and only $2.8-million off it. But you can bet the latter will now be significantly more. Sitting at second on the list, Phil Mickelson appears destined to follow in the footsteps of Palmer and Nicklaus as a multimillion-dollar earner for years to come. He has that same off-course ability, matched by an equal talent to remain competitive on it as well.

The Golf Digest

TOP

EARNERS Golf Digest magazine annually calculates the richest 50 golfers in the world. On-course income for the 2013 list included money earned on the PGA Tour and five other international tours (Japan, European, Australasian, Sunshine, Asian) and Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and Japan LPGA. It also includes unofficial money won in non-tour events. Off-course income includes estimates of all money earned from endorsements, bonuses, appearance fees, corporate outings, speaking engagements, licensing fees (video games, trading cards, etc.), course architecture, books, instructional videos and businesses that capitalise on a person’s status as a player, such as product lines including clothing, wine and turfgrass. Investment income is not included.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

On the course, Mickelson has made more than $70-million throughout his career. Off it, he makes easily more than $40-million annually. This includes smart investments in start-ups such as eBay, as well as deals with Callaway, Barclays, KPMG, ExxonMobil, Rolex and Amgen/Pfizer. For goodness’ sake, even when he gets ill Mickelson earns. When he was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010, he ended up being endorsed by the drug he took to treat this. But the man they’re all chasing has a brand so powerful it launched an entire golf division for his sponsor, Nike. A bumpy year on the golf course in 2013 earned him about $12-million in prize money. But off the fairways, Tiger Woods made more than $71-million last year. Rory McIlroy is doing his best to close in on this with his $18-million in off-course earnings in 2013.

It’s also a healthy target for the likes of Ernie Els to try match, with his estimated $12.5-million in off-course earnings last year. And as the next top-ranked South African on the rich list at number 39, Charl Schwartzel also has some way to go with his just over $2.7 million in off-course earnings last year. But there’s always a bigger fish in the cash pond. And as much as golfers earn these days, it’s a drop in the ocean compared with what the likes of Mexican businessman Carlos Slim is taking home. With a fortune estimated at $80-billion, it’s been calculated that if Slim were to spend $1-million a day, it would take him 220 years to work through that pile of cash. The man is making a comfortable $11.6-million a day… perhaps best not to have a bet with him on the golf course!

Tiger Woods

2013 RANK 1

ON COURSE: $12,091,508 OFF COURSE: $71,000,000

TOTAL: $83,091,508

Phil Mickelson

2013 RANK 2

ON COURSE: $7,009,156 OFF COURSE: $45,000,000

TOTAL: $52,009,156

Arnold Palmer

2013 RANK 3

ON COURSE: — OFF COURSE: $40,000,000

TOTAL: $40,000,000

Jack Nicklaus

2013 RANK 4

ON COURSE: $9,625 OFF COURSE: $26,000,000

TOTAL: $26,009,625

Henrik Stenson

2013 RANK NR

ON COURSE: $18,594,670 OFF COURSE: $2,850,000

TOTAL: $21,444,670

Rory McIlroy

2013 RANK 5

ON COURSE: $2,608,789 OFF COURSE: $18,000,000

TOTAL: $20,608,789

Gary Player

2013 RANK 10

ON COURSE: $9,625 OFF COURSE: $16,000,000

TOTAL: $16,009,625

Adam Scott

2013 RANK 19

ON COURSE: $8,048,068 OFF COURSE: $7,600,000

TOTAL: $15,648,068

Ernie Els

2013 RANK 6

ON COURSE: $2,189,536 OFF COURSE: $12,500,000

TOTAL: $14,689,536

Greg Norman

2013 RANK 8

ON COURSE: — OFF COURSE: $14,000,000

TOTAL: $14,000,000

Sergio García

2013 RANK 12

ON COURSE: $3,411,237 OFF COURSE: $8,500,000

TOTAL: $11,911,237

Justin Rose

2013 RANK 13

ON COURSE: $6,253,672 OFF COURSE: $5,500,000

TOTAL: $11,753,672

Matt Kuchar

2013 RANK 25

ON COURSE: $7,053,225 OFF COURSE: $3,750,000

TOTAL: $10,803,225

Luke Donald

2013 RANK 9

ON COURSE: $2,926,655 OFF COURSE: $7,000,000

TOTAL: $9,926,655

Steve Stricker

2013 RANK 34

ON COURSE: $6,590,532 OFF COURSE: $3,000,000

TOTAL: $9,590,532

Graeme McDowell

2013 RANK 17

ON COURSE: $4,515,205 OFF COURSE: $5,000,000

TOTAL: $9,515,205

Lee Westwood

2013 RANK 11

ON COURSE: $2,889,087 OFF COURSE: $6,500,000

TOTAL: $9,389,087

Jordan Spieth

2013 RANK NR

ON COURSE: $4,669,820 OFF COURSE: $4,500,000

TOTAL: $9,169,820

Dustin Johnson

2013 RANK 20

ON COURSE: $4,643,214 OFF COURSE: $4,500,000

TOTAL: $9,143,214

Jim Furyk

2013 RANK 16

ON COURSE: $3,474,779 OFF COURSE: $5,250,000

TOTAL: $8,724,779

* 40280/E

C S I I N I T I AT I V E S

A FUTURE

Left: Making things happen for SAGDB development golf: (from left to right) Emile Bester (Regional Sales Manager), Sandy Pelser (Area Manager from East London), Grant Hepburn (Managing Director SAGDB), Milly Zim (SAGDB Coach Border Region), Zethu Myeki (SAGDB Development Golfer) and Lindelani Nomganga (SAGDB Development Golfer).

BEYOND THE

FAIRWAYS

SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND SOUTH AFRICAN DISABLED GOLF ASSOCIATION SUPPORTED BY THE SPORTS TRUST.

PHOTOGRAPHS: MIKE TIPPETT

t’s about making world-class golfers. It’s about finding the next Ernie Els or Tiger Woods. And if the excellent work of The Sports Trust and its partners such as Nedbank and Sun International, as well as the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) and the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA), is anything to go by, it’s well on track. But it’s also about what golf can do to change a person’s life. It’s about the coaches who work in townships such as Alexandra, where families are living on less than R2 000 a month. “When I want to get kids to the driving range, I make sure there is food there,” says SAGDB coach Obed Matlou, who deals with children who know nothing about swing planes and putting techniques, and everything about going to bed hungry. That’s when a golf coach becomes so much more – they fulfil the roles of mentor and parent to these children, and sometimes simply that of somebody who would feed them that day. And that’s often the true value of the money

raised by events such as The Sports Trust Challenge, which is played the day after the Nedbank Golf Challenge and has raised R19-million for golf development since 1999. The SAGDB this year benefitted from a R450 000 donation, while SADGA received R250 000. “Over the past few years The Sports Trust has made an incredible difference by providing our players with kit and equipment,” says SAGDB Managing Director Grant Hepburn. “It’s easy to underestimate how important this is, but only if our players have the right golf clubs and feel confident in themselves are they truly able to compete on a level playing field with their more fortunate peers.” Yet for Hepburn this support stretches beyond just the development of children as golfers. “The coaching kits our coaches take into the communities where they work include rugby, tennis and hockey balls, skipping ropes, hula hoops, cricket bats and all sorts of sports equipment,” he says.

