GolfRSA’s 2024 Champion of Champions crowned at Pecanwood
The 2024 GolfRSA Champion of Champions National Final came to a thrilling conclusion with seven new champions delivered by The Courier Guy at Pecanwood Golf and Country Estate in October.
A-DIVISION
Luke Moore from Border and Southern Cape’s Isabella Ferreira both demonstrated their skill in windy conditions on the final day, emerging victorious in the A-Division contests at the seventh edition of the annual event held in the North West.
Moore, who posted a three-under-par 69 to tie for second on a crowded leaderboard after day one, started the final round just one shot behind overnight leader Jere Brits from Boland.
While Brits and other contenders struggled in the blustery weather, Moore – representing Olivewood Golf Estate – remained steady on the magnificent Jack Nicklaus signature course. After turning in one-over-par, he gained momentum with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, finishing with a round of 72 to win by two strokes.
“I didn’t expect this at the beginning of the week, but it feels great to be the Champion of Champions,” Moore expressed. “It’s such a unique tournament. The atmosphere is light and fun, but the competition is intense because everyone wants to win. On top of the great competition, we had a blast with The Courier Guy Hickory Golf experience, and attending the fitting with Alfred Sutton from Srixon | Cleveland was a real treat. It made the week even more special. Thanks to everyone involved for an amazing experience.”
Ferreira, who followed up a first-round 70 with a 73 in the final round, narrowly edged out first-round leader Cara Ford by one shot to claim victory in the women’s division. The 20-year-old member of George Golf Club was equally thrilled to lift the trophy.
“I really enjoyed the camaraderie and competitiveness of this tournament; it was a blast,” Ferreira shared. “It’s definitely one of the coolest events on the GolfRSA calendar. We were blown away by the extraordinary efforts Paul and Brit Adams put in to make sure it’s an incredible experience for everyone. Every aspect of the event was so well organized, and the course was absolutely brilliant!”
CADDIE DIVISION
Thabiso Dijo aimed for a hat-trick of titles, but despite a valiant effort, the Bryanston Country Club veteran could not match the performance of Daniel Joseph from Western Province.
“It turned out to be third time lucky for me,” said the 48-year-old Joseph, representing Clovelly Country Club. “I felt confident after tying with Thomas Msetle for the lead in the opening round, but he really made me work for it on the final day.”
Joseph and Msetle both opened with level-par rounds, securing a three-shot lead heading into the final round. Reflecting on his performance, Joseph said, “I think my experience playing in the wind made a difference on the final day.”
He managed to beat Msetle by two shots with a score of 76. “I didn’t play my best golf, but I stayed patient, and it paid off. This tournament is truly special, and it meant the world to have all the caddies celebrate this win with me. Thank you to GolfRSA for this incredible opportunity, and I hope to inspire even more caddies to participate in 2025.”
B-DIVISION
The B-Division saw two first-time champions emerge, as Mpumalanga’s Ewane Verschoot and North West’s Frans van der Berg both claimed victories on their debuts.
Skukuza Golf Club Ladies Champion Verschoot posted rounds of 81 and 80, narrowly defeating Karien Alberts from Wanderers by one shot. “I’m speechless. I was three shots behind after the first round, so the win was quite unexpected,” she said. “The first thing I thought was that I’ll have to win again next year, just so I can come back. I had such a great time, and this is definitely the highlight of my year.”
Meanwhile, Van der Berg delivered a stunning six-under-par 66 to open an eight-shot lead, remaining unchallenged on the final day. The Potch Landbou Golf Club member played the final round to par despite windy conditions, securing his title with ease. Johannes Lottering from Boland finished a distant second, eight shots behind.
“I’m over the moon,” Van der Berg expressed. “The tournament exceeded all my expectations, including me winning, and I’m thrilled I could contribute to North West finishing second in the team competition. It was an absolutely delightful event, and I’m determined to make a return trip in 2025.”
C-DIVISION
Both champions in the C-Division staged impressive comebacks to overtake the first-round leaders in the men’s and women’s Stableford competitions.
Janke Strauss of Drakensig Golf Club, competing in her second National Final, trailed by two points after an opening round of 36. However, the Limpopo golfer’s steady performance with a score of 37 in the final round clinched her the victory.
“I just wanted to come out here again, have fun, meet new people, and give it my best shot. I am absolutely delighted with the outcome. It’s been an awesome week. Hats off to GolfRSA, Paul Adams, and his team for their incredible effort,” Strauss shared.
In the men’s competition, Sean Cunningham from Eastern Province entered the final round four points behind the overnight leader, Francois Barnard. However, the Hankey golfer thrived in the windy conditions, posting a closing score of 37 to secure a four-point victory.
“There aren’t many opportunities for 18-plus handicappers to compete at this level,” said Cunningham. “I couldn’t believe it when I won the regional event to qualify for the national final, and now I get to go back to my club as a national champion. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, the high standard of competition, and the incredible effort that went into organising it.”
TEAM COMPETITION
Jere Brits, Crystal Beukes, Corrie Visagie, Marzanne van Lill, Taswald Koopman, Jane Grey and Johannes Nothling from Boland narrowly edged out North West for the win through a count-out after both teams finished with 345 points.
The best five out of six scores were counted for each team in both rounds, with the count-out determined by the score of the sixth player.
FINAL LEADERBOARDS (*first time participant)
A-DIVISION WOMEN TOP 5
143 Isabella Ferreira (George Golf Club, Southern Cape) 70 73
145 Cara Ford 69 76
148 Lucia Mhlabane 72 76
150 Crystal Beukes 77 73; Gina da Silva 72 78
A-DIVISION MEN TOP 5
141 Luke Moore (Olivewood Golf Estate, Border) 69 72
143 Wayne Melle 69 74; Clayton Mansfield 69 74; Jere Brits 68 75
146 Christy Raper 71 75
B-DIVISION LADIES TOP 5
161 Ewane Verschoor* (Skukuza Golf Club, Mpumalanga) 81 80
162 Karien Alberts 84 78
168 Marzanne van Lill 85 83; Branda-Lee Fredericks 80 88
172 Marinda Bandat 88 84; Lynn Slogrove 90 82
B-DIVISION MEN TOP 5
138 Frans van der Berg* (Potch Landbou Golf Club, North West) 66 72
146 Johannes Nothling 74 72
149 Edwin Boer 74 75
151 Jurie Jerling 76 75
152 Allan Bellamy 82 70
CADDIE DIVISION TOP 5
148 Daniel Joseph (Clovelly Country Club, Western Province) 72 76
150 Thomas Msetle 72 78
153 Thabiso Dijo 75 78
155 Taswald Koopman 76 79
164 Seun Maisa 89 75
C-DIVISION LADIES TOP 5
73 Janka Strauss (Drakensig Golf Club, Limpopo) 36 37
69 Letitia de Wet 34 35
68 Mariette Wood 38 30
64 Monica Renieri 34 30
63 Stacey Clemen 32 31
C-DIVISION MEN TOP 5
71 Sean Cunningham* (Hankey Golf Club, Eastern Province) 34 37
67 Thinus Colyn 37 30
66 Luke Shehab 36 30; Tom Low 28 38
64 Francois Barnard 38 26
TEAM COMPETITION
345 Boland 173 172
345 North West 185 160
341 Limpopo 166 175
339 Southern Cape 178 161; Central Gauteng 179 160
338 Mpumalanga 175 163
336 Western Province 170 166
330 Ekurhuleni 166 164
319 KwaZulu-Natal 154 165
317 Eastern Province 162 155
315 Gauteng North 162 153
314 Free State 153 161
296 Border 160 136
237 Northern Cape 119 118