Santa Says

Encore!

Ok…we can handle a little encore from our “homeboy”!

Maybe it’s the fact that Fancourt Links played host to the President’s Cup – and we all remember how that ended! Maybe it was the Ernie – Retief “Shoot-Out” for the SA Open title on the same turf; maybe it’s the fact that I have had the pleasure of playing Fancourt Links on a number of occasions that makes me appreciate the great golf shots we witnessed and the difficult recovery shots that were required to survive. No one was going to play flawless golf there this past weekend – no one did. But, having said that, the tournament at Fancourt Links was filled with great shots and even better recoveries. Watching the Jo-Burg Open two weeks ago, left me tense. However, I had a different feeling watching the finish this week – last week Branden Grace was playing for his golfing future with only the golf course standing between him and his first European Tour victory.

Last Sunday, his closest rival was in the clubhouse one shot behind him with Branden still looking at nine holes to play. The others all fell away, one by one, as the nine progressed. Branden’s main rival for the last two hours was par itself. He managed his own game and the course, holing out on the last for par (nine pars). It was a bit hard to watch as he nailed shot after shot at the flag, only to see every putt for birdie slide away…never mind, history was made and he had his place in it.

This week, I had the opportunity to watch a day’s play at the Links, enjoyed talking to old friends and professionals, too. Now, you understand that this was an incredibly hard tournament to pick my favourite – Ernie and I go way, way back and I want him winning his way into the Masters. Retief needs the same results to get there as well. My first ‘junior’ champion, Louis, could make the welcoming of his second child even more pleasant with his second win of the year. Thomas Aiken came to Simola with his parents and some other juniors when he was about thirteen and has gone out of his way to greet me and Liezl ever since (nice haircut, T). Then, on Thursday morning, there was Branden sitting with my former head Professional, Peter Berman, who has been a friend and coach for 10 years. Branden was in a good place, mentally strong and ready to tee it up against 35 of the best players the European tour could put up. Ernie was teeing it up on a course he has played plenty of times, Retief and Branden too!

Who could’ve promoted a more storybook finish than to have those three standing on the 18th together, playing off for the title? What amazed me was that I, for a change, wasn’t nervous watching. All three would be worthy in my books. But what amazed me was how calm Branden appeared to be. He led off and ripped it right up the gut of the 18th – not an easy driving hole as the tee sits about fifty feet below the lading area. Well, if you didn’t see what happened after that, then you could only have been watching cricket. Branden’s win with his idols flanking him like bookends on the green, was one for the memory books. As my friend, Meyer and “Amazing Grace” fan Club lost a few more “brain cells” celebrating at Mo’s in Knysna, Branden was sipping a “cool-drink” thinking about this week’s tournament in Abu Dhabi! Can anyone say – 3 in a row!

>From 172 to 161 to 92nd in the world…Hey, I may be seeing you in April, Pards!

Master’s Watch – Retief is back in the top 50 and Ernie jumped back from 71st to 57th; they’ll need to win in America or stay in the top 50 to drive down Magnolia Lane again.

Charl and Trevor return as former Champions, Louis will return as an Open Champion in the last five years. Ernie, Retief, Rory (62nd), Thomas (79th), Georgie Coetzee (82nd), Jaco Van Zyl (83nd) and Branden (92nd) will all have to keep the magic in their swings to tee it up at Augusta in April.

EP Champs This Weekend And Next!
The best amateur golfers in the Eastern Cape will tee it up here again on Saturday as we host the EP Championships. Starting at 6h10 on Saturday morning, 70 golfers will be trying to first, win the 36 hole Medal Play competition and then, qualify for the Match play event that follows. The low 32 from the medal play will make up the top bracket of the match play (which will begin on Sunday morning) and the next 16 top scorers will play in the Plate (which will pair them against the first losers from the morning 32). The eight winners from Sunday afternoon’s matches (from the main draw and the plate) will move on to the quarter-finals and semi-finals on Saturday, 4 February. The finals for the main draw and the plate will take place on Monday, the 5th. Come and watch if you can! If you would like to play at The Bay course, member rates will apply for the weekend (R110). Please let us know if we can be of assistance by clicking here.

Be My Valentine!
Join us at the Links for Golf with your special friends – Couples or Mixed. Click Here for details on this special day of golf.

Pssst…We are having a special evening with great food, romantic atmosphere and live entertainment for listening and dancing – Click Here for details about our special evening at the Links.

Hey, I have an even better idea – if you are travelling in for the day and night, why not stay in one of our member-owned properties on or off the estate – PERRRRRRFECT idea! Give us a call or click here.

