PGA Regional Award Winners SOUTHERN AND EASTERN CAPE PGA Management Meyer Du Toit (Knysna Golf Club) High Performance Coach Morten Bredahl (Scratchgolf) Game Development Coach Roelof Roeloffze (Target36) Club Professional – No award WESTERN CAPE PGA Management Cassie Viljoen (Royal Cape GC) High Performance Coach Andrew Mackie (De Zalze) Game Development Coach Sevey Links (Pearl Valley) Club Professional De Waal Botha (Metropolitan GC) CENTRAL GAUTENG PGA Management Darrin Hedley (Bryanston CC) High Performance Coach Gavin Groves (Royal Johannesburg GC) Game Development Coach John Dickson (CC Johannesburg)
Gavin Groves National winner / High Performance Coach Groves is not a swing coach, but a fit- ness trainer based in the clubhouse gym at Royal Johannesburg Golf Club where he opens the doors at 6am and supervises sessions with both club members and elite golfers. Since 2017 he has served as the of- ficial Strength and Conditioning Consultant for the GolfRSA National Squad, contributing to the develop- ment of elite golfers in South Af- rica. He improves their performance through evaluating their body move- ments and judging which exercises can eliminate limitations and restric- tions in their swing mechanics. In 2023/24, players working with him won seven professional tour- naments, and he was on the 2023 next to the clubhouse is a hospitable meeting place for golfers who visit the region. James, together with his wife Sheena and assistant Dane Adendorff, dispenses friendly conversation and advice to all who enter the front door. He is very much an old school pro- fessional. His job description at this small club is wide and varied, and in- volves long hours, particularly in the holiday seasons when Southbroom goes from sleepy village to teeming with golfers. During the day he can either be found in the pro shop or on the practice range teaching members and visitors, giving clinics to women golfers. He is currently on a coaching drive called Girls & Golf. “I look after everything golf related at the club, organising bookings, daily time sheets and running weekly com- petitions, working with the various club committees, and playing with the members when I can,” said James. “I have a great team working with me at the club. I teach all ages, from begin- ners to PGA pros. It gives me a thrill to see golfers at all levels getting bet- ter and enjoying their golf, which is what the PGA stands for. We are here to grow this wonderful game.”
GolfRSA tour to the United Kingdom when Christo Lamprecht won the British Amateur Championship. “My involvement in performance golf began in 2013 as Head of Strength and Conditioning at the TuksGolf Academy,” said Groves. “I worked with young professionals such as Brandon Stone and Zander Lombard and under my guidance Brandon won the 2016 SA Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship, plus the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. “My commitment to long-term ath- letic development enabled numerous amateur golfers, men and women, to transition successfully to the profes- sional ranks. “I have managed and co-managed several SA teams, including at the 2018 men’s Eisenhower Team Trophy. As a regular participant in the annual GolfRSA UK Tour, I helped our golfers achieve wins in the Brabazon Trophy, East of Ireland Amateur, and British Amateur. I managed the gym facility at the inaugural 2024 Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek, providing fitness and performance services to players from across the continent. “I am committed to continuing this work and using my experiences in performance golf to help club golfers at Royal Johannesburg improve their golf through health and fitness.”
Club Professional Greg Jacobs (Royal Johannesburg GC)
GAUTENG NORTH PGA Management Darren Plumb (Mbombela GC) High Performance Coach Kyle Phelan (Centurion CC) Game Development Coach Edwin Compton (Mpumalanga SAGDB) Club Professional Rosh Schoeman (Woodhill CC) KWAZULU-NATAL PGA Management Pierre van Vuuren (San Lameer CC) High Performance Coach Emile Steinmann (Mount Edgecombe CC) Game Development Coach Steve Cottingham (Mount Edgecombe CC) Club Professional Derek James (Southbroom GC)
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 13
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
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