Ken Borland

PORT EDWARD (KwaZulu-Natal) – Defending champion Pieter Moolman continued his phenomenal hot streak at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club on Friday, shooting an excellent seven-under-par 63 to claim the lead after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast event.

Moolman leads by one stroke over Ricky Hendler, with the Benoni golfer overcoming a slow start after beginning his round on the 10^th, being one-over after six holes. But Moolman then birdied 16, 17 and 18, before a remarkable front nine in which he collected five birdies – at the second, third, fifth, seventh and eighth holes.

The 33-year-old Moolman shot a 62 in his last tournament at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club, his fantastic final-round effort lifting him to tied-fifth in the SunBet Challenge event here in July. And last year Moolman shot a 64 in the final round to win the Vodacom Origins of Golf event in a playoff, while he was also the runner-up in the 2022 SunBet Challenge tournament held here.

“I can’t exactly explain it, but I’m just happy here,” Moolman said. “It feels like home. I really enjoy the layout and I just seem to know what to hit on whatever hole and whatever the wind. I just think I’m comfortable here no matter which way the wind blows, and you always play a little better when you like being somewhere.

“I hit some good shots coming in on my front nine after I started a bit slow. Starting on the 10^th was a bit tough because we were into the wind and it was blowing hard. I didn’t play badly, but I just missed a couple of up-and-downs on 11 [bogey 4] and 12 [par 5].

“I just tried to keep giving myself opportunities and this course is really about whoever makes the putts, and that was a bonus today. I was then really steady on my back nine, my tee-shots weren’t bad and I hit some good irons. It’s all about giving yourself the best chance when you are out of position, it’s more about where you miss than hitting perfect golf shots. On the weekend, I will just keep doing what I always do around here,” Moolman said.

A trio of golfers who also live far away from the coast also excelled on Friday, as did an overseas golfer.

Hendler, from Dainfern in Johannesburg, posted a 64, his lowest ever score on the Sunshine Tour. He also started on the 10^th but was out of the blocks straight away with birdies on his first two holes. In a wonderful round of bogey-free golf, Hendler collected further birdies on the 16^th, 18^th, first and ninth holes.

Veteran Trevor Fisher Jnr from Modderfontein had bogeys on the par-four second and par-five 12^th holes, but gathered five birdies and an eagle on the 492m par-five 16^th, to post a 65 and finish in the tie for third.

Gerhard Pepler of Mogol Golf Club in Limpopo dropped just one shot, on the 168m par-three 13^th, but also eagled 16 and made four other birdies to also shoot 65.

The other golfer to shoot 65 was Scotsman Craig Ross, who was also bogey-free.

Brittney-Fay Berger was the leading women’s golfer with a 71.

PORT EDWARD (KwaZulu-Natal) – Neelesh Sitlu very nearly retired injured after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast Pro-Am, but the 16-handicapper from Mount Edgecombe Estate bravely soldiered on in the second round on Thursday and ended up winning the competition alongside professional Pierre Pellegrin.

Sitlu and Pellegrin, along with Pride Sembo who was the professional partner in the first round, notched 87 points, two points more than the team of Albert Venter, James Pennington and amateur Marvela Sithole.

Sitlu only started playing golf two years ago and was appearing in his first pro-am, and his victory was even more remarkable considering his injury.

“On the first day I was trying to out-drive the pros from our forward tees, but I ended up pulling or tearing something in my right arm. I barely slept, I was buying ice for my arm, using towels soaked in hot water and I even called my Dad, who is a GP, and my cousin, who is a physio, for advice.

“This morning I could barely move my arm, but then one of the pros said I shouldn’t be using my right arm much anyway, I should be pulling with my left arm. So I focused on that and I had my best round ever, my lowest score,” Sitlu revealed.

The business analyst and software developer in the health services sector had nothing but praise for professional partners Sembo and Pellegrin, and they in turn said Sitlu was the perfect gentleman.

“Playing in my first pro-am, I was quite nervous because I didn’t really know how you are meant to play with a professional. But they were so calm and welcoming, it was like playing with a friend, just a 100 times better golfer! They are so disciplined and they were both exactly what you’d imagine a pro to be,” Sitlu said.

“He was very fun to play with, a very good partner,” Pellegrin said of Sitlu. “It was a good day in an amazing place, we combined perfectly together and to win was just a bonus. Our job as pros is to make the amateurs happy, and I really enjoy playing in pro-ams because you meet new people from around the country and make connections.

