YOUNGEST CHAMPIONS
Naidoo, the leading money-winner, in the four co-sanctioned DP World events, winning the Alfred Dunhill with a last round flourish and coming close at Houghton in the Joburg Open. He missed Mauritius and had the 36- hole lead in the SA Open (66-64), before 7 bogeys derailed him in a third round 76 which left him T-9. Earlier in 2024, Norris had a round of 60 at the Wild Coast Sun. Veteran George Coetzee, 38, returning to action last August after a lengthy hiatus for wrist surgery, stole the limelight in the end-of-season playoffs, winning at Serengeti for his 15th tour triumph and first since the 2022 PGA at St Francis Links. He looked odds-on to win the following week at Blair Atholl in the Tour Championship before being upstaged in the last round by 37-year Michael Hollick who bookended the campaign by winning both the opening tournament (Zimbabwe Open) last May, before triumphing again 10 months later in the finale. Two years ago, Hollick was 100th on the OM, so his story is one of regeneration. His only previous victory in 2015 had come in a 54- hole event at his home course Mount Edgecombe. At Royal Harare he posted four exceptional rounds for
72, it looked as if he would have to be content with another runner-up finish, but he scented blood on the back nine on Sunday as leader Altin van der Merwe faltered. Van Tonder caught the rookie with four straight birdies from 15 to 18, then took the playoff on their return to the par-5 18th. At Pecanwood, Van Tonder was quick out of the blocks with an opening 62 (eight birdies and an eagle) and led wire-to-wire for a 27-under total of 261. His fourth and final win of a year- long campaign. “I worked hard for this success, kept doing what I’ve always done. Over the holidays I played four to five rounds every week with my mates, and I found that’s the best practice you can get, on the course rather than the range.” The HotelPlanner Tour then embarked south to Cape Town and George, and Van Tonder’s form fell away. In truth though, playing at the coast has never been to his liking. All 12 of his Sunshine Tour victories have come north of the Vaal River. He was to miss the cut in the Investec SA Open at Durban CC, before claiming an important fifth place in the Joburg Open which ultimately clinched the Order of Merit crown from Shaun Norris. Had Norris won the Joburg Open – he lost in a three-way playoff – he may have denied Van Tonder and
Second-year tour pros Jonathan Broomhead and Yurav Premlall built on successful rookie seasons to excel on the Order of Merit. Broomhead, 24, won twice, at Sun City and Wild Coast, improving his OM position by three places to No 4. Premlall, 21, had his maiden triumph in the Vodacom Origins at Sishen, and raced 46 places up the OM to No 6. He was one of the steadiest performers on tour, earning six- figure cheques on nine different occasions, accumulating more than R2-million in prizemoney. Robin Williams, 23, successfully defended his title in the Fortress Invitational at Glendower – in the two years he was 41-under-par – but didn’t fare as well in the co-sanctioned outings, other than a T-14 in the Joburg Open. The last person to defend a title was George Coetzee, the Vodacom Origins De Zalze in 2021 and 2022.
Jonathan Broomhead.
20-under, and at Blair Atholl he conjured a remarkable nine- birdie 64 to come from four back on Sunday. The best closing round of the year by a South African, shading the 67 by Norris at Leopard Creek. Then there was Jean Hugo, winning his 21st career Sunshine Tour title (two were in team events), and at 49 finishing in the OM Top 10 for the first time since 2014. Hugo has won in four different decades, beginning in 1999. Jaco Ahlers, 41, had tour win No 13 in the Wild Coast SunBet.
been the OM winner for the second time in four years. ON REFLECTION, the 2024-25 season was a triumph for the older brigade, and those without DP World cards, notably Dylan Naidoo who unusu- ally became SA Open champion as a full- time Sunshine Tour player. Van Tonder re- gained a DP World card with his No 1 status on the OM, along with Jonathan Broomhead, ranked No 4. Norris, 42, was the outstanding performer alongside the emerging
Sunshine Tour Order of Merit 1 Daniel van Tonder 2 Shaun Norris 3 Dylan Naidoo 4 Jonathan Broomhead 5 Jacques Kruyswijk
6 Yurav Premlall 7 Michael Hollick 8 Jacques Blaauw 9 Jean Hugo 10 Keenan Davidse 11 Pieter Moolman 12 Martin Vorster 13 Jovan Rebula 14 Ryan van Velzen 15 George Coetzee
Yurav Premlall.
16 Luke Brown 17 Nikhil Rama 18 M J Viljoen
19 Malcolm Mitchell 20 Darren Fichardt
106 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MAY 2025
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