Innehållsförteckning för May 2021 från Compleat Golfer

It’s not often that we have featured three Majors in the same month in this magazine but such has been the restructuring of the calendar after a Covid-ruined 2020 that we find ourselves highlighting two first-time Major champions - Patty Tavatanakit and Hideki Matsuyama. Who will win The PGA Championship? It’s anyone’s guess, but the first two Major winners have only been good for the sport globally. Asia has long been a producer of women’s Major champions but Matsuyama’s win at Augusta, although a long time coming, will have unleashed another generation of aspiring champions. It’s great for the sport! Elsewhere, we caught up with Justin Harding, who won his second event on the European Tour, the Kenya Open, having previously triumphed at the 2019 Qatar Masters. The South African…

The modern golf coach has more statistics and technology in their arsenal than grey hairs in the beard of Old Tom Morris. From TrackMan to 6D swing analysis, if you can hit it, you can trace it, track it, map it, stat it and plot the path to golf success down to the finest degree or inch. And yet, for celebrated golf coach Grant Veenstra, there is one element in all of this that technology cannot come close to matching. And it’s the most critical element that runs through everything he does as a coach. ‘Sitting around a fire in the bush,’ he says. ‘That’s the starting point for me.’ It sums up everything of the success Veenstra has had with his many clients, from Christiaan Bezuidenhout to Jayden Schaper…

THE BEST DRILLS ON THE PLANET One of the keys to a powerful golf swing, like we see in the world’s top players, is a full body turn in the backswing, moving your weight on to the right side (for right-handers) and coiling up power ‘behind’ the ball. From here, the top players are in a stable, loaded position that gives them the freedom to swing hard at the ball, moving their weight through to the left side as they generate maximum clubhead speed and distance with their drives. To get into the right position at the top of the swing, it is essential that you begin with the correct set-up. Notice the lines stuck to my chest – the vertical line represents the angle of my spine, while the…

OK, so Bryson DeChambeau has tilted the golfing planet on its axis. His cannons fired off the tee make him the most explosive player in the game and he has people stopping what they’re doing when he steps up to launch his Cobra King Radspeed. The driver is one that is featured this month, although the standard lofts of 9 degrees and 10.5 degrees don’t apply to the power-hitting American. He uses a 5-degree loft! Some players are even able to hit a driver off the ’deck’, as Thomas Pieters did at this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Belgian was in prime position off the tee on the 597-yard par-five 8th hole, but instead of laying up, he decided to go for the green with a driver and he…

This month’s tip might not be a complete gamechanger. However, it might just help you that little bit. Something I do a lot during a round of golf is change the height that I tee my ball up. It’s something I’ve done since I was a kid and has stayed with me. Varying the height of my tee has a massive impact on the way the ball flies. The main reason I make these slight adjustments is due to conditions. If I have a tricky headwind I’ll tee it up low. This helps me get more on top of the ball, making the ball flight almost half as high as normal. The opposite happens with a downwind. When I’ve got a puff from behind I’ll tee it up a little…

Jus tin Harding has always been big on taking opportunities when they come his way. He’s done that successfully throughout his golf career. But recently, when such an opportunity came his way in his personal life, he took it in much the same fashion. In fact, he moved continents for it. Or rather, for her. ‘Why the UK? That would probably be because of Leah,’ he says with a laugh when asked about his decision to relocate to Surrey. “We met through friends in London in 2019.1 had a week off and stayed in London to do a bit of sightseeing, and we hit it off and kept in touch.’ But his devotion to his career means the move also has obvious benefits in terms of travel arrangements. ‘I was…

The core musculature of the human body has one specific role – stabilisation. Stabilisation by definition is resisting movement. Any athlete wanting to train their core should be doing exercises that are anti-bending, anti-extending and anti-rotating. Why would a golfer want to resist rotation when the sport demands so much of it, you ask? It sounds counterproductive. Whether you’re looking to increase your clubhead speed, reduce the risk of injury around the lower back or just increase your strength and tone through the core muscles, training for anti-rotation is key. The primary reason this type of training is so important is that it helps a golfer create a more efficient transfer of force from the ground up through the body and out to the clubhead. That is, after all, why…