“I’m always grateful to play in a pro-am because it’s a way of thanking the sponsors, who make it possible for us to play golf,” Pellegrin said.

The Mauritian is playing his second full season on the Sunshine Tour and says the pivotal difference as he finds his feet on the prestigious tour that is continually churning out fresh generations of bright Southern African talent, is that he knows what to expect.

“I managed to retain my card after my first season and now I know what to expect, especially in terms of how I manage external things like travel and accommodation, I’m doing that much better now.

“I’m very happy with where my golf is at, I’m doing okay, although any golfer always feels they can do better. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and I played well in the pro-am, but it will be a tougher set-up for the tournament proper.

“I’ve played a couple of times at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club and it is in great condition. But this course is my nemesis, I haven’t had my best results here. You’ve got to know how to score around here and I’m always up for the challenge. Plus I can take some confidence from winning the pro-am,” Pellegrin said.

PORT EDWARD (KwaZulu-Natal) – Joseph Kunene has been a successful SA Golf Development Board coach for 25 years and on Thursday his newest clutch of eager youngsters was on display at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club as they took part in one of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series’ development clinics.

Kunene’s current brood comprises 30 children, split evenly between the Durban, Margate and Wild Coast areas, and aged between eight and 14 years old. His previous groups have included wonderful success stories like Siyanda Mwandla, the ex Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation member, and fellow professionals Thanda Mavundla and Sabelo Majola.

“I am currently managing the SAGDB programme in KwaZulu-Natal and I have been a coach for them since 1999, when I applied for the post of development officer with the KZN Golf Union,” Kunene explains.

“Players like Thanda Mavundla, who is playing in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Pro-Am today, and Siyanda Mwandla and Sabelo Majola have all come through this programme.

“But for the last three years I have been focused on mass participation more, starting from scratch again. These kids are still in the beginning stages and the better ones in this group are like a 21-handicap. But for all the kids, these clinics are a real eye-opener because they see professionals in the flesh, coaching them. They’re not just seeing them on TV and it gives them hope. One day their wish will hopefully be to become a professional as well.”

Kunene started playing the game when he was 14 years old in Newcastle, working as a caddy at the Durnacol Golf Club. His excellence saw him become the club’s strokeplay and matchplay champion between 1994 and 1998. Kunene also showed his willingness to give back as he served on the club’s executive committee as the vice-captain for two years.

“I discovered that I loved the game and then I applied for the development officer job, and in my 25 years with the SA Golf Development Board, I have travelled all over KZN. But it’s your passion for the game that drives you, Kunene says.

PORT EDWARD (KwaZulu-Natal) – The Vodacom Origins of Golf Series is at Wild Coast Sun Country Club this week, a perilously rugged course, and young contender Jonathan Broomhead says it is important for him to bring his best game for the challenge.

Fortunately Broomhead is in good touch of late, having ended in the top-10 last week, further up the east coast at the SunBet Challenge Sun Sibaya event, and the 23-year-old has had five other top-10 finishes this season, including being the runner-up at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Highland Gate tournament. He is currently seventh on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, the same position he finished last season, speaking to the consistency the Durban Country Club player is producing.

“At the Wild Coast, you always hope that you’re going to be on the better side of the weather, because it can get really nasty around here. You can’t come here with expectations, you just have to try and play your game. When the wind blows, you can only focus more on what you can control, play according to your game-plan, make sure you stick to that,” Broomhead said.

“You have to make sure your golf is where it needs to be when you come here because it is a very tough course. You need to manage yourself and play the course as it is. You have to stay patient because you can get bad bounces every now and then; you can quickly be two or three over and scrambling. But if you make a putt or two, then you can ride that momentum.

“Last week was nice for me; I struggled a bit for the first two rounds but then had a good third round of 67. My game is heading in the right direction, it’s in a nice place, but there are still a few things to improve on. I just need to take every opportunity and try and keep going with that momentum,” Broomhead said.

Broomhead’s mature approach and comfort in the wind mark him out as one of the main threats in this R2 million event, which is the third leg of the series and the last before the final at Oubaai from November 14-17.

Veteran Jean Hugo was the runner-up in the SunBet Challenge event held here last season and pipped Broomhead to the Vodacom Origins of Golf title at Highland Gate, while the seasoned MJ Viljoen is fifth on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

The experienced Heinrich Bruiners, a member of the Sunshine Tour’s Papwa Sewgolum Class, is also in great form, having finished fifth in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen event last month and fourth last week at Umhlali Country Club, while Pieter Moolman is the defending champion and has a couple of other recent top-five finishes at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club.