LEFT: Christiaan Maas, centre, Daniel Bennett, right, and Charl Barnard celebrate South Africa’s historic Eisenhower Trophy victory. RIGHT: Team South Africa: Back row, from left, Charl Barnard, captain Gavin Groves, Daniel Bennett, team manager Peet van Schalkwyk. Front, Christiaan Maas. Colombia were third, just one shot back. The South African men had a remark- ably consistent and proud record in the Eisenhower Trophy in our first 12 bien- nial tournament appearances before we were barred from playing five times between 1984 and 1992, due to world- wide anti-apartheid pressure. In the days of dedicated long-term amateurs, the SA men were perennial contenders for the title and finished in the top 5 on seven separate occasions. Back-to-back bronze medallists in 1970 and 1972. We were silver medallists at Pinehurst in 1980 with the team of Etienne Groe- newald, Duncan Lindsay Smith, David Suddards and Wayne Player. They fin- ished 13 shots behind the US team on their home turf. A curiosity of that era is that only Player went on to turn pro and play the Sunshine Tour. Until now, that 1980 performance had been our best effort. When South Africa was readmitted to the World Champs in 1994, we found it to be a much more com- petitive environment, with the European teams in particular a greater force to be reckoned with. Sweden had won their first Eisenhower in 1990, following up with World Cup success in 1991, and the first of three Espirito Santo titles in 2004. The men’s SA teams, reduced from four to three players in 2002, have gen- erally struggled until now in the modern era. Top 10s became rare occurrences at the Eisenhower, and we sunk to our lowest ebb in 2014 in Japan by finish- ing 43rd. That was followed by a T-31 in Mexico 2016 and 30th in Ireland 2018. It wasn’t as if the talent wasn’t there. Our 2002 team sent to Malaysia comprised Shaun Norris, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, but we weren’t even in the Top 20. Likewise, the team of Maas, Christo Lamprecht and Aldrich Potgieter, three of our most promising future stars, had a miserable time in Paris in 2022, tied for
Bobby Cole and Dale Hayes in 1974, Ernie Els and Wayne Westner in 1996, Els and Retief Goosen in 2001, and Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini in 2003. Of those, only Cole, Hayes and Immelman represented SA as amateurs in the Eisenhower. Els and Goosen were unfortunate in being our best amateurs during the years we were banned from the championships. – STUART MCLEAN The SA women’s team of Bobbi Brown, Megan Streicher and Kyra van Kan finished 24th in the Espirito Santo Trophy in Singa- pore with a score of 585. Streicher was T-15 in the individual rank- ings. The United States won for the 15th time in a countout from South Korea and Spain after they had tied on 18-under 558.
19th. Maas and Lamprecht then teamed up with Altin van der Merwe at the 2023 Eisenhower in Abu Dhabi to post a highly respectable seventh place, South Africa’s best effort in 41 years. The Eisenhower is one of the most difficult trophies to win in world golf because it entails having to beat all- powerful United States teams. They have won it 16 times and been in the top three on 27 occasions. Australia have won four times, along with Great Britain & Ireland – they were split up into indi- vidual nations in 2002. All other coun- tries have had solo victories – Japan, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Nether- lands, Scotland, France, Denmark (with the Hojgaard twins) and Italy. In comparison, South Africa won five professional titles between 1965 and 2003 in the now discontinued World Cup of Golf. Firstly, it was Gary Player and Harold Henning in 1965, then
“Credit to the players. They are the ones who had to handle the pressure and deliver when it matters most. Christiaan and Dan were exceptional, drawing on their experience from world-class amateur events and the US collegiate circuit to perform at an incredible level. Charl showed maturity beyond his years in his first appearance at this level. He may not have contributed counting, but his attitude, energy, and commitment were every bit as important to the team dynamic. Our appreciation to Team Manager and SAGA Vice-President Peet van Schalkwyk and Gavin Groves, our national squad performance and fitness consultant, who stepped in as captain. His calm authority, insight, and ability to keep the players sharp and grounded were instrumental in this success. This vic- tory truly reflects the strength of the system and the people who give so much of themselves to it.” – Grant Hepburn, GolfRSA Chief Executive
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 27
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
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