Above: SADGA coach, Edwin Meyer, helping Raemonde Lessing from Astra School for the disabled in Montana, Cape Town. “At one station the kids will pass a rugby ball, at the other they’ll hit a tennis ball with a cricket bat, then they’ll dribble a hockey ball with a hockey stick. And then, finally, there will be a station where they chip a golf ball through a hoop, or putt a golf ball or hit a seven iron. “The aim is to teach them overall skills such as jumping, hopping, balance, hand-eye coordination and so on. These are skills you need in golf but that you won’t get if you focus on golf only. The benefit for the children is a more rounded background in terms of movement and skills, rather than just a golf-specific focus.” There’s been a great deal of golf success coming through the SAGDB’s ranks over the years. Tristan Gallant won the 2013 Nomads South African Under-13 Championship at the Fish River Sun Country Club last year – at the age of 11. “Tristan comes directly out of our programme. He won that event with scores of two-over, level and two-under to finish at level par for the tournament. That is great scoring for an 11-year-old on a championship course such as Fish River,” says Hepburn. Two Soweto golfers who came through the SAGDB ranks, Sipho Bujela and Musiwalo Nethunzwi, are both now professionals on the Sunshine Tour.

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SADGA is also a major beneficiary, with the funds going to the growth of its First Swing Program (FSP) and the development of players such as Ignation Douries. Thanks to this, SADGA was able to provide the 15-year-old golfer from Citrusdal with a new set of clubs, which meant he no longer needed the second-hand ladies’ set he’d been using. He’s gone on to play in two Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Opens. The highlight at these events for him? “Flying in a helicopter and staying in a hotel for the first time.” “The gift of hope is the most precious gift adults can give children. The Sports Trust has given hope and invaluable exposure to so many disabled children,” says Eugene Vorster, the CEO of SADGA, who has seen how kids’ involvement in SADGA’s programme has even improved their marks at school. Charles Williams is a deaf golfer who, through his own success in the programme, has become a role model for others. Golf has given 17-year-old Lucretia Geduld a world beyond what she ever dreamt possible. This shy Afrikaans girl speaks of how it’s helped her with muscle strength, how it’s taught her to approach people and be confident around them, and stay positive about her life to the extent that she wants to focus on a career as a social worker.

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Leechandre Cook is 13 years old, disabled, and was shy to the point of shutting herself off from the world. Through her involvement with SADGA, she is now thinking of becoming a lawyer. A similar message was echoed by Boitumelo Motsepe, a 17-year-old learner from Realogile High School in Alexandra who attended one of the SAGDB clinics. “Golf brings a lot of unity in people. You meet a lot of people and discover things about yourself. Golf teaches you who you are,” she says. That’s why the support of The Sports Trust and the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and partners such as Nedbank and Sun International, is about far more than just golf development. Anita Mathews, Executive Director of The Sports Trust, says, “We have witnessed how golf has changed the lives of these children through their drive and determination to succeed. It has empowered them to live healthier and disciplined lives, which enables us to reward them for their great efforts and achievements. We thank Nedbank and Sun International, our valued trustees, for their continued commitment to ‘Enhancing Education through Sport’.” And it’s a sentiment echoed by Sun International. “The ongoing success of the Nedbank Golf Challenge is closely aligned to the commitment of Sun International and Sun City to hosting an event that ensures financial, social and ecological sustainability. As a founding trustee of The Sports Trust, along with Nedbank, we are proud to continue making a contribution to sports development throughout South Africa. This is the true success of the Nedbank Golf

“

The gift of hope is the most precious gift adults can give children. The Sports Trust has given hope and invaluable exposure to so many disabled children. Eugene Vorster, CEO of SADGA

“

Above: (back from left) Raylen De Wee, Ignation Douries (Western Cape Sports School, Kuilsriver), Craig Smith (Branch Manager: Nedbank Viking Park), Anton Paterson, (Regional Manager: Nedbank), Eugene Vorster, (CEO of SADGA), Tutu Skosana (Projects Coordinator, The Sports Trust); (front) students from the Astra School for the disabled.

Left: (from left) Lady Development golfers Yolanda Duma, Demi Flanagan, Siviwe Duma, Zethu Myeki and Millie Zim (SAGDB Border coach). Three of these ladies are from West Bank where they benefitted from the sports trust golf development donation.

Challenge, namely its ability to make an impact beyond just the actual tournament,” says Alastair Roper, Sun International Tournament Director for the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Furthermore, Maseda Ratshikuni, Head of Cause Marketing at Nedbank, says: “Nedbank is highly involved in the communities we serve. We partner with various stakeholders to ensure that we empower current and future sportsmen and woman as well as their communities with the resources they need to make their sporting dreams happen. Clients who are part of the Nedbank Sports Affinity programme are able to contribute to sports development at no cost to them through using their Nedbank Sport Affinity accounts.” And that’s when these children are given something far greater than a straight ball flight.

Photography by Emkay Studio

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MEMORABILIA

GIFTS THAT KEEP GIVING ONE OF THE GREAT TRADITIONS OF THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE IS THE PRESENTATION OF A SPECIALLY CREATED GIFT TO THE PLAYERS AS A REMINDER OF THEIR VISIT TO AFRICA. SCULPTOR DONALD GREIG HAS BEEN TASKED WITH PREPARING SOME OF THESE UNIQUE ITEMS.

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t was 23 years ago when Africa’s most magnificent elephant captured the imagination of Donald Greig and sparked the career of one of the world’s most pre-eminent wildlife sculptors of our time. “The first sculpture I ever did was a smaller wax version of the bronze of the great elephant Shawu that stands at The Palace of the Lost City,” says Greig, who hails from a long and proud lineage of jewellers. In 1894, Charles Greig left Aberdeen for South Africa. Five years later he opened the doors to his jewellery store, dealing in clocks and watches, in the developing mining town of Johannesburg. His grandsons today run the family business to the same high standards, with stores in some

of the most exclusive outlets in South Africa, from Sandton City to the V&A Waterfront, and at one time at The Palace of the Lost City. Donald Greig added his magnificent sculpturing talent to this family legacy when he went to study in Florence at the Lorenzo de Medici School of Art and worked at some of the most famous foundries in Italy to gain experience in the art of bronze casting. Having started his career at Sun City, it is only right that Greig has spent the past few years sculpting the magnificent bronze animal gifts the players receive every year during the Nedbank Golf Challenge. “It’s been quite an honour for me to do these sculptures for Sun International, and it’s something I really love doing,” Greig says. “In the past I have done the Big Five and then meerkats, warthogs and hippos. But this year we decided to do something different.” This year the 30 players in the field will each be presented with a bronze sculpture of a lioness stalking her prey. “One of the animals we’ve never done is a lioness, which a lot of people feel Right: Valli Moosa (left) presents 2013 defending champion Martin Kaymer with his bronze statue. Pictured here with Fanie Cilliers.

