Latest news:

Ultimate Club Champions crowned at Pecanwood

 

The 2023 GolfRSA Champion of Champions, delivered by The Courier Guy, came to an exciting conclusion as Bryanston’s Thabiso Dijo celebrated back-to-back success in the Caddie Division and six first-time champions were crowned in October.

The 36-hole National Final of the popular series was hosted by Pecanwood Golf and Country Estate for the first time, and the magnificent Jack Nicklaus signature championship course proved a superb test in the quest to find the country’s ultimate club champions.

 

 

CADDIE DIVISION

Thabiso Dijo earned the bragging rights with a runaway nine-stroke victory when the Caddie Division was introduced at the National Final in the 2022 edition at Kyalami Country Club, but he had to work hard to seal successive wins at Pecanwood.

Tied for first with Thomas Masetle from Benoni Lake after opening rounds of 75, Bryanston’s Dijo produced a string of crucial pars coming home on the final day to pull clear of Masetle to win by three shots with a final round 78. “The competition this year was definitely a lot tougher, and I had a great time going toe-to-toe with Thomas. He made me work for this win, but I just stayed patient and tried to play my own game. I think that is why this one feels even more special,” said Dijo.

“I hope that the great golf from all the caddies who played this year will inspire even more caddies to enter next year. A very big thank you to the management, staff and the members at The Bryanston Country Club for all your support – I am bringing this one home for you.”

 

A-DIVISION WOMEN

Gauteng North’s Gina da Silva went wire-to-wire with rounds of 70-71 to win by six strokes from up-and-coming GolfRSA National Squad member Ellandri van Heerden.

“Third time’s a charm, and I am really happy I pulled it through because my son told me I better not come home without a trophy this time,” joked Centurion’s Da Silva.

“On a serious note, I am so proud of this achievement. I have made the National Final twice before and I have been in contention, so it feels really great to lift the trophy at last. This is such a fantastic tournament. I enjoy the fun and camaraderie off the course, and the very competitive side when we step on the golf course. It’s a huge honour to walk away from this as the champion for my club and for my golf union.”

 

A-DIVISION MEN
The Men’s Division went right down to the wire in a battle between first round leaders Tokkie van den Berg from Pretoria Country Club and Durbanville’s Sean Howell.

Tied coming down the final hole, Van den Berg’s second finished short and Howell was on the green for two. The Gauteng North golfer gave himself a great chance to force a play-off with a superb chip to six feet, but when his par-putt ringed the hole, Howell nailed the clutch five-footer for birdie and clinched victory with a final round 75.

“I was actually shaking a little over that putt; I had to really calm my nerves. I feel for Tokkie, because he played superb golf and just wouldn’t go away,” the delighted Howell said.

“It’s a fantastic tournament and it is just as competitive as any national event on the GolfRSA circuit. I felt really privileged to tee it up in the final, because I came second in the regional final, and when the winner had to withdraw for medical reasons, I was offered his spot. I just wanted to make the most of this opportunity, and I am chuffed that I could to everyone proud. As a club golfer, this is the ultimate prize.”

 

B-DIVISION MEN

Gersh Titus from Northern Cape had driven eight hours to play in his first B-Division final, and it was nearly over before it begun. “I injured my wrist with my opening tee-shot. It was really tough to compete, because I couldn’t hit a full swing,” said the first-time winner from Upington. “I thought that I might have to pull out, but the organisers were fantastic. They came out on the course and taped me up, and somehow, I shot 80 in the first round to lead.”
Titus closed with an 81 to edge Johan Botha by five shots for the win. “I came out here to show all the Northern Cape children that you can do anything if you work hard. I hope they will take inspiration from me and continue to chase their dreams.”

 

B-DIVISION WOMEN

“I am so excited about this that if I could still do cartwheels, I’d do some right now,” said Women’s B-Division winner Russo Roberts-Gouws, who won her first title with rounds of 76 and 85. “What an amazing experience. The organisation in bringing all these champions from all over the country was impeccable and we were treated like professionals throughout. Hats off to GolfRSA, Paul and Brit Adams and The Courier Guy on recognising the club golfers and for hosting us with such grace and style. I am really proud to win my first title and I hope it’s not my last National Final.”

 

C-DIVISION MEN

Another competitor who had a whale of a time in his debut was Southern Cape’s Jaco de Lange, who won the Men’s C-Division with rounds of 35 and 33. “I’ve been playing golf for over 40 years and it’s the first time that I experienced something of this standard,” said the George golfer. “It has been three unbelievable days. We have struck up a lot of new friendships, and the rivalry has been incredible. This course is a proper test, and to win this is the ultimate achievement in my career.”

