by superadmin | Aug 18, 2023 | General News, Uncategorized
Jedeal Construction & Projects pulled out all the stops to make their sponsorship of the Tshwane Disabled Open a success. And what a resounding success it was.
Sponsorships are the lifeblood of the SADGA. The cornerstone of the playing opportunities afforded to members. The SADGA has been blessed with a number of fantastic sponsors through the years but the Jedeal sponsorship, as SADGA Chairman Enver Hassen points out, is extra special.
“It’s always encouraging when new companies lend their support to the SADGA and the fact that SADGA member Dewald Albertze is the Owner and Managing Director of Jedeal makes our partnership extra special,” said Hassen.
“The fantastic connection between the SADGA and Jedeal shone through from the planning of the event to its playing, Dewald and his team making every effort to help us deliver a memorable event for the assembled field.”
Juggling sponsorship and participatory duties can be tough but Albertze produced two consistent days’ golf as rounds of 91 & 90 saw him finish in solo 9th in the Physically-Disabled Medal division.
Hassen said he hopes Jedeal and SADGA have laid the foundation of a partnership that’ll stand the test of time.
“It was the SADGA’s pleasure to have Jedeal serve as title sponsor of the 2023 Tshwane Disabled Open and we thank them for their significant contribution towards disabled golf. It is my sincere hope that ours is a partnership that’ll stand the test of time and continue to play a critical role in affording our members future playing opportunities.”
by superadmin | Aug 14, 2023 | General News, Uncategorized
Jedeal Tshwane Disabled Open Final Round Wrap
Get caught up on all the the Jedeal Tshwane Disabled Open final round action from Waterkloof Golf Club.
Slabbert wins second SADGA Open title of the year
Daniel Slabbert won a second SADGA Series title of the year after claiming an eight-stroke victory over Kelvin Van Baalen in the Physically-Disabled Medal. Slabbert, winner of the Nomads Joburg Disabled Open, trailed Van Baalen by a stroke after a first round 82. He shot a much-improved 77 in the final round while Van Baalen struggled to a round of 86 and a runner-up finish. Les Autres golfer Iglin Grobbelaar was two shots further adrift after rounds of 85 and 84.
Van Niekerk holds off Simenya for PD Stableford title
Deon Van Niekerk held off a charging Jimmy Simenya as he followed his stellar opening round of 43 points with a final round of 37 to claim victory in the Physically-Disabled Stableford division by three points.
Simenya should be commended for a fantastic tournament and his final round of 42 points certainly gave Van Niekerk something to think about but ultimately there was no stopping Van Niekerk’s victory bid. It must be said that Simenya’s presence in the field gave the tournament some welcome international flavour and hopefully the young Kenyan will contest a few more SADGA Opens in the near future.
Williams seals emphatic Deaf Medal triumph
Seemingly every time Charles Williams tees it up in a SADGA Open he walks away with victory and so it proved yet again as he closed out a 28-stroke triumph over Albano Dos Santos after shooting rounds of 86 and 84.
Williams held a six-stroke lead over Mark Maconochie overnight but in the final round he seemed to be playing a different course to the rest of the Deaf Medal field as he serenely strolled to a resounding win.
Glory for Goliath in Deaf Stableford
Kyle Goliath punctuated a solid two days of golf as he followed an opening round of 31 points with a closing round of 27 to complete a 10-point win over Zubenathi Kroti. Goliath’s victory highlights the great talent the SADGA’s First Swing Program continues to unearth and with the Cape Town Disabled Open fast approaching, don’t bet against the former Dominican School For Deaf Children Golfer winning another SADGA Open title very soon!
Final Thoughts
Four deserving champions prevailed in the event but were it not for the fantastic sponsorship of Jedeal Construction the tournament wouldn’t have been possible. Everyone at Jedeal, in particular owner and SADGA member Dewald Albertze, pulled out all the stops to ensure the Jedeal Tshwane Disabled Open was a tremendous success. Thank you to Waterkloof Golf Club’s staff for their collective efforts and contribution to what was a memorable event.
by superadmin | Aug 12, 2023 | General News, Uncategorized
Jedeal Tshwane Disabled Open Round 1 Wrap
Get caught up on all the action from round one of the Jedeal Tshwane Disabled Open at Waterkloof Golf Club on Saturday.
Van Baalen leads congested Physically-Disabled Medal
On a difficult day for scoring, Kelvin van Baalen staked his claim as the man to beat in the Physically-Disabled Medal after a round of 9-over 81. The Les Autres golfer endured a difficult start to his round as bogeys at the 1st and 3rd preceded a triple-bogey 7 at the 4th. A double-drop at the 7th followed, Van Baalen making the turn in 43.
The Kwazulu-Natal Disabled Open winner was much-improved on the inward nine. After dropped shots at the 10th and 11th, a red-number at the 14th was just the tonic Van Baalen needed. To his credit, Van Baalen quickly put a double-bogey 5 at the penultimate hole behind him as he carded a second red-number of the day at the par-5 closing hole to ensure he ended day one a shot clear of playing partner Daniel Slabbert.
