JO U RNEYS
‘My friends know I’m not going to join them for social golf’ Watching the Nedbank Challenge hooked me on golf, and I will finally compete in it this year. By Jacques Kruyswijk with Stuart McLean
I had no financial backing when I started my playing career on the Sunshine Tour. I was 20 years old, and to sustain myself I had a full-time job for three years. I was the night manager at Centurion Country Club, which enabled me to practice at their range during the day. I was able to juggle the job and take time off to play in tourna- ments. That regular work provided stability in my life because I had nothing else to fall back on. After matriculating from school, I hadn’t studied further, so professional golf had to work out for me.
away from the golf course as possible after my work is done. It sounds bad to say this, but I’m not crazy about golf. My friends never ask me to play with them, because they know I cannot stand social golf rounds. I’d rather catch up with them at a braai. Golf is my job and in between tournaments I want to spend quality time with my wife and friends. I like hunting and being outdoors in my spare time. ● ● ● Boxing is my other pastime. I don’t get in a ring and fight other people though. I box at home. I took it up earlier in my pro career as an outlet to get rid of my frustra- tions and disappointments on the course, and love sparring and using the punch bag. It’s great for maintaining my fitness. My new home has a gym with a boxing setup included. I am very focused on my fitness and building muscle. It’s some- thing I work on every day, whereas I might not hit golf balls every day. The happier I am about my body; I know that will bene- fit me on the golf course. I’m in the gym at tournaments. You cannot be overweight as a professional golfer and need to make sacrifices by eating healthily. ● ● ● My rookie year on the Sunshine Tour in 2013 was a tough one. I earned my tour card through the Q School – Erik van Rooyen and Dylan Frittelli were fel- low qualifiers at the same tournament at Schoeman Park – but even with that card I only got into 30% of the tourna- ments that year. You had to pre-qualify for most of them back then. Those early experiences moulded me as a person and pushed me to succeed as a pro golfer. When I achieve a particular goal, I al- ways ask myself what’s next. It’s never been about the prizemoney for me, I’ve always been focused on results. ● ● ● Each of my wins as a pro has served as a stepping stone. First one on the Big Easy Tour, then the Sunshine Tour
for the NGC. I hung around the first tee and practice green most of the Thurs- day hoping that someone might with- draw, but it never happened. It wasn’t a big deal being first alternate, because I was essentially the only person pre- pared to be there on the day. ● ● ● I played amateur golf for Limpopo at interprovincials but had no one coaching me during that time. I knew the basics and that was it. My mentor though was the late Ray Earle, the club professional for many years at Polok- wane Golf Club. Uncle Ray was tremen- dous with the juniors in the province, driving us long distances to tourna- ments in his mini-bus, and handing out loads of good advice. It was only in 2015, when I was playing the Sunshine Tour, that teaching professional Kyle Phelan came into my life and became both my coach and one of my best mates. Kyle has the teaching academy at Centurion CC. ● ● ● My home is in Centurion, but not at the golf estate. I like to get as far
I was born in Pretoria, but grew up in Limpopo, my primary school years spent at my grandfather’s farm in Louis Trichardt. I was keen on rugby and cricket, but my direction in life changed when my father Paul was ap- pointed as the first golf director at the new Koro Creek golf estate in Modi- molle, previously Nylstroom. The original 9-holer was still there when we arrived, and Douw van der Merwe was building a new 18-hole layout. I became so in love with golf that I stopped play- ing other sports in my first year of high school. ● ● ● I’m one of the taller golfers on tour at 6 foot 5, but my father towers over me. He’s 6 foot 8, a massive human being. While he has never been a sports- oriented person, he did take me with him every year to watch the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, usually just for the one day. I had had no concept of golf before then, but watching that tournament changed everything for me. I was hooked. Today, the two tour- naments I most want to win are the Masters and the Nedbank Challenge. I haven’t yet played in either of them, but this December I will be making my debut in the NGC. I love the Gary Player course, and I back myself to play well there. ● ● ● In the two years before Covid, I was twice the first alternate at Sun City
JACQUES KRUYSWIJK AGE 32 WINS SUNSHINE TOUR 3 DP WORLD TOUR 1 CHALLENGE TOUR 1 WORLD RANKING 178 LIVES CENTURION, GAUTENG
12 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
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