is more beautiful than a male lion. She has such beautiful lines, and we’ve captured her in a powerful stalking mode,” says Greig. To craft such memorable pieces, Greig has spent countless hours in the African bush studying wildlife. “I live in Cape Town and we have our own foundry there where people can watch us making the bronze castings and so on. But about two or three times a year I visit the bush, where I spend a lot of time absorbing wildlife and studying the animals. I’m not there just spotting a lovely bird or the Big Five – I’m watching the behaviour and anatomy of the animals, so that when I’m sculpting a piece I can bring that through.” Greig says he didn’t have a particular subject on which he modelled the players’ gifts for this year. But he does recall a moment with a lioness that inspired him. “I have some wonderful footage of lionesses, but a lot of the inspiration for this piece came from a sighting three years ago. It was a lioness stalking along the side of the road, with long grass lining the road. The impala she was stalking on the other side couldn’t see her

because of the long grass, but we had a perfect view of her from the road. To watch her movement and muscles was one of my more memorable experiences in the bush.” The players’ gifts are presented to them on the evening of the Boma Braai, with the defending champion receiving his one at the function and replying on behalf of the players. Nedbank Golf Challenge Tournament Director, Alastair Roper, says it remains one of the highlights of the event. “Each player is presented with a bronze sculpture of an animal specially commissioned for that year. A player such as Ernie Els, who has played in so many of our tournaments, has a whole zoo of animals.” And Greig says he is always appreciative of the thanks he receives from the players. “You know, these players already have so much and they get so many gifts and unique trophies from around the world. But I think what they appreciate about the Nedbank Golf Challenge gift is that this is a work of art and it’s something they can really treasure. I’ve had some really good comments from the players over the years, for which I am grateful.”

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HOLE BY HOLE

128 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

A GUIDED TOUR 30 OF THE WORLD’S FINEST GOLFERS WILL BE COMPETING FOR TOP SPOT ON ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST CHALLENGING COURSES

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HOLE BY HOLE

1st

DISTANCE 403m PAR 4 STROKE 7

Most will hit a club from the tee that takes the fairway bunkers out of play. Players will be left with a mid- to short iron to a green that slopes sharply from back to front and with some potentially wicked pin placements. Distance control with the approach is vital to ensure a reasonably flat putt.

2nd

DISTANCE 520m PAR 5 STROKE 13

The first of four par-fives, all of which are genuine scoring opportunities. A fairway bunker right in driver territory and a sharp left-to-right camber on the fairway make the tee shot tough, but everyone will take a chance with the driver here to create the chance of reaching the green in two shots.

3rd

DISTANCE 411m PAR 4 STROKE 3

The tee shot on this par-four is vital. A driver can leave a nine-iron or wedge into the green but the risks are high, with bunkers on the right of the fairway and bush on the left. The prudent play is a three-wood or less, which leaves a medium iron to a raised, well-bunkered and viciously sloping green.

130 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

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HOLE BY HOLE

4th

DISTANCE 195m PAR 3 STROKE 9

The number of tee positions and depth of the green allow for a distinctly different shot requirement on all four days. Few are tempted by the traditional front-right pin position over the water on Sunday, while anywhere above the hole on this green leaves a lightning-fast putt.

5th

DISTANCE 449m PAR 4 STROKE 11

Most will hit a three-wood off this tee to take a deep fairway bunker out of reach, which then leaves a medium- to long iron into a green that was designed to accept short-iron shots. If the pin is in a corner of the green, then the prudent play is to aim for the middle of the green and be happy with a two-putt par.

6th

DISTANCE 388m PAR 4 STROKE 15

A short but potentially dangerous par-four where the biggest threat lies in the tee shot, with a fairway bunker up the right and thick rough down the left. The green is well bunkered and is also protected by thick rough immediately in front of the green.

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HOLE BY HOLE

7th

DISTANCE 206m PAR 3 STROKE 17

The green has two distinct portions separated by a ridge, and to get the tee shot all the way to a back-left pin position requires a long iron even for the long hitters. Although a front-right placement looks more inviting from the tee, it brings more bunkering on the right into play.

8th

DISTANCE 450m PAR 4 STROKE 1

A ditch running through the fairway rules the driver out off the tee, so almost everyone will be hitting a three-wood here. Once the fairway has been found, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still plenty to do, with an approach that is uphill all the way to a green on which the pin can be tucked away. Frequently ranked the most difficult hole.

9th

DISTANCE 545m PAR 5 STROKE 5

The most popular spot for spectators, the ninth green and surrounds provide one of the great amphitheatres in South African sport. On at least two of the four days, the island green will be in range in two shots, setting up the possibility of two-putt birdies and the odd eagleâ&#x20AC;Ś but some potentially big numbers as well.

134 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

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HOLE BY HOLE

10th

DISTANCE 500m PAR 5 STROKE 16

A second consecutive par-five that the players like to use to kickstart their back-nine charge. The green is comfortably the smallest target on the course, demanding absolute precision from more than 200 metres out if it is to be found in two, but you can expect to see a large number of up-and-down birdies here.

11th

DISTANCE 419m PAR 4 STROKE 10

A visually intimidating tee shot, as the hole takes a 90-degree dogleg from right to left and there is nothing but thick bush all the way up the left. The prudent play is to aim straight and be content with finding the fairway, even if it does mean a slightly longer approach.

12th DISTANCE 200m PAR 3 STROKE 14

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uphill all the way to the green on this short hole with a long, relatively narrow putting surface and some wicked slopes, especially near the back. The most important thing is to leave a putt from under the hole, as anything above will be difficult to stop.

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HOLE BY HOLE

13th

DISTANCE 406m PAR 4 STROKE 2

There’s a surreal feeling at this hole – being the furthest from the clubhouse, there are seldom many spectators. Four is always a good score as there is danger left and right off the tee, and a green full of slopes and subtleties. A back-right pin position is toughest, with a gaping bunker protecting the front.

14th DISTANCE 550m PAR 5 STROKE 8

The infamous ‘love grass’ strategically scattered throughout the massive bunker that surrounds the green creates doubt in going for the green in two. Even for those laying up, the approach has to be absolutely precise with the green no more than 10 paces deep in places. Considered a real birdie opportunity.

15th DISTANCE 431m PAR 4 STROKE 6

The real challenge lies in the tee shot: you need a miracle not to make bogey if you find the left-hand fairway bunker that is in the range of a three-wood off the tee. The bunker front right of the green is one of the deepest on the course, so to be shooting for a right-pin position, hitting the fairway off the tee is imperative.

