A History of South African Golf - (Part 2)
Modern greats such as Ernie Els and Retief Goosen have continued South Africa’s proud tradition of producing some of the world’s best golfers, including the likes of Bobby Locke and Gary Player.
Now the current crop led by Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman and Tim Clark are proving once again that South African golfers are as good as any from the United States and Britain, if not better.
Perhaps the most famous South African golfer today is ‘The Big Easy’, Ernie Els. He earned his nickname for his height (he stands at 6ft 3in), his easy-going demeanour and effortless golf swing which somehow manages to propel the ball over 300 metres.
Els burst onto the golfing scene by becoming the youngest ever winner of South African Amateur Championship, breaking the record previously held by Gary Player. He turned professional in 1989 and by 1992 was heading the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
In 1994 he won the first of his three majors at the U.S. Open, after a gruelling playoff and sudden death round. He travelled widely during his early career, a trend which he has kept up to this day. He has won titles in Dubai, Japan, the United States,
Europe and at home in South Africa.
In 2002 he won the Open Championship in extremely difficult conditions, fending off four other players in a playoff. In 2003 he won the Henry Vardon Trophy for topping the European Order of Merit list. The following year he won the WGC American Express Championship
and the World Match Play Championship for a record sixth time. This marked the beginning of the Big Five Era; where the game of golf was dominated by Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
From 2005 onwards Els suffered a slump in form, it was a period marked with success, disappointments and injuries. He finished as a runner up in six majors, often behind Tiger Woods, and remained winless for almost three and a half years on the PGA Tour.
He also had a barren run on the European and Sunshine Tours for over two years.
Recently his career has seen a resurgence with wins at the WGC-CA Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf and the South African Open. In 2010 he was elected to the Golf Hall of Fame and will be inducted in 2011.
Like Els, Retief Goosen too started playing golf at a very young age. Goosen won 30 titles during his amateur career and was awarded with the Springbok colours in recognition. He turned professional after winning the South African Amateur Championship in
1990. After a number of wins at the Sunshine Tour he joined the European Tour in 1996. He won four titles in four years, and in 1997 finished seventh on the Order of Merit list and fifth in 1999.
In 2001 Retief won his first U.S. Open in a dramatic playoff. In the same year he topped the European Order of Merit list, and entered the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings. He won his second major at the U.S. Open in adverse conditions, which many argued
was unfair. After suffering a slump in form in 2007 and 2008, he came in with a new approach in 2009 with a new swing coach and fitness regime. He won at the African Open and the Transitions Championship, his seventh win on the PGA Tour, and finished in the
top ten eight times. He continued this form into 2010, with three consecutive top 10 finishes. Despite suffering from multiple injuries mid-season, he still managed to finish 20 times in the top ten.
Besides their individual records, South African golfers have fared extremely well at the Alfred Dunhill Cup and the World Cup of Golf. The Els-Goosen-Frost team won the Alfred Dunhill Cup in both 1997 and 1998, while the Els-Goosen team won the World Cup
of Golf in 2001. In 2003 South Africa again won the Cup, but this time it was Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman who led the charge.
South Africa has the courses, the weather, the Sunshine Tour and some of the best golfers in the world. This year the South Africans won the Open Championship, the WGC-CA Championship and the Players Championship; three of the nine most prestigious events
in golf. With a healthy local tour, rest assured South Africa will continue to produce golfing greats as it has in the past.
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