First of all I want to congratulate Jordan Spieth on winning the TOUR Championship, the FedEx Cup and returning to the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings. All in all, a nice week’s work!
He’s an impressive young man and obviously he has a lot of game. He and my fellow RBC golfing ambassador Jason Day have been the dominant players this year, with Jason also winning five times and achieving his dream of becoming World No.1. He’s had a phenomenal year, too.
I was very honored to collect the 2015 Payne Stewart Award on the Tuesday evening in Atlanta (pictured above). Everyone knows how much respect and admiration I had for Payne and also for what this award stands for and I applaud the Southern Company for continuing this legacy to him. Honestly, it was the most unbelievable feeling to stand up and collect this award in front of my wife Liezl, Payne’s wife Tracey and daughter Chelsea, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem (above left), Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning (above right), and some of my friends from the PGA TOUR – including many great players from the past and present. It was very special and truly a day to remember.
Actually it’s one of those occasions, which causes you to pause and reflect on your career a little bit. When drafting my speech it made me think back to where it all started, back home in South Africa, coming out of military service and turning professional with all the dreams you have of winning tournaments and Major Championships.
Today there are many good platforms for developing young talent and I was pleased to see some great golf being played recently at the Big Easy Sunshine Tour Championship at The Els Club Copperleaf. That is one of those big weeks you have as a young player, where you’re trying to get your hands on the trophy, but almost more importantly trying to secure a Sunshine Tour card for 2016, awarded to the top-five players on this year’s Order of Merit. ‘It begins here’ is the slogan for the Sunshine Tour and I’d say equally so for the Big Easy Tour, established in 2011, as it represents a great springboard for these young up-and-coming players.
So, congratulations to tournament winner Daniel Hammond; he won the trophy and his Tour card. Well done also to the other four players who won their Tour cards – Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Gideon Pienaar, Michael Palmer and Bryn Flanagan. With some pride we have to give particular mention to Christiaan, as he’s a former member of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation. Christiaan’s played some great golf in his rookie year, with two wins and then just losing in the playoff at Els Club Copperleaf. He’s doing a nice job starting to follow in the footsteps of other former members such as Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace. We wish Christiaan and the other Tour graduates continued success.
For me, well as I said, I’ve been working hard on my fitness and my golf game in recent weeks. My fall schedule has started to take shape nicely. We’re at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland this week and, as always, playing those three great links courses – St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns – is a wonderful prospect, especially if the weather is kind to us. Also, after flying over from the States and before leaving for Scotland I was lucky enough to get to watch the Springboks play at Villa Park in Birmingham in the Rugby World Cup, something that I always love to do when possible. Great to see them get a win.
Anyway, after the Dunhill I have a week off and then we head onto the Venetian Macao Open. Soon after that I’ll be starting my 2016 PGA TOUR campaign at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur. That then takes us into November and on to Australia for The Masters for the first time since 1994. I have many fond memories of playing in that great country, not least a Presidents Cup team win in 1998 and my three wins in the Heineken Classic from 2002-04. Those beautiful sandbelt courses around Melbourne are among my favourite places in the world to play golf and I’m going to really enjoy going back there.
Another favourite place of mine is Anahita, our signature design golf course that opened in 2008 on the beautiful island of Mauritius. Last week we heard the exciting news that it has been announced as the venue for the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the only worldwide tri-sanctioned tournament by the European, Sunshine and Asian Tours. We’re so proud of this golf course. The ocean-side setting, combined with the beautiful Four Seasons Resort, makes it a truly magical place. When Anahita hosted the Mauritius Golf Masters in 2010-11 the players absolutely loved it and I’m sure they will in next year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. This photo (below) gives you a taste of what’s in store for them.
Finally, I can report that our team is now putting the finishing touches to the latest Big Easy Winebar & Grill located at the Hilton Durban, which opens its doors next Monday, October 5th. The whole ethos of the Big Easy Winebar & Grill is showcasing a seasonally driven menu combining fresh-from-the-grill food and local specialties in a fun, relaxed environment; somewhere to enjoy time with friends and family over a great bottle of wine and a meal. That’s what I tend to look for in a dining experience, so this is my kind of restaurant in every sense. We’re also delighted to partner with one of the world’s most iconic hotel brands, Hilton, and in Durban we have another wonderful location with its laid-back vibe and idyllic weather. Altogether it’s a great fit and we’re sure this will be as successful as our existing Big Easy Winebar & Grill outlets in Stellenbosch and at The Els Club Dubai. Hopefully we’ll see you at one of these places soon!
Okay, that’s it for now. Follow me on Twitter @TheBig_Easy.