 

C-DIVISION WOMEN

Herine van der Merwe from Standerton Golf Club in Mpumalanga took the honours in the Women’s C-Division with a 4-point victory after posting rounds of 37 and 30. “It’s the second time I made it to the National Final and it was even better than my first time,” the Mpumalanga golfer said. “The course was very tricky, because you have these big, generous fairways littered with bunkers and the greens were slick and fast. I’m super proud to be this year’s champion and I want to tell every club golfer who didn’t try out this year, that you don’t know what you are missing. Sign up next year because everyone should experience this amazing tournament at least once.”

 

The Courier Guy to deliver the 2022 Champion of Champions

GolfRSA’s popular Club Champion of Champions Final in 2022 returns to a familiar venue in October and delivered by the fastest-growing courier company in South Africa.

With a new sponsor on board in the shape of The Courier Guy, the National Final returns to Kyalami from 16-19 October 2022, where the country’s ultimate club champions, across multiple divisions, will be crowned.

This is the fifth edition of the tournament, launched in 2017, with golfers first needing to win their home club championship, before successfully progressing through regional finals in order to earn a spot in the prestigious National Final. Winners of the 36-hole final are crowned the ultimate club champions of champions.

 This year, The Courier Guy is getting behind the tournament as part of a two-year event sponsorship that will help to grow the amateur game in South Africa.

“The Champion of Champions tournament appeals to us because, although the event is open to all golfers in the country, it is only through consistently strong performances at all levels that golfers will be able to reach their final destination,” explained The Courier Guy’s head of marketing, Simon Hill.

“With 165 Kiosks and over 2 000 drivers, The Courier Guy has a huge national footprint so it just feels right we support golfers from all over the country. We also love the game of golf and everything it stands for – it’s how we like to run our business.”

 GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn welcomed the news that The Courier Guy would be on board as the tournament sponsor for the next two years.

“Over the years the Club Champion of Champions tournament has grown into a very popular event,” he said. “And the reasons for that are simple. It’s well structured, professionally run and open to golfers of all levels. It’s also a lot of fun.

“It’s exciting to be able to welcome a progressive and exciting company like The Courier Guy as one of GolfRSA’s partners for the next two years in an event that will continue to create exciting finishes and great stories.

“We are delighted to be able to bring the tournament back to Kyalami, which proved to be such a tremendous venue last year. The course is superb and the staff at Kyalami Country Club played a huge role in making the event an overwhelming success.”

In last year’s National Final, Upington’s Bertie Steenkamp and Serengeti’s Kiera Floyd walked away as A-Division men’s and women’s champions respectively, with Tokkie van der Westhuizen (Schoeman Park) and Mandie Badenhorst (Mooinooi) successful in the B-Division and Jürgen Erhart (Steenberg) and Jessica Bennett (Killarney) the victors in the C Division.

The win proved to be a good omen for both Steenkamp and Floyd, who went on to win big events earlier this year. Steenkamp, who is a two-time winner of the Club Champion of Champions, won the 2022 South African Mid-Amateur Championship, while Floyd was victorious in the 2022 South African Stroke Play Championship.

“I am extremely proud to have my name on that trophy again,” said Steenkamp. “When you think about having to win your Club Champs, then the regional final and then to beat a seriously strong field of players in the final, it is a real honour to be standing here as the GolfRSA Club Champion of Champions.”

How it works:

Finding the 2024 Club Champion of Champions

The GolfRSA Club Champion of Champions event pits the country’s club champions, across all divisions, against each other to determine the ultimate club champion golfer of the year. The winners are crowned Champion of Champions.

The GolfRSA Club Champion of Champions Tournament is open to golfers of all abilities and focuses on the ordinary club golfer, who makes such a valuable contribution to amateur golf in general.

For more information about the 2024 event, please contact Paul Adams on paul@golfnotions.co.za

It is simple for any golfer to participate: just enter your Club Championships!

Divisional Club Champions from all the Men’s and Ladies’ A, B and C Divisions, as well as the Caddie Division, are eligible to represent their golf club at the Regional Union Champions Final. Divisional Champions from all participating clubs in the region compete against their counterparts at these Regional Finals for a place in the team to participate in the National Finals and strive to be crowned the National Champion of their Division.

The regional champions are hosted by GolfRSA at the National Final. Competitors are invited to play a practice round if they wish, followed by 36 holes of tournament golf, with the format being Strokeplay for the A and B Divisions and Stableford for the remaining Divisions.