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HOLE BY HOLE

16th DISTANCE 193m PAR 3 STROKE 18

The pressure of the home stretch can cause the odd wayward tee shot on the otherwise least intimidating of the four par-threes. The hole has the advantage of being versatile due to its variety of tee positions and the ridge running across the middle of the green to create two distinct tiers.

17th DISTANCE 437m PAR 4 STROKE 12

From the back tee it is a carry of more than 200 metres just to reach the fairway. The real risk, however, is with the approach shot: even with a good drive from the back tee, the players are left with a medium-iron shot to a green positioned in the famous Sun City lake, with a deep bunker to the right protecting against a bail-out.

18th DISTANCE 459m PAR 4 STROKE 4

Most players will opt for a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee to ensure the best possible position in the fairway; the further left in the fairway, the better on this 90-degree dogleg left. A pin position anywhere on the left is relatively accessible, but the traditional Sunday back right brings a gaping bunker into play and there is absolutely no margin for error with the approach.

Graphics: Courtesy Plus 4. (Contact Alan Hoffman at 082 254 0017 or email alan@plus4.co.za)

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COURSE LAYOUT

142 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

C O U R S E L AY O U T

SKYBOXES

1 FedEx 2 SunSales 3 Boschendal 4 Continental Outdoor Media 5 Vodacom 6 Deloitte 7 Sun City Hospitality 8 Telkom 9 Ricoh 10 KPMG

THE CHALLENGE CLUB FOR PUBLIC HOSPITALITY

HOSPITALITY

1 Nedbank Pavilion on the 9th 2 Transnet 3 Oasys ClubHouse 4 Nestlé 5 PriceWaterhouseCoopers 6 Broadlink 7 SuperSport 8 Old Mutual 9 Castle Lite 10 MVG Platinum 11 Nedbank Sky Lounge on 18th 12 MVG 19th Hole 13 Bidvest

EXPO CENTRE

ENTER THROUGH EXPO CENTRE INFORMATION PARCEL DROP-OFF

SUN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MERCHANDISING REFRESHMENTS

ON-COURSE FACILITIES PRACTICE GREEN MEDICAL EMERGENCIES PRACTICE RANGE

THE COURSE HOLE

METRES

PAR

403

520

411

195

449

388

206

450

545

500

419

200

406

550

431

193

437

459

7 162

TOTAL

VIP PARKING ON-COURSE LEADERBOARDS

ON-COURSE BIG SCREENS CELLPHONE HOT SPOTS

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY FOR SPECTATORS If the siren sounds, put down your umbrella and seek shelter immediately. ALSO AVOID THE FOLLOWING: • Grandstands • Telephone poles • Hilltops/high places • Metal or wire fences • Wearing metal-spiked golf shoes • Bodies of water • Open fields • Tall or isolated trees • Golf carts

SUNBET MERCHANDISING

SKYBOX SHUTTLE PICK-UP POINTS SPUR CASTLE LITE ENTERTAINMENT & COLD ZONE GRANDSTANDS WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY GRANDSTAND PUBLIC/DISABLED WC FACILITIES REFRESHMENT STATIONS WATER POINTS CROSSOVERS TENNIS COURT

ATMs: AT EXPO CENTRE, ADJACENT TO THE MERCHANDISING MARQUEE, THE SUN CITY HOTEL AND THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4 143

Sun City remains bold, new and always innovating from sky dining and special women’s events to dedicated kiddies’ programmes and a revamped casino, sun international is offering the whole family myriad ways to stay entertained

146 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

very year the Nedbank Golf Challenge aims to enhance the fan experience with several innovations around “Africa’s Major”. Over the decades there has been record prize money on offer to help attract the best in the game, as well as new broadcast techniques using drone technology, world-class entertainment with double acts of comedians and musicians in the hospitality village, fireworks displays and more. One of the new features at this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge will be a unique dining experience for golf fans and their families. Sky Dining will make its debut at the event, and promises an “unforgettable dining experience” in “the ultimate sports box with mesmerising views of Sun City”. From 2-7 December on the Cabanas’ lawns behind the 18th green, Sky Dining will be

hoisting 22 guests at a time more than 40m into the sky to enjoy the golf with a birds-eye view while enjoying delicious food and drinks. A team of professionals will cater to their every need, and it’s perfectly safe. Once all the guests are secured into their seats, the entire table and diners are lifted into the air. The Sky Dining options include breakfast, ribs and drinks, or dinner at a cost of R530 per person per lift, which can be booked through Computicket. Castle Lite also offers a new experience for the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge. The exclusive Extra Cold Zone will be limited to those who are deemed to be “Extra Cool”. People will be able to gain access by purchasing a Castle Lite and participating in an iPad game with the brand’s promoters, where they can win instant prizes and access into the exclusive area. Once inside the Extra Cold Zone, guests will

S U N I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Clockwise from left: The funky, trendy cocktail bar, Cherry, located just above the non-smoking casino; the sumptuous lounge area of the Royal Suite at The Palace; the proposed Sky Dining on offer at the event; there is plenty of game viewing to enjoy; kids will have a ball at Kamp Kwena, the designated children’s play area. be able to showcase their skills in the putt-putt area as well as in an interactive driving-range game, where the participant with the highest score will be rewarded with Extra Cold prizes and the official title of champion in this prestigious event. “We understand that our consumers have an increasingly diverse set of preferences and needs. This is the drive behind the innovation among our brands, namely to meet these changing consumer needs by bringing them new brands and experiences. Our commitment to providing fresh, cold, quality beers is unwavering, and Nedbank Golf Challenge fans will again have the opportunity to experience this,” said Antonio Rossetti, General Manager: National Group Accounts On-Premise Channel. The entertainment in the hospitality village this year will again be world-class. South Africa’s top comedians and musicians will join 30 of the world’s best golfers on a stage of their own. Every day from the Thursday to the Sunday of the tournament, four comedians will team up with four leading entertainers for a set of just under two hours’ world-class entertainment in the hospitality village, starting at 16:00 daily. For the second year running, comedian Chris Forrest will tee off the entertainment

on Thursday 4 December, followed by a performance by the acclaimed all-girl group BlackByrd. Friday sees comedian Joey Rasdien team up with the Classic Rock Project, while on Saturday the legendary Nik Rabinowitz and Mi Casa are in the spotlight. And on Sunday, David Kau and Kurt Darren will sign off the entertainment for the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge. And because Sun City and the Nedbank Golf Challenge pride themselves on providing something for everyone, the women of golf

have a special treat awaiting them this year. The Style Affair by Nedbank Golf Challenge will take place on 3 December. This forms part of Sun International’s commitment to women’s empowerment, and the vision to see every single woman who attends a Sun International event leave having been influenced positively by it. The Style Affair will be a lavish experience of beauty, fashion, drinks, food and style advice, and those who attend will enjoy all of these elements and are guaranteed to feel pampered, confident and empowered.

