Share

SA golf's 2017 fairy tale

Cape Town - Jacquin Hess’s victory in the Big Easy Tour Championship this week to clinch the Order of Merit should go down as the most remarkable fairy tale triumph of South African golf this season. 

Hess’s rise from a young golfer who was a product of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) to becoming a Sunshine Tour player, a member of the Gary Player Class of 2017-18 and a golf ambassador for Sun International alongside Louis Oosthuizen and Brandon Stone has certainly captivated the attention of South African golf fans. 

Even former Proteas cricketer Ashwell Prince congratulated Hess on Twitter, while both Sunshine Tour Chairman Johann Rupert and Executive Director Selwyn Nathan have publicly thanked him for the role he has played in serving as an inspiration to other SAGDB golfers. 

The story of Hess’s incredible journey was revealed this August when he took part in a golf clinic during the Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at the Arabella Country Estate. 

Hess was working with some of the young SAGDB golfers who are invited to take part in these clinics, and then already there was a sense that the second half of the season had something special in store for this Robertson golfer.

 “In 2008 I was one of these kids from the SAGDB standing on this very range listening to Gary Player at a golf clinic during the then Nelson Mandela Invitational,” Hess explained. 

“It’s almost unreal for me to be here working with these kids because I was one of them, and I know what this can mean to them. It meant a lot to me. 

“In 2008 I also watched James Kamte hitting balls on this range. I couldn’t believe how well he hit the ball. And today I’m a Sunshine Tour golfer and am playing against him. And I’m a member of the Gary Player Class of 2017-18. If I can be an inspiration to these kids, then it motivates me to work harder as well.” 

The Gary Player Class of 2017-18 is the Sunshine Tour’s main development squad for historically disadvantaged professionals and which benefits from the considerable support of the SAGDB, which was founded in 1999 as the official body for golf development in South Africa, as well as the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation in the collective effort to use golf to improve the lives of disadvantaged South Africans.  

Hess is one of the most powerful examples of what equal opportunities in this game can mean to the country’s historically disadvantaged golfers, and how the structures that are in place to facilitate this are reaping rewards. 

This is Hess’s first victory in his five years as a professional. But its impact will be felt far beyond just what it means to the golfer himself. 

“I have to thank the Gary Player Class of 2017-18 for what they are doing. This is another feather in the cap for the Gary Player Class of 2017-18, SA Golf Development Board, SA Students and Boland Golf,” he said, making sure not to leave out any one of the vital support structures he has had throughout his career. 

“My journey started with the SAGDB, now we are here. So I really started at the bottom and I’m happy because I went through all the stages. Hopefully next year I can go on to bigger things.” 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE