When it comes to an international career, Madalitso Muthiya has been through the wringer, from competing on the Canadian Tour and making the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School twice, to playing in South Africa for three years without a victory.
Then, in July 2016, he got the job done at the Sunshine Tour’s Wild Coast Sun Challenge, coming from behind during a wind-swept final round.
‘I made a clutch putt on the 16th … holed out from 20 feet for birdie. I think that was probably the deciding moment for me,’ he says of a final-round 66 that netted him the victory. ‘There is a little more recognition on tour now, but a lot of guys were saying “It’s about time”. They were impressed that I played through the tough wind from the wrong side of the draw.’
It was a vindicating performance for the first black African to qualify for the US Open, a feat he achieved in 2006. At that stage Muthiya was 23 years old and knew he wanted to compete internationally. ‘I was able to see where I wanted to go before I got there,’ he says.
Muthiya, now 33, has oodles of experience in a range of conditions. Two years on the Canadian Tour, a world away from his hometown of Lusaka, taught him about playing outside his comfort zone. He then progressed to the 2008 Web.com Tour, which is a breeding ground for American success and feeds into the PGA Tour. It’s also one of the most expensive circuits in the world, with entries averaging $1,300 for a regular tournament.
For a self-funded African it’s expensive to travel the United States, let alone fly around the country week by week. As such, Muthiya was unable to succeed in the US, despite a background of collegiate golf at the University of New Mexico, where he graduated with a degree in business administration.
‘I played with a lot of today’s PGA Tour players back then. I spent time on the Canadian Tour and then got to the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School. I didn’t get my card, but played a full season on Web.com, where I lost my card. I did the same again for 2010 – final stage Q-School and Web.com for another season – so I’m comfortable there. The thing that held me back was the financials, because I was backing myself. It’s very difficult to make it on the mini-tour level, because you are paying a whole lot more than you do on a bigger tour. There are no free rides!’ he says.
Tough breaks, primarily the financial strain of touring in the United States, forced Muthiya to come back to southern Africa and compete on the Sunshine Tour, where he ranks within the top 40 on the Order of Merit. He also has full playing rights until the end of 2017, courtesy of his victory at the Wild Coast, and is automatically exempt for all the summer tournaments co-sanctioned between the Sunshine and European Tours. Those high-value tournaments offer a route to the international stage and Muthiya is once again ready to take the plunge.
‘I had set out some goals, and one of them was to win. There was a stage of progress, from getting through pre-qualifiers to making cuts constantly, then to getting myself into contention and eventually winning. I have done all those things I set out to achieve, so I am in the right place to move on to the next stage. Hopefully I will get the job done at the upcoming co-sanctioned tournaments. I’d like to get my game to that next level and push my way to the front,’ he says.
Those are lofty goals for a player who grew up in a country with 17 golf courses, and Muthiya knows how far he’s come since starting with a set of ladies’ clubs as a youngster. By the age of 15 he had caught the attention of then president Frederick Chiluba, who arranged for the young star to play in the 1999 Nolan Henke/Patty Berg Junior Masters tournament, which he won. That piqued the interest of Collegiate coaches, who took Muthiya on board when he was old enough to play college golf. It was a lucky break, an exception to the rule.
‘Within Zambia they need to create avenues for players to progress, from junior golf to amateur golf to professional ranks. Not much has changed since I was younger. The attitude towards making golf a profession is still a bit behind, and finding sponsors is hard,’ he says.
‘We don’t have a profession platform like there is in South Africa, which has a lot of golf infrastructure. The level of administration is a bit different, the fields are competitive, the tournaments are well arranged, and the golf courses are in great condition. You couldn’t ask for anything better if you’re trying to make it.’
The top-ranked Zambian managed to forge a career in professional golf, despite the hurdles, and has become an icon for young players with similar dreams. Uganda’s top-ranked amateur, Ronald Otile, is on a scholarship to the University of Pretoria and lists Muthiya as one of his role models.
‘It’s humbling to have people look at me as a figurehead,’ says Muthiya. ‘I’ve been in their shoes before, so I understand what it means to play with someone you look up to, or have seen play at a higher level. It can only help your golf game.
‘Ronald comes from an underprivileged background, but he has been helped with educational funding. If people can give back, and I believe SA golfers have that opportunity, we can start to broaden the horizons for golf in Africa. I think it would be a different game if everyone helped a little.’
At present Muthiya is focused on his own story and making it into the history books. He’s settled himself in Gauteng to make the most of the facilities on offer and it’s a good base for a Sunshine Tour player.
‘Travel is one of the reasons I live in Johannesburg. Whenever I have time off I travel back to Zambia to visit my immediate family I grew up with. I try to stay in touch and then come back and practice. We’re always travelling to tournaments, so it’s a tough balance. Fortunately SA is a couple of hours away by air,’ he says.
‘The Sunshine Tour is a great training ground and the best place to simulate golf on higher levels, like the European or PGA Tour. You have to work hard and beat a lot of good players. It’s very tough to win here and when you do it’s additional proof of the work you put in, a validation of what you spend all those hours practising for.
But memories of competing in the US linger for Muthiya, who has paid his dues on mini tours around the world.
‘I think I’ll only truly feel satisfied when I get to the grandest stage of golf – the PGA Tour. For now, I feel I still have a lot of work for do to get there. I’m truly grateful for being able to see the world and meet people from all walks of life. It’s given me the realisation that the world was built on dreams. Whatever you dream, you can make it a reality if you work hard at it. It’s actually part of the practical side of life. What you achieve, it comes from you, as an individual. You have to decide,’ he concludes.
SUNSHINE TOUR STATS
Tournament wins 1
Tournament top-10 finishes 9
Most consecutive cuts made 9
Low-round score 63
Total number of eagles 30
Total number of birdies 562
Average birdies per round 3.39
BEST FINISHES
2014
Vodacom Origins of Golf, Pezula (T4th)
2015
Vodacom Origins of Golf St Francis Links (5th)
Vodacom Origins of Golf Langebaan (5th)
Lombard Insurance Classic (T9th)
Sun Sibiya Challenge (T2nd)
2016
Vodacom Origins of Golf Wild Coast (1st)
Sun Wild Coast Sun Challenge (4th)
Lombard Insurance Classic (T5th)