N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4 147

S U N I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Clockwise from top left: The dining room and patio area of the three-bedroom unit at the Vacation Club; there are myriad watersport options for everyone to enjoy at Waterworld; enjoy light meals, cocktails, cappuccinos and superior whiskies at Luma Bar and Lounge; the revamped casino offers more space, more sophisticated machines, more tables and faster customer service.

The event will be hosted at The Queen’s Quarter at The Palace of the Lost City, and will feature relaxing foot and hand/neck massages by Gatsby Spa, nail-polish application of the hottest summer colours by Morgan Taylor, a skin bar hosted by Dermalogica, a make-up or makeover session by Smash Box, leading hair stylists from Gary Rom Salon, leading fashion advice and tips from style coach Dom Wolf, a section where designer items from Suzaan Heyns could be purchased, and cocktails and champagne with canapés and music. There is also plenty on offer for the children. As 30 of the world’s leading professional golfers compete for one of the biggest prizes in world golf, Kamp Kwena Sun City, the resort’s popular children’s entertainment programme, will host a Kiddies Mini Golf Challenge on Saturday 6 December between 09h00 and 13h00. The challenge will take place at Waterworld’s renowned putt-putt course next to Kamp Kwena on the Cabanas’ lawns, and is open to all children between the ages of four and 12. The format of play will be 18 holes of putt-putt, with a registration fee of R95 per child. The young stars will compete in two age groups of four to eight years and nine to 12

148 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

years. And while millions of dollars are at stake for the grown-ups at the Gary Player Country Club, the kids will be battling it out for their own incredible prizes, including amazing hampers, a bit of pocket money and, of course, the overall title of the Kamp Kwena Kiddies Mini Golf Challenge champion. The overall winner will also receive a free two-night stay for a family of four at one of the Sun City hotels, as well as the Kamp Kwena Kiddies Mini Golf Challenge trophy. This is just one of the amazing activities Kamp Kwena will be hosting over the week of the Nedbank Golf Challenge to ensure there is something for the whole family at Sun City. For further information call Kamp Kwena on (014) 557 4136. Visitors to Sun City will also experience the revamped Sun City Casino. Africa’s legendary casino has undergone a major multimillionrand overhaul, with more than R50-million invested in refreshing and rejuvenating a casino that first opened in 1979. The extensive refurbishment has brought with it a greater choice of machines, more space and a better configuration allowing for a more comfortable gaming experience and better customer service.

The non-smoking gaming floor offers 323 slot machines, including Sun International’s exciting wide-area progressive jackpot machines, Duma and Sunstriker, and 10 tables, including Money Wheel. What’s more, in a first for Sun City, there will be a reward centre located next to the MVG centre. To improve drinks service on the floor, there will also be a walk-up bar and service bar in the middle of the casino. The upper centre core, which used to house a restaurant, has been reconfigured as an upmarket venue, the Cherry Bar. The entire area has a brand-new look and feel, including improved lighting and carpets. The casino revamp forms part of Sun City’s overall focus on being the ultimate “African experience”. The resort borders the game-rich and malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park, home to the Big Five, which can be spotted in a game vehicle or from a hot-air balloon. The resort offers myriad accommodation options, ranging from the opulent Palace of the Lost City to the five-star Cascades Hotel, the four-star Sun City Hotel and Casino, the three-star, family-friendly Cabanas Hotel, and the self-catering Vacation Club. There is a dazzling selection of restaurants, offering the full range from formal dining to casual fare, as well as new retail stores, take-away food outlets, nightclubs, bars, a cinema and various cafés. During the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge, there is definitely something to suit everyone.

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ON AND OFF THE COURSE FUN AT SUN CITY LAST YEAR

SCENES

4 1 South Africans pay homage to Madiba during Thomas Bjørn’s winning speech. 2 What a way to cool off. 3 The ninth green is a popular viewing point. 4 Liezl and Ernie Els with Ken and Dawn Brown. 5 The 10th fairway doubles as the practice tee.

5 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4 151

7 6 8 9

10 152 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

6 The highly anticipated beach party at the Valley of the Waves. 7 Merchandise sales soar during NGC week. 8 Rosalind and Charl Schwartzel. 9 Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer on live TV. 10 Defending champion Kaymer about to switch on the Christmas lights. 11 Everyone gets in on the action after dark.

13 12 “Ball please!” 13 Under an African sky. 14 Unfortunately for these folks, Ernie couldn’t win a fourth NGC title. 15 TV commentators Dave Usendorff (left) and Ken Brown with their wives. 16 All eyes on the guy in green… 17 The NGC is viewed in 85 countries.

16 17 154 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

ABI gives back sustainably Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI), the soft drink division of SA Breweries and Coca-Cola Southern Africa (Coca-Cola) bottler, boasts a proud history of good business practice and sustainable initiatives. “Business has to be done the right way,” says ABI's Sustainable Development Manager, Gaopaleloe Mothoagae. To this end ABI has been involved in a number of CSI initiatives, with its flagship projects focusing on education. These range from Early Childhood Development to Maths, Science and English tutoring for high school learners. Over the past three years ABI has introduced the third flagship project around schools' recycling.

The Schools’ Recycling Programme In line with ABI's long-term approach, educating future generations was regarded as vital. After all, who better to drive enthusiasm for and interest in recycling than the children of South Africa? The School's Recycling Programme centred on areas in ABI's four operating regions: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and parts of Free State. Critically, the programme goes beyond just recyclable collection but aims to instil a sense of responsibility within the 419 participating schools and communities. This is achieved by putting a tangible value on the recycling gathered. Mothoagae also explains that traditionally ABI has fielded numerous sponsorship requests from schools. “They wanted to improve their existing infrastructure; we wanted PET, paper, other plastics and cans

collected. We thought this was a good partnership,” she notes. “The children collect and their schools can earn an income from those collectables to fund their needs.” ABI offers a further incentive too, in the form of bi-monthly prizes to the value of R5 000, R3 000 and R2 000 for the top-performing schools in each area. Annually ABI hosts a School Recycling Awards Ceremony which recognises achievement across the four regions. The prizes range from R50 000 for the topperforming school, to annual school fees, uniforms and s t a t i o n e r y a n d re w a rd s f o r teachers and learners. The third annual school's recycling awards will be taking place in November 2014. “This is the highlight on our event calendar, when we see these extraordinary learners, teachers, facilitators and interns honoured for their efforts,” Mothoagae enthused.

ABI is the soft drink division of SAB (Pty) Ltd.