The National Squad system, launched in 2021 with a RlO-million donation from businessman Johann Rupert, aims to identify and nurture the country’s top amateur golfers. To date, a total of 23 Sunshine Tour players, two European Thur players, one Challenge Tour player and one Canadian Tour player have emerged from its ranks. This year. Royal Cape pair Isabella van Rooyen and Zara le Keur have joined the women’s squad, while Christopher Bagnall from State Mines and Beachwood’s Daniel Bennett have been called up to the men’s squad. Van Rooyen (18), is ranked sixth in the latest junior rankings and ninth in the open rankings. She finished sixth at the SA Women’s Stroke Play and won the KZN Amateur Match Play Championship, beating No l-ranked and reigning SA Women’s Amateur champion…

Els for Autism Mention Stellenbosch and you think beautiful mountains, wonderful wines and wineries, Maties sport, a thriving university and, of course, magnificent golf courses in the area. So, it was fitting that the first event on the Els for Autism 2021 calendar took place at Stellenbosch Golf Club, after which players were whisked off to the Ernie Els Winery for lunch and a sampling of South African golf’s finest son’s vintages. ‘It was just incredible to be able to get things going again after the horrific year we had in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic,’ said Nico van Rensburg, commercial manager of the Ernie Els Group in South Africa. ‘There was an 8:30am shotgun start and by 12:30 most of the players were in the clubhouse. They were then…

When Shaun Micheel arrived at Oak Hill Country Club for the 85th PGA Championship, all he wanted to do was make the cut. Some time between his arrival and Sunday evening. Micheel transformed. To win the PGA, it wasn’t enough for him to show a gambler’s guts or wield a laser for a putter. No. Micheel sealed the first victory of his journeyman career with a shot for the ages. Holding a one-shot lead, in the short left rough 174 yards from the 72nd hole Micheel rifled a 7-iron that headed straight at the pin tucked in the left front corner of the green. ‘I aimed just to the right of that pin,’ he said. ‘I figured anything to the right and to the back would give me a chance…

I find myself sitting on a plane, once again, thinking about what to write for you. This month’s topic was rather easy to come up with... the US college golf system. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is about this topic. Whether it be from curious parents or aspiring youngsters, I try to give them the most honest answer. I will do the same for you all now. There are so many different opinions about the US collegiate system. All of them have their own strong evidence to support their views. All I can do is use my own experience to guide my thoughts. The most important thing is clarity. You need to be clear in your mind and heart that the US is where you want…

2012 Zambia Open (1st) 2014 Zambia Open (T2nd) 2016 Capa Town Open (T2nd) 2018 Royal Cup (1st), Indonesia Open (1st), Investec Royal Swazi Open (1st), Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Golf (2nd), Zambia Open (2nd), Lombard Insurance Classic (1st), Eye of Africa PGA Championship (3rd) 2019 Qatar Masters (1st), Kenya Open (T2nd), The Masters (T12th), Dubai Desert Classic (T7th), ISPS Handa Vic Open (4th), Saudi International (T11th), AT&T Byron Nelson (T10th) 2020 British Masters (3rd), Andalucia Masters (T3rd) 2021 Kenya Open (1st)…

2 The number of times a South African has won The PGA Championship. Gary Player was the champion both times, in 1962 and 1972. 5 Only Rory McIlroy (2007 and 2014), Ben Hogan (1946), Byron Nelson (1945) and Henry Picard (1939) have won a PGA Tour event the week before going on to win The PGA Championship. Be sure to take that into consideration when doing your fantasy selections for 2021. 23 Since 1934, there have been 23 occasions when players on the PGA Tour have won the week before winning a Major. The last golfer to do this was the above-mentioned McIlroy (2014). Before that it was Tiger Woods in 2006 and 2007, and Phil Mickelson in 2006. Woods also did the back-to-back in 2000, while Vijay Singh achieved…

