Golf RSA has partnered with the R&A for a media campaign that highlights the benefits of golf.
"The scientific research clearly shows that there are significant physical and mental health benefits to be gained from playing golf. We believe that golf can provide a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to have fun, get fit and socialise with family and friends – something that is important to today’s society."
– MARTIN SLUMBERS, Chief Executive of The R&A
Their first month is called Golf is Good for Balance. Check out the article below which goes into a study on the benefits in muscle strength and balance that golf can provide. |
What a great initiative and in my case you are preaching to the converted, or as Simon Hobday used to say, “Golf is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”
There are very few sports that you can play forever. At Zwartkop we have a few members who are in their nineties, and one who has even been a member for 68 years.
Denis Hutchinson will be 92 in a few weeks and he will go out and play at least one nine-hole round and one eighteen-hole round every week, most of them at Royal Johannesburg. Just imagine how many friends you can make in that length of time.
Golf is so many different things to different people. |
| Jack Nicklaus & Tony Jacklin |
Here’s another example of what makes golf the greatest game of all…
Tony Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus reflect on one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship ever seen in golf. |
| In 1965, Sam Snead won the Greensboro Open at the age of 52, capping his 84 PGA Tour wins. It's estimated he won 135 titles worldwide including three Masters (one at the age of 41), three US PGA Championships and one Open Championship. |
| Casey Jarvis set to shine on the DP World Tour |
| There's a nice article on the very talented young Casey Jarvis on the DP World Tour website – click here to check it out. |
| Keep in the loop of the World Golf rankings |
- Battling with a neck injury for the last couple of years, Hideki Matsuyama won his ninth PGA Tour title, but his first since the 2022 Sony Open, at The Genesis Invitational. He shot a bogey-free final round 9-under 62 at The Riviera CC to win at 17-under par. He started his round with three birdies in a row and made another three at the turn to leap up the leaderboard. In a five-way tie for the lead on the back nine he made another three birdies in a row from the 15th and won by three over Luke List and Will Zalatoris. Patrick Cantlay shot a 72 on Sunday to tie for fourth at 13-under alongside Xander Schauffele and Adam Hadwin. Christiaan Bezuidenhout tied for 24th at 5-under.
- Patty Tavatanakit had a wire-to-wire win at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF at the Riyadh GC in Saudi Arabia. She shot rounds of 66-70-69 & 65 to win by seven shots over Esther Henseleit at 18-under par. Japan’s Minami Katsu and England’s Charley Hull tied for third at 9-under. Ashleigh Buhai tied for 10th at 5-under and Paula Reto tied for 18th at 2-under.
- France’s David Ravetto won his maiden title at the Sunshine Tour / Challenge Tour co-sanctioned Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt Golf Estate. He entered the final round with a two-shot lead and shot a 3-under 69 on The Montagu Course to win at 15-under. Sam Hutsby finished second on 13-under and Victor Pastor, Robin Williams and Hennie du Plessis tied for third at 11-under. Zander Lombard and Brandon Stone tied for sixth at 10-under.
- In the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am at Fancourt, Scotland’s Kylie Henry won on 3-under 213. She entered the final round two off the lead of Ana Dawson and shot a round of 71 to win. Lee-Anne Pace finished second on 1-under and Romy Meekers and Ana Dwson tied for third on level par. Gabrielle Venter; Cara Gorlei and Helen Kreuzer tied for fifth at 4-over.
- Stephen Ames was declared the winner of the Chubb Classic at Tiburón Golf Club after rain caused the cancelation of the final round. Expecting the bad weather, the organisers had already reduced the final round to 9-holes but that was called off by 6am on Sunday. Ames’s had shot rounds of 67 & 64 on the Black Course, so he finished at 13-under 131, and won his 7th PGA Tour Champions title by three over Rocco Mediate. Paul Broadhurst, Mark Hensby, Alex Cjeka and Ernie Els tied for third at 9-under.
- Spain’s David Puig won his second title on the Asian Tour in four months at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open. He shot two consecutive rounds of 9-under 62 at The Mines Resort and Golf Club over the weekend to finish at 23-under and won by two over Korea’s Jeunghun Wang who shot a 61. Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub also shot 61, and he tied for third alongside John Catlin at 20-under. There were preferred lies in play. The event is part of The Open Qualifying Series and Puig, Wang and Denwit qualified for the Open at Royal Troon in July. Ian Snyman tied for 22nd at 14-under.