Schools' recycling is only one of the various initiatives that ABI has embarked on. In 2004, Coca-Cola teamed up with industry partners to form the PET Recycling Company (PETCO). Today 60 000 tons of PET a re c o l l e c t e d , re c y c l e d a n d converted into fibre, which can be used in clothing, bedding and furniture. Collection rates sit at 48% and provide some 41 000 income opportunities in the informal sector. The South African fibre market is however reaching saturation point, and a new use had to be found for PET. As a result, in 2011, ABI and Coca-Cola began investigating bottle-to-bottle recycling and the establishment of a plant for that

purpose. “This forms a key part of our strategy,” says Mothoagae, noting that the new MPact plant should begin producing bottles with recycled PET (rPET) by end2015. A key challenge for the project is that collections need to increase as does the quality of the bottles collected. This means separation at source before the bottles get into a bin and, ultimately, a landfill. “Bottles being collected come directly off rubbish dumps and landfill sites in most instances,” explains Mothoagae. This increases the cost and effort expended in cleaning these bottles.

So ABI set out to tackle the quality of the bottles collected by: · · ·

Increasing the level of consumer education about recycling and separation at source. Uplifting and improving the working conditions of grassroots collectors; the major contributors to PET recycling to ensure sustainability, profitability and increased collection rates. Partnering with our converter and supplier Mpact to produce PET bottles with recycled content.

ROLL OF HONOUR

ROLL OF HONOUR THERE HAVE BEEN 22 DIFFERENT WINNERS OF THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE FROM 12 COUNTRIES. WHO WILL LIFT THE CRYSTAL TROPHY ON SUNDAY? 2013 T Bjørn S García J Donaldson H Stenson B De Jonge C Schwartzel J Rose R Moore T Jaidee P Uihlein G Fdez-Castaño F Molinari D Fichardt R Sterne L Oosthuizen J Luiten M Kaymer DA Points L Donald V Dubuisson B Grace G Woodland M Manassero D Van der Walt D Lynn T Wiratchant MO Madsen K Streelman E Els P Senior

Sergio García, a two-time Nedbank Golf Challenge winner, congratulates Thomas Bjørn on his victory last year.

2012 67 66 67 69 70 68 73 71 69 70 67 76 71 73 74 74 71 71 68 73 75 74 72 77 73 71 76 75 75 80

70 73 66 67 68 70 67 65 70 69 72 70 68 73 69 68 66 67 71 72 71 73 74 72 71 76 71 71 71 68

66 66 67 69 69 71 69 67 66 70 72 69 69 71 67 75 74 70 74 71 69 75 72 73 75 70 68 77 77 75

65 65 70 67 66 66 67 73 72 70 69 74 74 66 73 69 75 78 74 72 73 68 72 69 74 76 78 72 77 81

268 270 270 272 273 275 276 276 277 279 280 282 282 283 283 286 286 286 287 288 288 290 290 291 293 293 293 295 300 304

€ 795 338 € 414 478 € 414 478 € 238 602 € 202 335 € 167 022 € 131 231 € 131 231 € 106 894 € 95 441 € 87 806 € 79 455 € 79 455 € 71 581 € 71 581 € 64 423 € 64 423 € 64 423 € 59 173 € 56 310 € 56 310 € 53 208 € 53 208 € 51 061 € 48 198 € 48 198 € 48 198 € 45 334 € 43 903 € 42 471

Thomas Bjørn

M Kaymer C Schwartzel B Haas L Oosthuizen L Westwood P Lawrie F Molinari C Pettersson P Hanson N Colsaerts J Rose G Mulroy

2009 72 72 70 71 71 71 72 72 72 70 73 75

69 71 73 72 73 69 71 75 73 78 79 73

70 70 71 69 70 75 78 74 73 74 69 75

69 69 71 74 73 74 69 69 73 71 74 74

280 282 285 286 287 289 290 290 291 293 295 297

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $330 000 $310 000 $300 000 $290 000 $280 000 $270 000 $260 000 $250 000

68 69 70 70 70 68 70 70 70 72 72 74

70 69 68 67 70 74 71 68 70 69 77 69

62 69 70 70 70 68 70 70 75 77 73 76

73 68 69 70 70 72 72 76 72 70 73 78

273 275 277 277 280 282 283 284 287 288 295 297

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $330 000 $310 000 $300 000 $290 000 $280 000 $270 000 $260 000 $250 000

68 73 72 69 71 67 70 66 72 70 71 71

64 67 70 69 68 68 70 72 70 72 67 73

71 68 70 71 71 73 73 72 68 72 73 72

68 71 68 71 73 75 72 75 76 72 76 74

271 279 280 280 283 283 285 285 286 286 287 290

$1 250 000 $660 000 $400 000 $400 000 $320 000 $320 000 $295 000 $295 000 $275 000 $275 000 $260 000 $250 000

2011 L Westwood R Karlsson J Dufner G McDowell KT Kim C Schwartzel L Donald M Kaymer S Dyson A Hansen F Molinari D Clarke

2010 L Westwood T Clark R Goosen M-A Jiménez E Els R Fisher R Allenby P Harrington A Hansen J Rose E Molinari L Oosthuizen

R Allenby 68 70 H Stenson 70 68 Allenby won after a play-off T Clark 69 72 R Fisher 73 69 R Goosen 69 68 A Cabrera 71 67 N Watney 73 73 L Donald 72 71 R Karlsson 70 72 H Mahan 70 71 R Sterne 72 75 R McIlroy Withdrawn

68 70

71 69

277 277

$1.2 million $600 000

68 66 67 68 63 68 71 72 70

69 70 75 75 73 72 71 73 75

278 278 279 281 282 283 284 286 292

$350 000 $350 000 $275 000 $260 000 $250 000 $240 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000

2008 H Stenson K Perry R Karlsson R Sabbatini S García L Westwood KJ Choi J Kingston J Rose T Immelman L Donald M-A Jiménez

63 73 72 68 72 70 72 72 73 72 72 75

71 70 68 70 70 72 67 77 73 73 74 76

65 68 67 72 72 70 73 70 72 69 71 73

68 65 72 70 70 72 74 67 72 77 75 69

267 276 279 280 284 284 286 286 290 291 292 293

$1.2 million $600 000 $400 000 $300 000 $267 500 $267 500 $245 000 $245 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000 $200 000

67 68 69 72 76 69 68 67 74 74 72 74

66 65 67 65 68 73 71 71 72 74 73 71

67 67 69 72 67 70 71 72 70 68 75 75

72 73 72 72 71 71 73 76 72 74 71 78

272 273 277 281 282 283 283 286 288 290 291 298

$1.2 million $600 000 $400 000 $300 000 $275 000 $255 000 $255 000 $240 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000 $200 000

2007 T Immelman J Rose E Els H Stenson R Sabbatini G Ogilvy L Donald A Scott N Fasth C Schwartzel S Cink R Goosen

N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4 157

ROLL OF HONOUR

2006 J Furyk H Stenson P Harrington E Els C Schwartzel R Goosen S García T Immelman C DiMarco D Howell J-M Olazábal C Montgomerie

