After 13 tournaments in the ‘Drive to the SA Open’, two players won spots in the pro-am and the chance to meet Ernie Els.
Johan van Staden anticipates a ‘white-knuckle experience’ when he tees up in the SA Open pro-am in January, a prize he earned through Els for Autism golf days. The Capetonian partnered with Wally Herbst to score 91 points and won the 36-hole final at Highland Gate Golf Estate in November, securing a round with the pros at Glendower Golf Club.
‘I’ve never played there before, so I better get some practice in before I join the tour guys out there,’ he explains.
Van Staden plays off a handicap of 14 and Herbst 12. Both amateurs are members at Oubaai Golf Club and enter the Els for Autism golf days each year, but never expected to reach the final, let alone win it.
‘It’s a dream come true,’ says Van Staden. ‘We had to fight through the final nine holes, but it worked out and I’m extremely glad.’
Included in the prize was free time with The Big Easy when he hosts the SA Open in 2017.
‘It’s gonna be awesome,’ said Herbst. ‘Ernie lives life to the fullest and it’s a privilege to be with an ambassador for golf and for South Africa.’
This year Els for Autism hosted 13 regional golf days across the country and each winning team qualified for Highland Gate. A further 28 spots at the final went on auction, increasing the field to 64 players.
‘Highland Gate, it was my first time there and it’s a little gem. The day was brilliantly organised, it was a real test of golf, and highly enjoyable,’ said Van Staden of his trip to Mpumalanga.
He and Herbst (pictured below) claimed top honours with a gritty performance in the final round.
‘You go to try and win, but you’d never think it will happen,’ said Herbst. ‘The second day was tough. We turned with 19 points and did well to make 24 points on the second nine to win it. We concentrated and talked about every shot. Now I sound like a pro, but I’m not.’
The real pro is Ernie Els, who spotted Herbst in Rickie Fowler orange during a trip down the coast a few years back.
‘We were lucky enough to see Ernie at Oubaai several times,’ Herbst explained. ‘He calls me the Oros mannetjie of Oubaai, because we had lumo orange Puma outfits on!’
‘In 2010 he invited a few guys to The Open,’ he added. ‘So we actually watched the World Cup soccer final with him at the Jigger Inn pub at St. Andrews.’
‘Ever since that first experience Herbst and Van Staden have earmarked Els for Autism golf days on their calendar.
‘We won three years ago at Oubaai… we’ve played all the Els for Autism tournaments there. The cause is close to our hearts and we drive from Cape Town to play annually. Since the first one, we’ve tried not to miss it,’ Herbst explained.
The end goal for Ernie and Liezl Els, whose son Ben is on the autism spectrum, is to support families affected by autism and raise awareness around the issue.
Van Staden was pleased that his contribution made a difference to families in need of help.
‘What a privilege to play a small part in the wonderful work that Els for Autism does, especially for disadvantaged kids in South Africa. It’s an honour to be part of it, even a little bit,’ he added.
Added to the fun at Highland Gate was a par-three shootout. Each player had to hit the green to progress and tournament host Nico van Rensburg, who is a former pro and close friend of The Big Easy, won the contest. He donated his prize to the runner up, none other than Wally Herbst!
‘It was a fantastic couple of days,’ said Van Rensburg. ‘Obviously we are grateful to everyone who took part, and to the team at Highland Gate and to all of the companies who generously supported us.’
The winning pair were eager to shake hands with The Big Easy and play 18 holes with tour pros.
‘We were quite surprised to go to the SA Open, but it’s sunk in now and it’s fantastic,’ said Herbst. ‘We’re really pleased with what we’ve achieved.’
