Meet GolfRSA Rising Star Christiaan Maas

 

GolfRSA National Squad member Christiaan Maas

His four goals for 2019 was to win a junior event, break into the top five of the Under-19 Rankings, make the SA group for Italy and get chosen for the GolfRSA National Squad….

He won the Dimension Data Junior Open in wire-to-wire style, shot to 8th in the Junior Rankings, is bound for the Reply Italian Under-16 Championship and his meteoric rise in the Junior and Open Amateur rankings recently earned him a spot in the 2019/2020 GolfRSA National Squad.

He is 3 for 4 and it’s only August!! Meet GolfRSA rising star Christiaan Maas.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Pretoria Country Club – Club Champion 2019
Two Hole-in-One’s at Pretoria Country Club
2019 Dimension Data Junior Open champion
Runner-up finish – 2019 Limpopo Open (lost in 7-hole play-off)
Runner-up finish – 2019 Nomads SA Boys Under-17 Championship

GOLFRSA RANKINGS
Junior – 8th
Open Amateur – 20th

Christiaan Maas from Pretoria Country Club in action during the 2019 Nomads SA Boys U-17 Championship

MY JOURNEY WITH GOLF STARTED….
I first picked up a golf club when I was two and a half years old. My dad got me started and he coached me. I only started taking golf seriously when I turned seven. That was the year Louis Oosthuizen won the British Open and bought a John Deere tractor. I used to know every single tractor, from the age of three, and I still do. So I knew the only way I was going to buy a John Deere tractor was to win a tournament.

MY ROLE MODEL
I admire Tiger Woods – how good he was and still is. The shots he pulled at certain moments in his career were unbelievable.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
My strengths are chipping, putting and bunker shots and I hit my irons well. The two things I’m working on is my driving (especially with the 3-wood) and fairway bunker shots

BEST AND WORST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
I went to Durban to play in the KZN Amateur and I stayed with one of my friends in a suite at the Umhlanga Sands Hotel. It was brilliant! My worst experience was when I shared a room with two friends in a Sun 1 Hotel during the Free State Open. It was horrible!

TOURNAMENT YOU MOST WANT TO WIN
The Masters

Christiaan Maas

THINGS YOU DIDN”T KNOW ABOUT CHRISTIAAN
I love to play X-box and table tennis with my friends.
I put tomato sauce on all meat.
I love watching Netflix series whilst in bed.
I love horse riding on the farm and herding cattle.
My favourite home-cooked meal is pasta with tomato sauce.
My favourite sports were rugby and cricket. I made the first teams in Grade 6 and 7 and also got Provincial Colours for hockey in Grade 7.

WHAT SONG WOULD THEY PLAY FOR YOU AT THE FIRST TEE?
The Masters theme song

WHAT’S ON THE BUCKET LIST
Skydiving
To go skiing in the French Alps
Play Royal County Down in Ireland

THREE MUST-HAVE ITEMS IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON AN ISLAND?
A Lob-wedge, a golf ball and 5 litres of water

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN ONE WORD
Dedicated

Christiaan Maas at St Francis Links during the 2019 Nomads SA Boys Under-17 Championship

WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE EVER EATEN
Snails

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE GROWING UP?
Pro Golfer

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR IF YOU WERE GRANTED THREE WISHES
My own top class golf course, a full TaylorMade sponsorship and a bunch of X-box golf games

BESIDES GOLF, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOOD AT?
Horse riding

WHO WOULD BE IN YOUR DREAM PAIRING?
The 3 best golfers ever – Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus

WHICH ACTOR WOULD YOU PICK TO PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE?
Alex O’Loughlin (Steve in Hawaii Five-O)

WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO CLUB AND WHY?
2 Iron low cut, easy to hit straight

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Snakes

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUNGSTERS JUST STARTING THE GAME?
You have to practice very hard and be patient

WHAT’S IN THE BAG?
TaylorMade M3 driver & 3-wood
Titleist driving iron
Ping irons 3 & PW
Titleist lob-wedge & sand-wedge
Scotty Cameron putter