The recent Gauteng Championship highlighted an area of the rules that doesn’t often come into play, but when it does, it has some pretty big consequences. With Jbe Kruger in the lead and Neil Schietekat chasing him, the 18th was always going to have a big impact on the result. One of the unique features of the Ebotse Links course, where the tournament was played, is that the 8th, 9th, 17th and 18th holes all border a protected wetland area and lake. This has been declared a ‘no play zone’, so golfers are prohibited from playing from this area. Schietekat unfortunately hit his drive into this zone at a critical point in the tournament. The rules allow committees to define such a ‘no play zone’ as either an ‘abnormal course…

Golf RSA Men’s National Squad 2021 Amllkar Bhana, Carl Mwale, Casey Jarvis, Christiaan Burke, Christiaan Maas, Christo Lamprecht, *Christopher Bagnall, Cole Stevens, *Daniel Bennett, Dylan Melville, Fhbrizio de Abreu, Filip Sakota, Jayden Deltel, Jordan Duminy, Jordan Wessels, Jovan Rebula, Kian Rose, Kieron van Wyk, Kyle de Beer, Marno Lange, Martin Vorster, Nash de Klerk, Rorisang Nkosi, Ryan van Velzen, Samuel Simpson, Tyran Snyders, Werner Deyzel, Yurav Premlall, Zinan Maimane Golf USA Women’s National Squad 2021 Elite Squad Caitlyn Macnab, Kaylah Williams, Kiera Floyd, Megan Streicher, Samantha Whateley US-based Kaiyuree Moodley, Kaleigh Teller, Kajal Mistry, Symone Henriques B Squad Ineke Brynard, *Isabella van Rooyen, Kera Healey, Kyra van Kan, Stephanie Barbaglia Talent Identification Squad Anika Smit, Chloe Malgas-Kelpin, Ellandri van Heerden, Kesha Louw, Lucia Mhlabane, Tebogo Lefifi, *Zara le Keur *Denotes…

When did you start playing golf and what is your handicap? My golf started way back when I was a youngster in South Africa, probably around the age of 15 or 16.1 don’t have an official handicap, but I’m a fairly consistent 20. Which means I’m hardly consistent and sometimes play like a 20, a 12 or a 34. What are the courses like in Germany? We have some top-quality courses. It’s difficult to compare to South Africa, though, because we are really spoiled for choice there. Do any of your teammates play? Lots of us at Harvestehuder play golf, but not many will be names you have heard back at home! You have a career full of great hockey memories, but what is your best golf memory? The one…

There can be little doubt that the role of golf director at Sun City must be one of the most demanding jobs in the South African golf industry at the best of times. Throw in the complications of a global pandemic playing havoc with local and international tourism and you’d be grateful to have one of the best in the business filling the role. Fortunately for Sun International, they have that in PGA professional Ken Payet helping steer the ship through these choppy waters. Payet’s second stint at Sun City came 24 years after he arrived at the North West resort as an eager-to-learn rookie. In the years between, the man and position had grown substantially. ‘I first moved to Sun City in 1993,’ he says. ’I was the pro…

I grew up in this game ‘getting away with it’, always relying more on natural ability than the all-important ‘grind’ or the hours required in the gym to be a great player. Looking back, the warning signs were always there. 1 simply managed to avoid them by finding a side road, and was somehow able to keep ticking boxes along the way Sixteen years later, though, the journeyman golfer in me is tired, waning, reflecting and sharing ways to avoid a similar fate. Most events we journeymen watch on TV often feature players with whom we have teed off and competed against Sometimes even beaten It is and will always be the most fascinating part of the television coverage for me. to watch a player coming down the stretch looking…