68 67 69 72 70 70 72 71 74 69 71 75

66 71 71 67 69 70 76 69 75 73 73 77

68 71 65 70 71 71 68 73 66 73 69 70

74 69 75 72 72 75 71 74 73 76 79 76

276 278 280 281 282 286 287 287 288 291 292 298

$1.2 million $600 000 $400 000 $300 000 $275 000 $260 000 $245 000 $245 000 $230 000 $220 000 $210 000 $200 000

J Furyk 68 70 D Clarke 67 70 R Goosen 70 69 A Scott 72 69 Furyk won after a play-off L Donald 70 68 T Clark 70 72 C DiMarco 72 71 A Cabrera 71 64 E Els 72 70 K Perry 76 72 S García 74 70 S Cink 73 76

72 76 71 68

72 69 72 73

282 282 282 282

$1.2 million $433 000 $433 000 $433 000

75 67 72 74 73 75 74 78

70 75 73 80 75 68 74 71

283 284 288 289 290 291 292 298

$250 000 $225 000 $210 000 $195 000 $185 000 $175 000 $165 000 $155 000

71 74 69 76 74 74 70 72 70 78 75 76

71 72 74 66 69 70 71 71 74 72 72 74

69 71 74 72 74 72 80 75 78 72 72 78

281 287 287 288 288 291 291 292 293 297 299 303

$1.2 million $500 000 $500 000 $275 000 $275 000 $217 500 $217 500 $195 000 $185 000 $175 000 $165 000 $155 000

S García 68 66 R Goosen 70 67 García won after a play-off V Singh 65 72 D Clarke 66 71 J Kelly 67 67 K Perry 65 68 C DiMarco 66 71 A Scott 66 74 S Appleby 67 75 F Funk 71 71 J Haas 70 72 T Clark 68 71 P Harrington 72 70 R Allenby 66 78 S Leaney 68 72 C Howell III 73 67 E Els 72 75 N Price 69 75

70 68

70 69

274 274

$1.2 million $500 000

71 74 76 73 74 74 70 71 71 73 74 69 70 75 74 75

69 67 71 75 71 68 72 72 72 73 70 74 77 72 69 73

277 278 281 281 282 282 284 285 285 285 286 287 287 287 290 292

$400 000 $300 000 $200 000 $165 000 $145 000 $135 000 $130 000 $125 000 $120 000 $115 000 $100 000 $95 000 $90 000 $85 000 $80 000 $75 000

2005

2004 R Goosen E Els S Appleby J Furyk C DiMarco J Haas L Westwood T Hamilton N Price F Jacobson C Campbell S García

70 70 70 74 71 75 70 74 71 75 80 75

2003

158 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

Ernie Els with the third of his Nedbank Golf Challenge titles in 2002. 2002 E Els C Montgomerie C DiMarco R Goosen J Furyk S García N Price B Estes R Allenby D Clarke P Harrington M Campbell

70 74 68 68 69 70 71 73 70 72 72 71

65 69 68 72 71 73 70 69 71 67 70 71

69 65 72 70 72 70 73 72 74 71 69 69

63 67 70 71 69 70 70 71 70 75 77 78

267 275 278 281 281 283 284 285 285 285 288 289

$2 million $300 000 $250 000 $212 500 $212 500 $175 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000

1998

2001 S García 68 71 E Els 67 66 García won after a play-off B Langer 68 67 M Weir 68 67 L Westwood 69 65 P Harrington 70 72 N Price 68 71 T Bjorn 71 72 R Goosen 68 68 C Montgomerie 68 69 D Clarke 75 68 J Furyk 71 67

66 66

63 69

268 $2 million 268 $300 000

67 69 70 61 70 68 74 72 74 DQ

69 68 71 73 70 70 71 73 76

271 272 275 276 279 281 281 282 293

$250 000 $225 000 $200 000 $175 000 $160 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000

72 67

66 66

273 273

$1 million $250 000

68 72 66 70 74 71 72 71 70 73

69 68 73 71 67 66 64 68 69 70

274 276 276 280 280 281 282 284 284 285

$200 000 $150 000 $150 000 $105 000 $105 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

68 70 74 69 67 67 69 69 79 69 71 72

68 67 67 73 72 68 71 69 70 75 74 73

275 276 276 277 278 281 286 286 289 291 291 292

$1 million $225 000 $225 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $105 000 $105 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

68 66

274 274

$1 million $250 000

70 71 70 73 71 72 73 73 73 69

275 275 277 277 279 282 283 283 283 284

$187 500 $187 500 $137 500 $137 500 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

1997

2000 E Els 66 67 L Westwood 65 69 Els won after a play-off N Price 69 66 T Bjørn 70 65 J Huston 72 67 C Montgomerie 69 74 J-M Olazábal 65 75 S Appleby 70 70 M Campbell 72 68 C Franco 77 67 D Clarke 68 75 M-A Jiménez 75 69

67 68

68 66

268 $2 million 268 $350 000

67 65 64 64 67 71 70 69 73 70

67 69 71 69 70 69 70 68 68 74

269 269 274 276 277 280 280 281 284 288

$237 500 $237 500 $200 000 $175 000 $160 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000 $150 000

1999 E Els C Montgomerie D Clarke L Westwood J Furyk C Franco N Price J Huston S García J-M Olazábal M-A Jiménez P Lawrie

N Price 67 68 T Woods 72 68 Price won after a play-off J Leonard 69 68 M O’Meara 69 67 L Westwood 72 65 E Els 70 69 B Langer 69 70 J Parnevik 74 70 J Furyk 75 71 D Duval 72 73 C Montgomerie 71 74 T Watson 72 70

67 66 72 68 70 70 68 67 71 69 76 65

66 69 69 70 71 72 72 76 67 74 72 76

64 68 64 70 65 68 68 68 70 73 69 71

66 65 65 66 69 67 72 70 75 68 69 74

263 268 270 274 275 277 280 281 283 284 286 286

$1 million $250 000 $200 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $110 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

N Price E Els D Love III P Mickelson B Langer J Leonard C Montgomerie T Lehman J Parnevik M O’Meara N Faldo I Woosnam

71 69 68 67 69 74 78 74 70 76 73 74

68 70 67 68 70 72 68 74 70 71 73 73

1996 C Montgomerie 65 71 70 E Els 67 70 71 Montgomerie won after a play-off S Jones 67 71 67 N Price 71 76 66 S Stricker 68 70 69 I Woosnam 68 69 67 B Langer 69 70 69 M O’Meara 69 71 70 T Lehman 71 71 68 N Faldo 73 68 69 M Brooks 68 70 72 C Pavin 68 71 76

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ROLL OF HONOUR

1995 C Pavin N Price B Langer S Torrance T Lehman D Frost E Els N Faldo C Rocca V Singh C Montgomerie P Mickelson

69 71 72 69 71 74 72 72 76 75 79 73

72 67 69 73 70 76 72 78 75 72 76 77

69 72 71 70 73 71 69 69 67 74 71 72

66 71 71 72 73 68 78 72 73 72 71 76

276 281 283 284 287 289 291 291 291 293 297 298

$1 million $250 000 $200 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $103 330 $103 330 $103 330 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

