Sunshine Tour shows off SA golf’s great young talent

The Sunshine Tour’s past season was indeed a reflection of its new slogan, #Gr8nessBeginsHere, as it offered up a wealth of new talent in South African golf.

Leading the way here was Sunshine Tour rookie of the year Garrick Higgo. It took the 20-year-old golfer only three months after securing his Sunshine Tour card to win his first tournament by claiming the Sun City Challenge.

Then he achieved his next goal of winning a major tournament on the summer leg of the tour with his Tour Championship victory last month.

The timing is perfect for the young star, who now embarks on his first full season in the European Challenge Tour, and it shouldn’t be long before he has qualified for the main European Tour.

The 22-year-old Thriston Lawrence was another young star who made his breakthrough on the tour by winning the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Stellenbosch Golf Club.

It was a major step in the right direction for a golfer who was one of the country’s top amateurs before he turned professional, but who struggled to take that next step in his career. Lawrence enjoyed his best season to date with several close finishes before his breakthrough in Stellenbosch, and finished the season ranked fifth on the Sunshine Tour order of merit.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am continued his rise in world golf. This Sunshine Tour victory helped him break into the top 50 in the world rankings for the first time in his career, and he’ll be expecting to start competing in the bigger events and also making his presence felt in the majors this year.

Wilco Nienaber’s rookie season on the Sunshine Tour was a strong one as he’s kept his playing privileges for the next season. Much was expected from one of the country’s top amateurs when he turned professional, and the 19-year-old came close to a maiden title when he finished second in the Limpopo Championship. He earned enough in the six tournaments he played to finish the season ranked 19th on the order of merit, and is possibly one of the biggest hitters in world golf.

This past season also saw the emergence of teenager Jayden Schaper in the professional ranks. The highly talented amateur impressed all as he challenged for the South African Open title at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg, eventually finishing in a share of sixth place. The 18-year-old turned professional thereafter and, although it’s still early days in his career, he is expected to be another future star.

Branden Grace’s victory in the South African Open was a welcome return to form for a player who should be in the top 20 – if not the top 10 – in the world.

Toto Thimba Jnr’s win in the KCB Karen Masters in Kenya was a massive breakthrough for the Gary Player Class, the Sunshine Tour’s talent identification programme that assists historically disadvantaged golfers with their careers. Thimba and Keenan Davidse are members of this class, and both ended the season ranked within the top 50 on the Sunshine Tour’s order of merit. Dylan Naidoo, another member of the class, also made quiet but steady progress this past season and finished 37th on the final order of merit.

Toto Thimba Jnr won the KCB Karen Masters in Kenya. Picture: CARL FOURIE / SUNSHINE TOUR / GALLO IMAGES

Haydn Porteous returned home in search of inspiration, and his second-place finish in the Tour Championship should do his confidence the world of good as he seeks to regain his form on the European Tour following a frustrating few years.

Both Deon Germishuys and James Hart du Preez continue to mature in their professional careers. Germishuys had three top 10s and came close to a win when he finished runner-up to Lawrence in the Vodacom Origins of Golf in Stellenbosch. Du Preez enjoyed the same number of top 10s, including a two-tournament stretch, in which he finished third and second.

The new partnership with the European Challenge Tour, which resulted in the three tournaments of the Limpopo Championship, the Cape Town Open and the Dimension Data Pro-Am being co-sanctioned, was another positive step for the Sunshine Tour as it continues to provide opportunities for South African golfers to progress to the world’s major tours.

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