Table of contents for February 2022 in Compleat Golfer

‘King Louis’ added two more runner-up positions to his list of Major achievements in 2021 and he is confident of providing his supporters with more to cheer in 2022. Apart from Oosthuizen, we keep the ‘top 10’ theme going by introducing readers to two new names in the elite of the men’s World Ranking. The American Sam Burns reached No 10 in the first rankings of 2022, nudging Oosthuizen down to No 11, before Australian Cameron Smith came through to win in Hawaii. He then rose to No 10, pushing Burns down to No 11 and Oosthuizen to No 12. We have a feeling all three are going to have a say at the Majors this year. Smith, in particular, was making headlines because of his ‘business at the front,…

6 December 2021 I am grateful for so many things right now. These last 7 months have been a tough emotional rollercoaster. Having struggled with back injuries, not knowing if I was going to be able to play in these great events. It turned out at the end to be very special. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people close to me who have helped me through my struggles, without you this would not have been possible Congratulations to @sunshinetourgolf and @south_african_open for putting up yet again another world class event and also for the opportunity to play this week. This has been such a fun week and I can truly say I enjoyed every second of it Can’t wait to get out there again!…

THE BEST DRILLS ON THE PLANET When it comes to getting a good feeling for the correct chipping technique, one of the best tips I’ve ever come across is to use the idea of practising your chipping stroke using a broom. This may sound Like a cunning trick to get you to do more housework, but that sweeping motion you employ is similar to what you should be using for those short shots around the greens. Let me explain it all in a little more detail, with some images to illustrate. So many amateur golfers struggle with chipping because they can’t resist the urge to flip their hands at impact and try to scoop the ball into the air. The result, unfortunately, is often a chunked chip or a shot…

Last year, in this column, I wrote that I had sympathy for Charlie Woods, That he’d be unlikely to live an ’anonymous’ life given the fact he’s the son of Tiger and that he seems to have embarked on a golf career. His father made his television debut at the age of three and has been in the spotlight ever since Just like a real-life Truman Burbank in the 1998 movie The Truman Show. Which meant that when he had a meltdown in his personal life, it unravelled in the public glare. Every subsequent high and low has been captured in high definition but now. finally. Tiger is comfortable And happy And genuinely accepting of those members of society he previously regarded as some sort of ocean bottom-feeders – the…

Despite the official Els for Autism final at Sun City taking place in November last year, the organisation still managed to squeeze in a St Francis Links golf day and an E4A Invitational over the festive period to sign off. The strong finish means players and sponsors can expect another enthralling year of golf in 2022 with the extra stops in Plettenberg Bay, Westlake, Bloemfontein and Prince’s Grant set to provide a new challenge. PLAY YOUR PART If you cannot be involved in the series, you can still donate to Ernie’s most treasured cause. Bank: Investec Branch: Sandton Branch code: 580105 Account no: 50006458816 Account name: Els for Autism Charitable Foundation Reference: [INSERT NAME] – Donation HOW CAN READERS HELP? Els for Autism funds its centre mainly through golf days.…

At what age did you start playing golf? I was a junior member at Durban Country Club. My dad used to go there in the late afternoons and I would join him as a 12-year-old. We would play nine to 12 holes in the twilight or go to the range here and there, and when I came to boarding school in England when I was 15, I also played for the Harrow School team. There was a nice little nine-hole course at the school. Why do you enjoy golf? I don’t think I know a cricketer who doesn’t play golf! It’s a nice way to connect with teammates when you’re on tour and get your mind into something else; it’s a nice way to meet like-minded people. I enjoy the…

PGA TOUR @PGATOUR No one has gone lower in TOUR history. PRESIDENTS CUP INTERNATIONAL TEAM @IntlTeam First winner of the calendar year! 34-UNDER-PAR. Unreal. ERNIE ELS @TheBig_Easy Congratulations Cameron Smith on a great win and the other guys @PGATOUR for breaking the scoring record. It was about time. BILLY HORSCHEL @BillyHo_Golf Not a bad way to kick off 2022! @Sentry_TOC SENTRY TOURNAMENT OFCHAMPIONS @Sentry_TOC A week to remember. Goodnight, @GolfatKapalua. JUAN POSTIGO ARCE @JuanelePostigo This last week at @ISPSHanda Champions Play Off @GolfatKapalua @PGATour has shown me that I must continue to pursue my dream. I love competing and challenging myself to try and become the best I can be. ERIK VAN ROOYEN @FredVR_ Fun few days at @Sentry_TOC for the three of us! Now let’s get ready for the…