66 71 68 73 68 71 76 72 71 72 72 80

64 66 70 67 69 69 71 69 70 70 71 73

73 70 67 71 74 70 68 68 72 74 72 76

69 68 72 66 68 69 66 73 70 72 73 78

272 275 277 277 279 279 281 282 283 288 288 307

$1 million $250 000 $187 500 $187 500 $137 500 $137 500 $110 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

67 71 72 72 67 71 76 71 74 76 75 76

66 70 69 70 73 70 69 70 71 73 75 78

66 68 70 72 72 71 69 73 70 75 72 80

65 67 68 66 69 73 73 74 75 71 73 75

264 276 279 280 281 285 287 288 290 295 295 309

$1 million $250 000 $200 000 $175 000 $150 000 $125 000 $110 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000 $100 000

70 73 74 70 73 72 75 74 72 69

69 68 70 69 69 73 73 75 67 72

68 70 73 77 74 73 75 76 DQ DQ

69 69 67 68 70 74 73 72

276 280 284 284 286 292 296 297

$1 million $300 000 $225 000 $225 000 $150 000 $140 000 $130 000 $120 000

68 72 66 72 71 74 73 72 67 72

65 67 71 69 71 70 68 73 74 75

67 71 71 68 74 68 78 72 79 77

72 67 74 76 71 75 74 77 78 76

272 277 282 285 287 287 293 294 298 300

$1 million $300 000 $250 000 $200 000 $145 000 $145 000 $130 000 $120 000 $110 000 $100 000

1994 N Faldo N Price E Els D Frost B Langer T Lehman S Ballesteros M McNulty C Pavin H Irwin C Montgomerie V Singh

1993 N Price M McNulty B Langer F Allem N Faldo C Pavin E Els D Frost M O’Meara L Janzen P Stewart I Woosnam

1992 D Frost J Cook F Couples E Els B Langer J-M Olazábal I Woosnam C Parry N Price N Faldo

1991 B Langer M Calcavecchia M McNulty N Faldo F Couples J Bland I Woosnam J Daly S Elkington D Frost

160 N E D B A N K G O L F C H A L L E N G E 2 0 1 4

Nick Price won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. 1985 1990 D Frost J-M Olazábal B Langer S Elkington F Allem R Gamez K Green S Lyle T Armour III T Simpson

71 73 69 77 73 79 75 80 81 75

71 70 74 68 72 76 72 67 71 74

71 73 70 68 74 69 70 74 71 73

71 69 75 75 71 69 76 76 77 81

284 285 288 288 290 293 297 297 300 303

$1 million $300 000 $225 000 $225 000 $150 000 $135 000 $135 000 $120 000 $110 000 $100 000

1989 D Frost S Hoch T Simpson D Pooley C Beck A Bean S Lyle F Allem S Simpson K Green

67 67 67 73 72 81 75 76 72 72

66 72 69 71 70 74 73 75 75 77

75 71 72 76 76 71 76 70 80 75

68 69 72 71 76 69 74 78 74 77

276 279 280 291 294 295 298 299 301 301

$1 million $300 000 $250 000 $200 000 $150 000 $140 000 $130 000 $120 000 $105 000 $105 000

1988 F Allem D Pooley K Green I Woosnam C Beck D Frost M McNulty B Langer

72 67 67 72 74 71 71 76

71 72 72 70 70 69 73 74

66 74 70 69 68 72 71 78

69 66 71 72 72 73 72 78

278 279 280 283 284 285 287 306

$1 million $200 000 $100 000 $90 000 $80 000 $70 000 $60 000 $50 000

67 68 70 72 68 66 70 71

71 71 70 69 73 69 68 72

68 68 68 72 70 74 73 72

68 71 72 70 72 74 74 75

274 $1 million 278 280 283 283 283 285 290

74 69 70 75 75 69 71 73 75

70 72 68 68 70 69 75 74 74

70 71 74 75 71 74 71 72 71

68 70 74 69 71 76 72 71 73

282 285 286 287 287 288 289 290 293

1986 M McNulty L Wadkins B Langer TC Chen I Woosnam H Clark D Frost D Graham G Player

69 70 70 73 69 75 72 75 76 71

70 69 71 72 69 67 74 70 74 70

68 68 71 70 71 69 70 68 70 77

71 73 69 67 74 73 69 75 69 73

278 280 281 282 283 284 285 288 289 291

$300 000 $150 000 $100 000 $87 000 $75 000 $65 000 $60 000 $56 000 $52 000 $50 000

69 70 74 74 76 70 73 76 74 73

71 72 72 74 69 75 74 76 70 75

65 71 71 75 69 76 72 71 78 73

74 72 69 68 78 72 75 74 75 76

279 285 286 291 292 293 294 297 297 297

$300 000 $150 000 $105 000 $85 000 $75 000 $67 000 $60 000 $52 700 $52 700 $52 700

69 75 70 67 74 71 72 74 77 69

67 72 67 71 70 70 68 69 68 71

70 67 73 71 69 69 72 71 71 73

68 65 69 70 68 71 70 70 69 72

274 279 279 279 281 281 282 284 285 285

$300 000 $127 500 $127 500 $85 500 $71 500 $71 000 $60 000 $56 000 $52 000 $50 000

R Floyd 72 69 C Stadler 72 67 Floyd won after a play-off L Trevino 71 73 L Wadkins 70 70 J Miller 72 68 S Ballesteros 67 71 J Pate 67 73 J Nicklaus 70 71 G Norman 71 72 G Player 71 75

68 70

71 71

280 $300 000 280 $150 000

70 68 71 73 66 72 78 72

67 74 72 75 80 74 70 76

281 282 283 286 286 287 291 294

$105 000 $85 000 $75 000 $63 500 $63 500 $56 000 $52 000 $50 000

66 69

71 71

277 277

$500 000 $160 000

69 74 72

69 71 73

278 289 292

$130 000 $110 000 $100 000

1984 S Ballesteros N Faldo L Trevino R Floyd I Aoki T Kite B Crenshaw G Player G Norman D Watson

1983 S Ballesteros F Zoeller N Faldo D Graham J Miller R Floyd L Trevino C Stadler N Price L Nelson

1982

1987 I Woosnam N Faldo D Frost C Strange J-M Olazábal F Allem B Langer L Wadkins

B Langer L Wadkins M O’Meara S Ballesteros L Trevino TC Chen D Graham D Watson H Green S Lyle

$300 000 $150 000 $105 000 $81 000 $81 000 $65 000 $60 000 $56 000 $52 000

1981 J Miller 72 68 S Ballesteros 69 68 Miller won after a play-off J Nicklaus 70 70 L Trevino 70 74 G Player 70 77

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