FUND-RAISING triumphs in Gary & Viv Invitational
This year there were 30 fourballs competing in a 36-hole Alliance Stableford format (two scores to count on each hole) for the unique Baobab trophy, and Rohwer made an eagle three on the final hole on Sunday – the par-5 ninth was played as the 18th – to help his fourball score a remarkable 99 points in the second round for a total of 186. “Martin hit the most beautiful 4-iron from 215 metres to the island green and holed a 20-foot putt,” said Daniel Egdes. “That closing eagle put a seal on one of those days when there was perfect dovetailing like I’ve never experienced before. Anything around 90 would have been a great score, but 99 was sublime.” As it was, they only won by one point, because the tournament was eventually decided over 31 holes (winning score 160) following a heavy thunderstorm which prevented the late starters from finishing. The last five holes were discounted. The tournament has raised R60 million over the past 25 years for the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School. “It was Vivienne’s idea to start a school on our farm for the local community,” said Gary, whose wife passed away three years ago. “She opened my eyes to more than just golf. Our foundation was established to nurture and educate these children from impoverished backgrounds. Her last words to me were to keep it going.” The school opened in 1990 and is dependent on private funding. It caters for 140 learners from the ages of 3 to 6 and prepares them for their entry into formal schooling.
arryl Egdes, whose name is synonymous with The Pro Shop brand, first met Gary Player 40 years ago during a corporate golf
event at Bryanston. The two of them have remained firm friends and business partners ever since. Egdes, CEO of Morecorp, has been a regular competitor for many years in the annual Gary Player Invitational – now the Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational – and in November 2024 he was on the winning team at Sun City for the first time. “I’ve played in this wonderful event since its early days – our company commercialises the Gary Player brand in South Africa – and it’s one of my golfing highlights of the year to support Gary’s charities, a special weekend on the calendar,” said Egdes. “And I won the trophy with my son Daniel in our four-man team, alongside Bafana Bafana legend Mark Williams and Sunshine Tour pro Martin Rohwer, playing in the Invitational for the first time. “Gary is now 89 yet he continues to amaze me with his drive and passion for life and people. He was up there on the stage every night entertaining his guests, and on the golf course he was his usual competitive self. In the first round at the Gary Player Country Club, he shot 73 off the white tees, simply stupendous. He told us that his goal is to break his age by 20 shots, and I can believe he’s capable of doing that.”
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 91
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024
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