“Coming into the event I’d played four practice rounds which I felt gave me an edge over players who were perhaps not as familiar with the course,” said Van Baalen.
“I’m happy to be in the mix and in with a shot heading to tomorrow. The win in KZN proved to me that I am good enough to win these SADGA Opens and I hope that I can get it done tomorrow,” he said.
Van Niekerk vaults into Physically-Disabled Stableford lead
Deon Van Niekerk was sublime in the first round, carding 43 (!!) points to open up an 8-point lead over Kenyan Jimmy Simenya. Van Nielerk made a flying start with three opening three-pointers before a fourth at the 15th. Four-pointers at the 16th and 18th meanwhile saw the arm-amputee turn in 25 points.
Relatively speaking Van Niekerk “cooled off” on the inward nine but 18 points is certainly nothing to sneeze at. A run of four three-pointers from his 11th hole of the day was the glue which held the nine together while a four-pointer at the 6th was the crowning moment of a day to remember for Van Niekerk.
Special mention must be made of Simenya though who is not only the first Kenyan to participate in a SADGA event but who also is clearly not out to merely make up the numbers.
Of his first taste of golf for the disabled, Simenya said:
“The SADGA group is a special group for me because I finally get to play with disabled people unlike in Kenya where we don’t have any opportunity to do so,” said Simenya.
“My playing partners were making jokes during the round and it put less pressure on me which helped me make the opportunity count.
Williams leads Deaf Medal
Charles Williams stamped his authority on the Deaf Medal division with a round of 86 to earn a six-shot lead over Albano Dos Santos. Williams’ round was a tale of two fairly similar nines. Beginning on the 10th, the Deaflympian could only manage pars at the 11th, 15th and 17th while a double-drop at the 18th and 5 further dropped shots saw him turn in 43.
On Waterkloof’s outward nine, Williams carded a birdie-4 at the 2nd while double-bogey at the 7th and 9th and further bogeys at the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 8th saw the always-smiling Williams ensure he’ll take a sizeable lead into the final round.
Goliath grabs Deaf Stableford Lead
Deaf golfer Kyle Goliath carded a solid round of 31 points to take a four-point lead over Zubenathi Kroti into the final round.
Goliath overcame a difficult start to his round in which he recorded just a single point in his first three holes. A three-pointer at the par-4 13th galvanised him though as he recorded further three-pointers at the 16th and 17th. Two points at the 18th saw Goliath turn with 15 points to his name.
He was a model of consistency on his inward-nine, carding no fewer than eight successive two-pointers. Unfortunately he came up empty handed on the final hole but if he carries his day one level of play into the final round, he’s unlikely to leave Waterkloof Golf Club empty handed come tournament end!
by superadmin | Jun 10, 2023 | General News, Uncategorized
Iglin Grobbelaar: “You can’t run from your disability”
Hit by a car at 11-years–old. Two broken vertebrae. Two broken ribs and a broken femur all equated to a 15% chance that Iglin Grobbelaar would ever walk again. In the years to come Grobbelaar has pieced together a remarkably successful life by drawing strength from a source no amount of trauma can break, the human spirit.
Growing up with a dad who was incredibly sporty, Grobbelaar found he had a natural talent for a host of sports from rugby and tennis to golf and cycling.
In his third ever Argus Cycle Tour Grobbelaar broke the 4-hour mark, a remarkable achievement for someone that was just 11-years-old at the time. But the sport which set him on the road to success and joy in his young life was the same sport which caused life to take unexpected turn.
“My disability stemmed from an accident which happened in a cycling race when I was 11-years-old. I ended up in front of an oncoming car and got smashed around in front of the car, underneath and out the back of the car,” recalls Grobbelaar.
You need a little good fortune to live to tell such a harrowing tale. Fortunately for Grobbelaar his father, a doctor, saw the horrific events unfold before springing into action.
“He went straight into doctor mode and stabilised me at the scene of the accident. I was paralysed from the neck down for about a month and three months later I walked out of hospital!”
The after-effects of the accident left Grobbelaar with just 50% physical functionality. Rather than dwell on the lack of ability in his left-arm and inability to rotate the arm for example, Grobbelaar set about adapting his technique across different sporting disciplines, doing so with notable success.
“I played provincial tennis even after the accident, serving one-handed. I played 1st-team tennis and golf. I also got back onto the bike and although I didn’t really compete as much as I did prior to the accident, I rode another Argus and 94.7.”
Impressive though these feats were, it was on the golf course that Grobbelaar truly distinguished himself. He burst onto the South African Disabled Golf stage with a 3rd place finish in his maiden event before back-to-back runners-up in 2007 and 2008. He finally kicked the door down in 2009 before completing a successful title defence in 2010.
“The win at Randpark was obviously very special but equally special are the friends I’ve made.
I’ve been fortunate to meet so many legends over the years: Chad Pfeifer, Juan Postigo, Josh Williams, all of those boys.
