June 2014 my dad and I went over to Scotland for my pro debut, up in the Highlands at Aviemore, on the Challenge Tour, thanks to invites I had received from ISM (International Sports Management). Those years on the smaller tours were exceptionally tough because it was a constant struggle, particularly in Europe where everything was so expensive. I played much better on the Mena Tour in the Middle East, winning the order of merit in 2015. Being on my own was the worst time. I had to take taxis everywhere as I didn’t have a driving licence to rent a car. I remember one trip to the airport costing 400 euros. At a tournament in France there was no transport and each day I walked three kilometres from my hotel to the course. Those experiences do make you strong though, and it creates a will to succeed. But it did eventually wear me down. In 2017 I played 17 events on the Challenge Tour and made just three cuts. My total earnings were 4 200 euros. Enough was enough of travelling overseas and I stayed in South Africa in 2018, playing the IGT Tour and Big Easy Tour. Even though I was just 21 I had already played on a wide variety of mini-tours and visited countless countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. ● ● ● I am the only South African currently in the Top 100 of the World Ranking, which is most unusual, as it always used to contain a strong core of our players. Two years ago, before LIV, we had seven SA players in the Top 100. The OWGR introduced an algorithm in August 2022 called “Strokes Gained World Rating” which has been detrimental to those of us playing exclusively on the DP World Tour. Fewer points are now available compared to the PGA Tour, whereas before the DP World Tour events had elevated status even with weaker fields. I now struggle to maintain my ranking. Unless it’s a Rolex event and there are big names playing, if you don’t win a tournament or finish in the top 10 each week, the points are minimal. After I tied for third in the Irish Open in September, with Rory McIlroy competing, I rose to No 83 in the World Ranking. I made four cuts after that but fell to No 96. If it continues this way, next year there might be no South Africans in the International team at the Presidents Cup. That has never happened before.
lead over Zander Lombard, and then a combination of wet weather and the sudden announcement of Covid red list travel regulations meant I never hit another shot. The tournament was shortened to 36 holes, and I was the champion. Most of the overseas players had to catch flights to rush home before they were forced to quarantine, and the Alfred Dunhill at Leopard Creek the following week was cancelled. The SA Open was played at Sun City as just a Sunshine Tour event. ● ● ● I turned pro early when I was 17. I didn’t finish my schooling, and in
membership of the tour. If I hadn’t won the Joburg Open and secured automatic playing privileges on the DP World Tour, the money I earned that week wouldn’t have counted towards the order of merit. ● ● ● Securing my tour card was a weight off my shoulders. It meant I had organisation in my life, knowing where I would be playing in 2022. I could arrange visas for the countries I intended to visit, and as a winner I have tour privileges which I hadn’t enjoyed before. That Joburg Open was surreal. I shot 65-65 on the Firethorn course the first two days for a 4-shot
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