- Bellville GC’s Altin van der Merwe came from five off the lead with a final round 64 to tie in the men’s event of the GolfRSA International Amateur at Houghton GC alongside Jack Ingram at 12-under 278. He then won the play-off. Gregor Graham finished third two shots back while Dian Kruger and Jordan Burnand tied for fourth at 9-under. Kyra van Kan won the women’s event on 3-over par after rounds of 80-68-73-70. She won by eight shots over Crystal Beukes and by nine over Zané Kleynhans. South Africa (Altin van der Merwe, Dan Bennett, Ivan Verster and Jordan Burnand) won the team competition.
- Atlantic Beach’s Weyers Janse van Rensburg won the WP Senior Open at Kuils River GC. He shot 70 & 68 to win on 6-under 138, three clear of Cameron Johnston, Ludwig Schreuder and Greg Woodbridge tied for third at 1-under.
- The Genesis Invitational had a few interesting turn of events. Tiger Woods made his first return to competitive play in 2024 and I don’t think it was unexpected that things didn’t go 100% his way. He opened with a 1-over 72 which included five birdies and six bogeys and even a dreaded shank on the last hole - an 8-iron from 170 yards – although he was able to save par - “Oh, definitely, I shanked it. Well, my back was spasming the last couple holes and it was locking up. I came down and it didn’t move and I presented hosel first and shanked it.” After six holes in the second round he withdrew with “flu-like” symptoms. While I do feel sorry for Tiger, I also wonder how much of the body issues he’s had have been brought on by over exercising or exercising incorrectly. There certainly haven’t been a great number of golfers who have withdrawn or missed out of playing as many tournaments as Tiger. Jordan Spieth was disqualified after the second round after signing an incorrect scorecard. He signed for a 3 on the par 3, fourth hole when he’d actually made a four - it also came out later that he was feeling under the weather so that could have explained it. Will Zalatoris made a superb hole-in-one at the par 3, 14th hole on Friday and won a car not only for himself, but also for his caddie, Joel Stock. On Sunday, in an almost repeat of Lucas Glover last week, Tom Kim nearly missed his 08h00 tee-off time and was seen rushing to the tee. He made it in time and despite being a bit flustered, he managed to make par on the first hole (although birdie would have been better – he’d made birdies the first three days.)
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Tiger's Shank |
| Will Zalatoris Hole-in-One |
- It is interesting to note that organisers of the WM Phoenix Open have come out to say that changes will be implemented to their event from next year. It seems some sanity has prevailed and while the party vibe may be an attraction for some, the social media attention and the lambasting the event has received this year means that times are a changing – well in Phoenix at any rate. Chance Cozby, said on Golf Channel the very next day; "Saturday at WM Phoenix Open in 2024 is going to end up being a turning point for our tournament and our organization to make our event better... we don't like what happened on Saturday. The players don't like what happened on Saturday. Our fans don't like what happened on Saturday, and, so, nothing is off the table."
- Tiger's new Sun Day Red clothing line in collaboration with TaylorMade, was officially launched last Monday. There have been mixed reviews on both the wording SUN DAY RED and the logo itself but everything has a life span and change must come. In addition to clothing (shirts, hoodies, jackets and pull-overs) there will be golf shoes, gloves, headcovers, ball markers and hats.
- I mentioned last week that Netflix’s “The Full Swing:” Season 2 is due out soon – 6th March to be exact. They have released a trailer for what's to come…
- 83-year-old veteran commentator, Verne Lundquist will work at his last Masters tournament this year. He officially retired back in 2016 but came back every year to work at The Masters. This will be his 40th year at the hallowed grounds of Augusta. What a great time to step away. In addition, Sean McManus, who has led CBS Sports since December 1996 (and won 20 Emmys in the process) and has a special affinity for overseeing the Masters production will also be stepping down.
- Former professional, Dean Robertson has been named captain of the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Walker Cup in September 2025 at Cypress Point. He is the first professional to captain GB&I since the matches started in 1922. Robertson was a member of the team in 1993.