“Alongside the South Africans Nico Wentzel and Ben Van Zyl, those guys were just phenomenal humans. It’s a massive pleasure to have known them.”
Make no mistake, Grobbelaar’s success has been anything but easy. The spasticity which affects his left side means that hours before his tee-time he engages in slow, deliberate stretching of his left-arm and his back before a measured warm-up on the range during which he has to be careful not to over-exert his affected side.
Sound frustrating? Grobbelaar is philosophical about his situation, remarking that acceptance and positivity are crucial to navigating life with physical limitations.
“Frustration is a massive thing when you’re dealing with physical limitation. You can’t run away from your disability so you’ve got to accept it in some way and I think remaining positive is probably the key to it.”
Golf is the gift that keeps on giving and it’s given Grobbelaar more than just a post-accident competitive outlet but a career too. The Gauteng-born golfer is a qualified PGA Professional and has worked in golf for the better part of 13 years during which he’s gained experience in a number of different facets within the golf club environment.
The PGA gives you quite a broad spectrum career that you can go into and I did exactly that. I’ve been involved in golf clubs and the operations of golf clubs, running of shops, teaching and I think a lot of different valuable experiences have come my way over the past 12 or 13 years.
Today Grobbelaar spends his time teaching the game, something that brings him great joy.
“I think where I am teaching golf full time is definitely my happy place right now. I work with exceptional golfers and I work with start-out golfers. Here and there I teach a disabled golfer as well which is obviously very close to home and I like finding ways to accommodate limitation.”
Grobbelaar is also giving back to the SADGA as a mentor to Charles Williams who is studying towards his PGA degree which will no doubt positively impact Williams’ development considerably.
After a tough few years in which Grobbelaar has battled various injuries, most recently a right wrist fracture, he’s enjoying getting back to his roots in the game, competition.
Having held the first-round at the Nomads Kwa-Zulu Natal Disabled Open before ultimately finishing in second-place, the Les Autres golfer is hoping to nab a victory at the Metropolitan Disabled Open using an approach that served him well post-accident.
“I think putting a result on the card may be a little bit dangerous. I need to break the shackles on the ‘first-loser’ status so it would be nice to get a victory but I’ll take it one day at a time.”
Photo: Nic Bothma
For more information about SADGA, please visit www.sadga.co.za or follow SADGA on
· Facebook : SADGA-South-African-Disabled-Golf-Association
· Twitter: @sadga101
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Hashtags: #sadga #MetDisabledOpen #disabledgolf #disabledgolfer #golflife #whyilovethisgame
Media enquiries, please contact
Media Liaison
Craig Stirton
t. +27 (0) 83 384 6889
e. craigstirt@gmail.com
SADGA office
Lily Reich
t. +27 (0)82 888 9888 / +27 (0) 21 685 2955
e: lily@sadga.co.za
by superadmin | May 12, 2023 | General News, Uncategorized
Watts steady, Reich struggles in G4D Open final round
Friday, 12 May 2023: South Africa’s David Watts closed his G4D Open campaign with a round of 77 to earn a 13th-place finish while Trevor Reich battled to a final round 92 and a share of 33rd-place at Woburn Golf Club on Friday.
Watts made a difficult start to his day with four dropped shots in his first five holes. The Les Autres golfer notched his first red-number at the par-5 6th but two ensuing bogeys saw him turn in 5-over par 41.
Watts’ beginning to the back-nine was measured, mixing a birdie at the 10th with a bogey at the 12th-hole. Back-to-back pars followed before he notched a second birdie-4 of the nine at the 14th. The South African Disabled Golf Association ambassador dropped a shot at his final hole to sign for a round of 77 to round off a solid week.
Watts highlighted how the first iteration of the G4D Open served to garner more attention for the world of golf for persons with a disability.
“Every G4D event is great to be a part of and play in and it’s been wonderful to see how the inclusive nature of this event has trained so many additional eyes on the world of disabled golf this week,” said Watts.
Leg-amputee Reich was behind the 8-ball early in his second round as he opened with three successive double-bogeys. To his credit he responded with four pars in the next five holes but a fourth double-bogey at the 5th and a dropped shot at the 9th meant he turned in 46.
Bogeys at the 10th and 11th preceded two consecutive double-bogeys. Bogeys at the 15th and 18th along with a double-bogey at his penultimate hole of the day consigned Reich to a round of 92.
Photo: R&A via Getty Images
For more information about SADGA, please visit www.sadga.co.za or follow SADGA on
· Facebook : SADGA-South-African-Disabled-Golf-Association
· Twitter: @sadga101
· Instagram: sadga_rsa
Hashtags: #sadga #G4DOpen #disabledgolf #disabledgolfer #golflife #whyilovethisgame
Media enquiries, please contact
Media Liaison
Craig Stirton
t. +27 (0) 83 384 6889
e. craigstirt@gmail.com
SADGA office
Lily Reich
t. +27 (0)82 888 9888 / +27 (0) 21 685 2955
e: lily@sadga.co.za
info@sadga.co.za