The 2021 GolfRSA Club Champion of Champions National Final

South Africa’s No 2-ranked Kiera Floyd put on a display of superb shot-making as she surged to a massive 10-stroke victory in the Ladies A Division of GolfRSA’s Club Champion of Champions tournament.

In the Men’s Division, things were a lot tighter, as former champion Bertie Steenkamp held on to beat Cole Cruickshank by a stroke to claim the A Division title.

With men’s and women’s club champions from three divisions represented, there was plenty to celebrate at Kyalami Country Club as the dust settled on another year-long tournament, where players who won their club championships progressed to a regional final, before qualifying for the National Final.

For the six winners, their titles represented a long journey from their club champs to being crowned the ultimate club champions of champions.

Floyd has been in great form in the latter part of the year, with three provincial titles since August. The 17-year-old club champion at Ebotse followed up her opening round of 74 with a stunning second round of 69 that saw her win by 10 strokes over first round leader Bronwyn Leigh Doeg from Pretoria Country Club. No 1-ranked Isabella van Rooyen from Clovelly finished in third, a further three shots back.

After lifting the trophy, Floyd admitted that a change in attitude saw her come out with a fresh approach on Day 2.

“Yesterday’s weather wasn’t great, and I grew a bit impatient, which really showed up in my putting,” she said. “I hit 16 greens in regulation, but I got frustrated when I couldn’t sink anything. Today I managed to stay patient and stay in the moment. I wasn’t thinking about winning, I just concentrated on each shot and I’m very happy to have come out on top.

“This is a big win for me because there is always such a strong field at the Champion of Champions Final. I’ve worked really hard on my game this year, so I’m delighted to get another big title under the belt.”

In the B Division, Mooinooi’s Madie Badenhorst claimed a narrow win over Standerton’s Patrizia Barnard, while Killarney’s Jessica Bennett claimed the honours in the C Division, winning by six points over Isabella Heber from King David Mowbray.

The Men’s A Division came down to a tight battle between Upington’s Steenkamp, the 2017 champion, and Cruickshank from Royal Cape. When Cruickshank’s birdie putt on the last agonisingly slipped by the hole, Steenkamp tapped in for a second win.

“It was tough out there today,” he explained. “I was pulling the ball left all day so that put pressure on my short game and I needed to chip and putt well.

“I am extremely proud to have my name on that trophy again. When you think about having to win your Club Champs, then the regional final and then to beat a seriously strong field of players in the final, it is a real honour to be standing here as the Club Champion of Champions.”

In the B Division, Schoeman Park’s Tokkie van der Westhuizen came from eight strokes back to beat overnight leader Glen Wynne from Polokwane, while Steenberg’s Jürgen Erhart claimed the C Division on 69 points, winning by one stroke over Koro Kreek’s Ernest du Plessis.

GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn was pleased to be able to run a full series of events after having to cancel the 2020 tournament due to COVID-19.

“The 2021 GolfRSA Club Champion of Champions event has been a great success,” he said. “I’m sure a lot of people will focus on the winners of the A Division, but I want to congratulate the winners across all six divisions.

“The majority of golf across the world is not played by the elite players, but by golfers across a wide spectrum of handicaps and we want to celebrate the Club Champions across every division.

“My thanks must go to Paul Adams for the running the tournament so successfully and to the team at Kyalami for putting on a tremendous event.”

Past champions

VenueA DivisionB DivisionC Division Caddie Division>
2023 - MenPecanwoodSean HowellGershwin TitusJaco de LangeThabiso Dijo
2023 - WomenPecanwoodGina da SilvaRusso Roberts-GouwsHerine van der Merwe
2022- MenKyalamiJP van der WattStevan SwartsGonaseelan ReddyThabiso Dijo
2022 - WomensKyalamiVicki TrautSanet PieterseMariette Smit
2021 - MenKyalamiBertie SteenkampTokkie van der WesthuizenJürgen Erhart
2021 - WomenKyalamiKiera FloydMandie BadenhorstJessica Bennett
2020No event due to COVID-19
2019 - MenZebulaRyan DreyerChristo HattinghMonty Botha
2019 - WomenZebulaKera HealeySuzan JacobsJoanie Herselman
2018 - MenGlendowerRu-Jean LessinghDomingos da ConceicaoBarend Saayman
2018- WomenGlendowerCaitlyn MacnabBronwyn Leigh DoegCarene le Roux
2017 - MenGlendowerBertie SteenkampJohan BrandTyrone Rees
2017 - WomenGlendowerCaitlyn MacnabAntoinette Human