LIV GOLF REVIEW
MY GREATEST SA TOURNAMENTS 1 Nedbank Million Dollar 1998 Nick Price beats Tiger Woods in playoff. 2 First Million Dollar at Sun City 1981/2 A 9-hole playoff between Johnny Miller and Seve Ballesteros. 3 LIV Golf Steyn City 2026 B iggest crowds in history and Bryson DeChambeau wins. 4 World Cup 1996 Ernie Els & Wayne Westner romping to a team victory at Erinvale. 5 Presidents Cup 2003 A memorable tie against the Americans at Fancourt. 6 SA Open 2017 R ory McIlroy entertained big crowds at Glendower. 7 SA Open 1997 First co-sanctioned Open was a thriller won by Vijay Singh. 8 E spirito Santo victory at De Zalze in 2006
The Southern Guards.
Jon Rahm and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie.
Dean Burmester.
Branden Grace.
S A women’s amateur team defied the odds to become world champions.
unflappable Louis Oosthuizen, gave a heroic performance from the first hole to the 72nd. I don’t think they could have played any better over such a sustained period of pressure. They were on home turf, but they began as underdogs. To post 74-under-par and be cruelly denied by the Crushers at the end had everything to do with the unbelievable golf played by India’s An- irban Lahiri the last two days, when he posted back-to-back 63s. The Crushers have a formidable team with Bryson at the helm. That was their ninth team ti- tle. Crushers team member Paul Casey was gracious in victory: “SA should be proud, giving Adelaide a run for its money. I feel a little bit guilty that we stole it from them.” Branden Grace played with the old skill and competitiveness that he dis- played when chasing down major championships in his youth (his lack of one is a surprise), while Dean Bur-
valry with Adelaide in Australia in terms of putting on the most vibrant tournament, and let’s hope that con- tinues. We have a promise of another LIV tournament in 2027, in April rather than March to try and avoid rain and thunderstorms. SOUTHERN GUARDS Our LIV experience was also a success due to the unique team element of their tournaments. What we had at Steyn City was not just another individual strokeplay event, but a mini–Presidents Cup of our own, with the Southern Guards pitted against the likes of Ser- gio Garcia’s Spanish Fireballs, the South American Torque team led by Joaquin Niemann, and Bryson’s multi-national Crushers. The team event, and the emphasis placed on it in the TV broadcasts, made every day feel like a separate event. Our South African contingent, led by the
mester the “jester” was in his element, playing up to the crowds on every hole. A video should be made of all his antics and show of emotion. He was a world- class entertainer, and it’s incredible to note that over 72 holes he made only one bogey. He led the tournament in the scrambling statistics, such were his powers of concentration. Between them, the Guards had 87 birdies, plus two eagles from Grace, second only to the Fireballs with 90 birdies. The team event was a reminder that South Africa sadly no longer partici- pates in these at a professional level. That’s why the Southern Guards have become a strong brand. LIV has taken a lead in this department which the other tours aren’t following. I don’t think the Presidents Cup would ever be popular with our fans if it returned here (unlikely), because that biennial match is dull in comparison to the excitement of LIV’s competition.
South African fans were out in force.
104 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 105
MARCH/APRIL 2026
MARCH/APRIL 2026
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