When 2022 swung into view and the first men’s golf rankings for the year were published, all the usual suspects were there. The status quo in the top six remained, with Jon Rahm on top, while Viktor Hovland and Justin Thomas switched places at Nos 7 and 8. However, there was a new member of the top 10, and it resulted in South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen being bumped down a notch, to No 11. At No 10, emerged the name Sam Burns, the seventh American golfer on the list. Emerged isn’t a bad description. He ended 2019 in 209th position and climbed to 154th by the end of 2020. Still, his rise to 11th in 2021 and then to a career-high 10th in the first week of January 2022 signalled…

Do you know what you need to work on to improve your game this year or are you going to just keep doing the same thing you’ve always done? This includes, for example, your daily routines, how you practise and how you prepare and play under tournament pressure. Albert Einstein said it best: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ A new year usually ushers in a fresh look at vision, goals and a reflection on progress made. Without clarity around the desired destination, you will find yourself floundering, or as they say, ‘clutching at straws’. Articulating and working towards a compelling vision is not a ‘nice to have’ in the world of high performance, it’s a vital ingredient for any athlete wanting…

How long have you been working at East London Golf Club? My role at ELGC began in March 2021, and it has been an absolute blast. Upon completing my prestige diploma in golf directorship and club management, I spent 11 years in the UK before returning to the homeland to take up a position at Pinnacle Point Estate. After four years I decided to venture back to Europe where I took up the director of golf position at a 5-Star resort in Vilnius, Lithuania. From there I moved to the Gorki Golf and Resort in St Petersburg, Russia. Then Covid hit and I was unable to return to Russia. Fortunately the East London position came up and I jumped at the opportunity. How did you get into golf and did…

It’s that time, my friends. Time to go back to work. As my good family friend Mark Wilshire says, ‘It’s time to turn over the economy, folks.’ A new year always presents one thing – opportunity. And that’s exactly what I’ve got going into this year. This year’s main focus will be securing my card for the 2023 DP World Tour. Once I’ve accomplished that, I’m hoping to take my talents across the pond to the good of United States’ Korn Ferry Tour. While doing that I’m also looking forward to playing a few of the newly formed co-sanctioned Sunshine Tour events. So, let’s break the whole year’s plan down step by step. Having been a full member of the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) for more than…

As Jovan Rebula climbs into his car, he begins to reflect on what should have been one of the best years of his life turning into one of the worst years of his life, and then turning into one of the biggest blessings of his life. ‘You know,’ he says, ‘it takes discipline to stay on your own path.’ And with this important realisation, Rebula says he is excited about what 2022 will bring as he embarks on his professional career on the Sunshine Tour. But it’s a realisation he’s come to in the hardest way possible for a highly talented 24-year-old who had a stellar amateur career, highlighted by becoming, in 2018, only the second South African to win The Amateur Championship and a standout career at Auburn University.…

Garrick Higgo was about to leave the room when he turned around and said, ‘I forgot to answer your question. He’s good, very good. And he’s a great guy too. I think he’s just having fun.’ Higgo, the rising South African 22-year-old who has already won seven titles as a professional, including three on the European Tour (now DP World Tour) and one on the PGA Tour, had been talking about his Tokyo Olympic experience last August. He’d played the first two rounds with Viktor Hovland of Norway and Cameron Smith of Australia and had returned to the Team SA apartment block within the athletes’ village ‘bubble’. We’d been chatting about the unique Olympic experience and whether there was a different ‘feel’ to representing your country at the Games in…

Darren Fichardt birdied the first playoff hole against fellow South African James Kingston to win the Qatar Masters. The two finished the tournament at 13-under-par 275. two strokes clear of the field Paul McGinley finished alone in third place al 11-under 277 with David Howell one stroke further back at 10 under Fichardt two-putted for birdie at the par-five 18th. the playoff hole, to claim the title. Kingston was unable to get up and down for birdie from a greenside bunker. My last playoff was not exactly glorious and today brought back memories,’ said Fichardt in reference to his loss at the 2002 Irish Open In Ireland. I found myself on a par five in two needing two putts to win and didn’t do it This time I managed to…

This game of ours continuously proves to be ‘the greatest leveller’ during any round we play. But the upsides of simply being a golfer outweigh them all. From seeing our friends in the car park before a round, to laughing with them at our own on-course misfortunes in the locker room; let alone acknowledging the fact that to all intents and purposes, we compete against each other on the Sunshine Tour, yet spend a lot of our time on the practice area helping each other. There really is no other sport like it. Whichever circumstance or good fortune brought you into this game, I am sure that, like me, you feel blessed. It has been nearly two years since I last played a Tour event. Travel restrictions, coupled with the…