South African golf legend Gary Player will captain this country’s first Olympic golf team in Rio next year.
This was announced at a golf day at Soweto Country Club yesterday, with Player’s upcoming 80th birthday celebrated, as well as the 50th anniversary of him completing the Grand Slam in the 1965 US Open.
“This is a great honour and the icing on the cake in my career,” said the “Black Knight” who has won over 165 tournaments worldwide, including nine Majors, nine Senior Majors and a Senior Slam as well.
In an address prior to tee-off, Player said it is the dream of every sportsman and sportswoman to win an Olympic medal and now this has become a reality in golf. “What an incentive this is for South Africans to play well and earn a place in the Rio line-up,” he exclaimed, before paying tribute, among others, to Soweto stalwarts Vincent Tshabalala, the 1976 French Open champion whose career coincided with his own, Theo Manyama, now one of the world’s top rules officials, and struggle veteran and self-confessed “golf nut” Andrew Mlangeni.
The energetic veteran of the fairways then headed out to Soweto CC’s par-3 17th hole – a tricky hole as it’s all of 198m and the wind was blowing yesterday – and played the hole (exceptionally well by the way) alongside each fourball that passed through, encouraging everyone.
“Great swing, “ he said to 28-year-old Bella Modisha, the first woman to coach professionally at the Gary Player Golf Experience at the World of Golf. Modisha was part of a powerhouse Soweto CC fourball that included club captain David Dikobe, club champion Jonas Molefi and 19-year-old professional Godfrey Mphaga who campaigns on the IGT and Big Easy Tours, hits 300 balls every day before playing 36 holes, has shot 64 around Soweto CC and dreams of being Soweto’s own Tiger Woods.
Playing behind them was 45-year-old grandmother Connie Seatlholo, both the women’s club captain and club champion at Soweto CC – a real achiever. And Player had a word for 10-year-old Jabulani Ndlovu, after seeing the youngster’s picture perfect swing. “You’ll be a champion one day, son.”
For both men and women, the top-15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players will be eligible based on the rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15. The format is fields of 60, and 72-hole individual stroke play. And with the “Black Knight” urging them on, our golfers could well be gunning for medals.