Here’s an update on all my latest news both on and off the golf course. There’s plenty to get through!
First of all, a brief recap on the tournament scene. Just a couple of events played since we got back from Malaysia at the end of March, the Valero Texas Open and the RBC Heritage. Two great events, two wonderful venues, but not the results I’d have expected. My game wasn’t far off, though, and the form’s been decent these past few months so I remain upbeat about my prospects for a strong summer.
I’ll be in action again at this week’s Zurich Classic, partnering with Trevor Immelman in this unique pairs event. Really looking forward to that. Then I’ll tee it up in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, another of my favourite golf courses on the PGA TOUR. Beyond that, we’ve yet to properly decide.
So, the big news for me this past month was signing as a global brand ambassador for PUMA. It’s an exciting deal, being part of a young team of TOUR players, and I really love the product. I’ve been wearing PUMA shoes since the start of the year and honestly I feel like it’s really been a factor in me catching some form. I feel more grounded with these shoes, like it’s giving me a firmer foundation in my swing. What I also like is the shoe combines stability with lightness and comfort. That’s a tough trick to pull off, but the guys at PUMA have nailed it. Looking ahead, we’ll be working on some new colour-ways and styles of future PUMA golf shoes, which will be a fun and rewarding process for me.
Moving on to foundation news, this year’s Els for Autism Golf Challenge is now open for registration. The series started earlier this month in Texas at Fazio Foothills Golf Course, followed by a stop at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. A very successful couple of days, I’m told, so thank you to everyone who took part and, of course, to our host venues. We appreciate your support. There are many more wonderful venues on the schedule, which runs between now and September. Everything you need to know is here: http://e4agolf.com/Locations/Event-Schedule.
Back home in South Africa, the Els for Autism series of golf days is up and running, with three well-supported events being held in recent months. For the first time we visited Heron Banks, a beautiful new estate golf course on the Vaal River. They’d had torrential rain all week, but luckily the skies cleared for the one day that we were there! Many thanks to our custodian, Robert Lance, and congrats to the day’s winners, Anton Van Damme and Gibs Gerber with 49 points.
The next stop was Saint Francis Links and it was great to be back there again at one of the best golf courses in South Africa. Jendamark and Siegfried Lokotsch were our sponsors for the day and, as always, Jeff Clause did a great job as host. On a breezy day, the scores were impressive, with Johan Potas and Morné Schultz coming out on top with 47 points. I hear it was a fantastic night and a record-breaking fundraising effort, so big thanks to everyone involved.
A few weeks later we were back in Namibia at Omeya Golf Estate, the day sponsored by Nedbank. Dan Zwiebel was our custodian for the day; big thanks to him and to all the staff at Omeya. The course was in immaculate condition and our winners, C Schoeman and D Jansen, took the honours with a fantastic score of 48 points. A great night followed at the superb AM Weinberg Hotel in Windhoek.
Series organiser, and my old friend, Nico Van Rensburg always has great things to say about this series and it’s so nice for me to hear this kind of feedback. Once again, thank you to everyone who has taken part in the 2019 series so far. There’s lots more to come. Check out the poster below, which has all the important details. As always, many thanks to Imperial KWS Logistics for their continued sponsorship and support. Much appreciated guys!
Okay, that’s it for now. Follow me on Twitter @TheBig_Easy.