- Look out for some great events coming to The Riviera Country Club over the next few years. In 2026, their Centenary year, they will host the U.S. Women's Open; then in 2028 they will host the men’s and women’s golf competitions when the Olympics comes to Los Angeles, and in 2031, they will host the U.S. Open, 83 years after Ben Hogan won it in 1948.
- While Justin Thomas misses this week’s Mexico Open, his caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, will get back behind the microphone as the lead analyst for NBC Sports. They still haven’t replaced Paul Azinger who left late last year and have had a few voices pick up the microphone since then. Mackay has made it clear that he isn’t looking for a full-time job and is happy on the bag for Thomas.
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Please note that this is the entry list as at Monday & is subject to change:
- PGA TOUR – Mexico Open at Vidanta – Garrick Higgo; Erik van Rooyen
- DP WORLD TOUR – Magical Kenya Open – Thriston Lawrence; Oliver Bekker; Louis de Jager; Deon Germishuys; Wilco Nienaber; Dylan Frittelli; Casey Jarvis; Justin Harding; Jacques Kruyswijk; Pieter Moolman; Dylan Mostert; Justin Walters; Thomas Aiken & Ryan van Velzen on an sponsors invite.
- LPGA – Honda LPGA Thailand – No South Africans in the field
- LET TOUR – Lalla Meryem Cup – Nicole Garcia; Casandra Alexandra; Cara Gorlei
- SUNSHINE TOUR - Nelson Mandela Bay Championship – Shaun Norris; Kyle Barker; Tristen Strydom; JC Ritchie & Brandon Stone to name a few.
- SUNSHINE LADIES TOUR – SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International – Lee-Anne Pace; Paula Reto; Stacy Bregman; Lejan Lewthwaite to name a few.
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| Please park on the cart path |
I just loved this article by George Waters, Senior Manager of the USGA'S Green Section Education, which was shared by Pinnacle Point’s Golf Course Superintendent, Konrad Suhr.
While it refers to cart paths specifically, even those course that don’t have concrete or brick pathways experience the same issue. Every one of us needs to pay a little more attention and just consider what impact we have. You may think that as an individual you don’t have any impact, but when you consider that you are one of 20 000, 30 000 or 40 000 rounds that are played on some golf courses in a year, I can assure you that every one of you has a role to play.
“We’ve probably all done it – driven our golf cart up to a green or tee, pulled to the side of the path and parked with a couple of tyres on the grass. It’s a natural impulse. When you stop driving almost any other vehicle you pull over for safety and try to keep the roadway clear. On the golf course, you want other golfers or maintenance vehicles to get by. Unfortunately, our tendency to pull over onto the grass creates bad lies and a bunch of repair work for the maintenance team. It’s counterintuitive, but we should park with all four tyres on the path, even if it seems like we’re blocking the way. Otherwise, some familiar problems are sure to develop.
Click here to read the rest of the article..
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Dale Hayes Golf appreciates the ongoing support of City Lodge...
Next week I visit one of my favourite cities in South Africa, Port Elizabeth or as it's now known, Gqeberha. What makes this visit even better is that the tournament is played at Humewood, one of South Africa’s finest golf courses, a natural links.
Another reason is that I stay at the Courtyard Hotel, part of the City Lodge Group. It’s always outstanding. The view, the furniture in the room and the breakfasts are superb. I can’t wait. |
| Click on the button below to see the upcoming Tour events. |
When was the last time you visited Knysna Golf Club? If it's been a while, you're in for a pleasant surprise! Under the leadership of Meyer du Toit, the club has undergone exciting transformations, making it a must-visit destination for golf enthusiasts.
The course itself has seen many significant improvements ensuring a challenging and enjoyable experience for players of all levels. Meyer du Toit's vision for the club has also revitalised the atmosphere, making it a hub of social events and fun activities.
If you are in the Garden Route again, be sure to fit in a round of golf there. Visit their website or give them a call on (0)44 384 1150 to book. You can also stay up to date with their latest news by subscribing to their communications here. |
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The rare hole-in-one, the most perfect fluke ever, it's the best feeling in golf. Celebrate – get the certificate and have bragging rights forever!
For further information, or to join, please contact Margaret on (012) 654-1144.
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| | | | Wise words from legends of golf | |
“Play each shot as if it’s the first shot you’re ever going to play. The tournaments starts on the next shot you play.”
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