Altin van der Merwe, winner of the Fortress Rookie of the Year.
SUNSHINE TOUR TRIVIA & STATS TOURNAMENT WINNERS Michael Hollick Zimbabwe Open 268 Kieran Vincent Kit Kat Pro-Am 267 Jacques Blaauw SunBet Sun City 211 M J Viljoen Zambia Open 272 Jaco Ahlers SunBet Wild Coast 197 Daniel van Tonder FNB Eswatini 202 Jean Hugo VOG Highland Gate 203 Thriston Lawrence SunBet Wingate Park 196 Daniel van Tonder Gary & Vivienne Chall 202 Yurav Premlall VOG Sishen 205 Luke Jerling Sunbet Umhlali 200 Jon Broomhead VOG Wild Coast 199 Robin Williams Fortress Invitational 266 Jon Broomhead Blue Label 45 pts (20-under) Dean Burmester VOG Final Oubaai 260 Pieter Moolman PGA Championship 273 Shaun Norris Alfred Dunhill 275 John Parry Mauritius Open 274 Max Steinlechner Mediclinic 260 Daniel van Tonder SDC Open 272 Daniel van Tonder MyGolfLife Open 261 Jamie Rutherford Cape Town Open 274 Wilco Nienaber NTT Data Pro-Am 262 Dylan Naidoo Investec SA Open 202 Calum Hill Joburg Open 266 George Coetzee Serengeti Playoffs 269 Michael Hollick Tour Championship 269 LOWEST ROUNDS 60 Shaun Norris, final round SunBet Wild Coast 60 Sebastian Gros, 2nd round CT Open, Royal Cape 60 Wilco Nienaber, 1st round NTT, Fancourt Outeniqua ** 61 Dylan Naidoo, 2nd round SA Open, Durban CC ** 62 Martin Vorster, 2nd round Zim Open, Royal Harare 62 Pieter Moolman, final round SunBet Wild Coast 62 Thriston Lawrence, 1st round SunBet Wingate Park 62 Jacques Blaauw, 1st round SunBet Wingate Park 62 Pieter Moolman, 3rd round PGA, St Francis Links 62 Oliver Bekker, 1st round VOG Final, Oubaai 62 Jacques Kruyswijk, final round VOG Final, Oubaai 62 Keith Horne, final round Mediclinic, Heron Banks 62 Daniel van Tonder, 1st round MyGolfLife, Pecanwood 62 Jamie Rutherford, 2nd round NTT Data, Outeniqua 62 Calum Hill, final round Joburg Open, Houghton
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Altin van der Merwe, at age 28 one of the older winners of the Sunshine Tour’s Rookie of the Year award, was one of the season’s success stories. He was 21st on the Order of Merit and came within a whisker of claiming his maiden victory in the SDC Open at Zebula. After rounds of 66-67-65 for a four- shot lead over his nearest rival, he slumped to a 74 and lost in a playoff to Daniel van Tonder, who had started the Sunday seven shots back. Van Tonder made up 8 shots in the last 12 holes, with birdies on each of 15 through 18. Van der Merwe had his wife Minette caddie for him all season. “She’s an accomplished golfer herself and so supportive, like having a psychologist on the course,” he said. Van der Merwe had won the Qualifying School tournament at Heron Banks in April 2024 as an amateur, and remained one for the next few months so that he could contest the Open Championship at Royal Troon last July, having gained an invite as the winner of the 2024 African Amateur at Leopard Creek. He only joined the Sunshine Tour at the beginning of August, making his debut in the Eswatini Challenge. Van der Merwe had first tried to turn pro at 19 but missed a Sunshine Tour card in Bloemfontein in December 2015. That Q School was won by Christiaan Bezuidenhout. “I was broken after that Q School,” he admitted. “Straight after my last round I drove 10 hours back to George with my best friend (and caddie), and I didn’t say a word to him. My golf wasn’t
the same for two years after that. You get so emotional with this game. I’m glad it happened though because I wasn’t mature enough, having only started playing seriously when I was 17. I decided to go study instead and earn a degree, which I have behind me.”
Rookie of the year race 1 Altin van der Merwe 2 Kyle de Beer 3 Max Steinlechner 4 Stals Swart 5 Werner Deyzel
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 107
MAY 2025
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