The “Resident’s Club”!
We had a great turn-out in Jack’s Bar on Monday night to introduce new members, share ideas and get to know each other better. We did it the old-fashioned way by having everyone stand and introduce themselves, sharing a tidbit or two and a bit of history. It was nice to include the long-term renters as well. Everyone stayed on well after the happy hour, many carrying on to dinner that was once again, fully subscribed – this time with 110 in attendance. We discussed upcoming golfing and club events, estate and Leisure Centre rules, our good run of real estate sales, the holiday season and more. Thank you to all who participated. See you all again next month!

Upcoming Events…
January 28/29 EP Championships (course closed)
February 4/5 EP Championships (course open)
February 8 OPEN Wednesday – Special rates and prizes
February 10 Practice round for the Golf Digest Subscriber’s Challenge – special rates for golf and accommodation
February 11 Golf Digest Subscriber’s Challenge
February 14 Valentine’s Day Golf and Dinner functions
February 17 Wings and Wishes Golf Day (Private Day – fully booked)

Regards,
Jeff

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You BOIKI’s …or something like that!

Ok, I know that this little column is always centred on St Francis Links...this time we'll talk about friends of mine and fans of St Francis Links!

Louis (now King Louis) Oosthuizen wins the African
OPEN Again! Story to follow…

Branden (amazing) Grace shows patience in taking
his first European Championship! Story To Follow…

Two Young Men From The Southern Cape Fly The Flag For SA!
Louis played on two of my junior Interprovincial teams and Branden, well… I watched Branden split the fairways at Pezula when he was about 15. Both young South African golfers remember their roots in the Southern Cape. I sat with Vaughn Tucker here when Louis won the OPEN (thee OPEN) at St Andrews and Vaughn cried like a baby. On Sunday, my former Head Professional and close friend, Meyer Du Toit hopped on a flight with friends to JHB to follow Branden through his tense final 18. I know that I was more nervous than Branden watching on TV. When Meyer appeared behind the tee on 17 as Branden was about to pull the trigger on driver, it looked like Meyer was about to be sick with nerves (I hope B never saw him there!). Branden then creamed the drive that left him ‘nothing’ to the green. Par with two putts, a solid drive on 18 landing just to the right of the fairway, forced a near-perfect lay-up, a short wedge and two putts to victory...read on!

Louis had already won before, so when he played solid golf to claim the African OPEN two weeks ago, it was on the heals of a very strong finish to the 2011 tournament year, finishing with 4 international top-8’s including a 3rd place finish in the SA Open. Louis shot 11-under in the second round of the African Open (62) to pave the way to a strong repeat victory.

Branden, on the other hand, nearly saw his golfing career, short as it was, almost leave him as his strong standing on the European Challenge Tour faded away in the season-ending finals where he finished 24th on the Order of Merit after being in the top-15 all year. He then regrouped and attacked the Q-school gaining his European Tour in an event that most consider their hardest walk. Branden entered the African Open, ready and confident. Those who played with him in Knysna the week before said he was ready. Then, somehow in near-perfect coastal conditions, he started the African Open with 77 – 13 shots behind Thomas Aiken! Louis Martin, the ISM representative who formerly looked after the Sunshine and Asian Tours, and now makes sure the Louis’, Charl’s, Branden’s, Lee and Darren’s off course needs are anticipated and met, took Branden aside. He told me that his words to Branden were simple saying that all of the bad stuff was put behind him in one round and that he could simply go out and play…and Branden did – going 10 under on Friday, 4 under on Saturday and 6 under on Sunday to go from nowhere to tied 14th (-20) in the last three rounds.

With the African Open win, Louis can return home after the Volvo Championship this week, regardless of his outcome, to welcome his second child. He’ll take four weeks off and return to the US Tour for more victories.

Branden’s golfing career has now taken a huge turn! His awesome tee -to-green play on the back nine, led to his first win - Number One on the SA Order of Merit, now heading into the Volvo at the Links as Euro’s newest Champion, playing a course he knows less than an hour from home…with R2,3m in his pocket and a two year pass to play! Yesterday, I met Branden before his first round play - he was relaxed and ready for more. That attitude carried through as he opened with a very solid 68 - five under par! Today, he'll be in the last pairing - from Branden who...to Branden, may I have your autograph!

17 South Africans will carry tour cards onto the European Tour this year – the most ever!

Watch the boys from the Southern Cape…on both sides of the big pond…there is more to come.

I am proud to call Branden and Louis my friends – the way they carry themselves on and off the course…they’ll have friends (and fans) worldwide!

The EP Amateur!
By the way, we will be hosting the EP Amateur next weekend, the 28th and 29th of January. Come and watch the 36-hole stroke play on Saturday (course closed) and the Matchplay starting on Sunday. We have secured space and special rates at SFBGC if you need you golfing fix on Saturday. Thanks, in advance for your support.

Cheers for now! I am off for a day at the Volvo!

PS: SF Links Resident’s – Join us on Monday in Jack’s Bar for our first “Resident’s Club” evening, starting at 5pm!

Regards,
Jeff

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