Englishman Dale Whitnell became, we are told, the first player to have two holes-in-one in the same round of a Sunshine Tour event. He aced the first and 12th at Durban CC in the second round of the Investec SA Open. There were six other aces on tour in 2024/25, two in the Kit Kat Pro-Am at Irene (7&13). Others came at Kyalami 17, Oubaai 3 and Wild Coast 4. Haydn Porteous, winner of 2016 Joburg Open and 2017 Czech Masters, was at Heron Banks in April for the Qualifying School and could only manage T-35 on one-under 283 which means he has lost his playing privileges for 2025/26. The 30-year- old had looked to be returning to form a year earlier following a T-2 in the Players Championship at Dainfern, but this past season earned roughly R90 000 and slumped to 113th on the OM. He notably failed to qualify for all the bigger tournaments, bar the Joburg Open for which he received an exemption as a past champion. Keenan Davidse, the 35-year-old from Stellenbosch seeking his first tour win after 348 tournaments, turned an average season into his best in 16 years on tour – tenth on the Order of Merit with R2.2-million – thanks to a top 10 at the Alfred Dunhill (T-7) and second outright at the Cape Town Open after
Martin Vorster.
to have his best season, 12th on the Order of Merit, the icing on the cake a runner- up finish in the MyGolfLife Open at Pecanwood, where he earned R769 618. Vorster does have a penchant for low scoring. He won the 2021 SA Amateur Strokeplay Championship with 23-under at Randpark Firethorn, and was 25-under at Pecanwood with three 65s. Luca Filippi, who won the Blue Label Challenge in 2023 en route to tenth place on the OM, played just three tournaments in 2024/25 before being laid off golf with a shoulder injury. He had a bone spur and chipped cartilage in his left shoulder which required two operations in September and November. He is fit again and teed up in the Zimbabwe Open on May 8-11 to begin the 2025/26 season. Jean-Paul Strydom, who did not play in 2023 due to injury, returned in 2024 and a T-2 at Fancourt in the NTT Data Pro-Am pushed him to 31st on the OM. There were three rounds of 60 on tour: by Shaun Norris at Wild Coast Sun (9 birdies 1 eagle), Sebastien Gros at Royal Cape (12 birdies), and Wilco Nienaber at Fancourt Outeniqua (8 birdies, 2 eagles). Nienaber was the only one to win his tournament, the NTT Data Pro-Am, in which he suffered only one bogey.
a solid weekend performance, earning R1.5-million in those two events alone. Ryan van Velzen turned a disappointing season around with second place at the Alfred Dunhill (R2.07-million), while Jacques Kruyswijk won R1.77-million for T-2 at the Joburg Open. Martin Vorster had a second round 62 in the Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare to take the 36-hole lead, but then shot 76 in round three to fall out of contention. The 23-year-old from Mossel Bay recovered from that setback
Keenan Davidse.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 109
MAY 2025
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