After a two-year hiatus from tournament golf, I received a last-minute exemption into the Vodacom Origins Final at Gary Player Country Club.
It tied in nicely with a family reunion at Sun City’s Vacation Club which would be a few days after the event.
Despite missing the cut by two shots, with rounds of 74 and 73, the tournament week at Sun City was one of the most enjoyable I’ve had on Tour.
On the Sunday afternoon after the Sun City event I was lying on the lounge floor of my parents’ house in Joburg, when it hit me that I had forgotten to withdraw from the pre-qualifier event at Irene Country Club, scheduled to tee off two days later.
The family had booked that long-awaited trip to Sun City (a two-hour drive from Irene) and I was not about to let everybody down by spoiling the vacation week trekking to the golf course at Irene.
After emailing the Sunshine Tour I received a late withdrawal warning, accompanied by a fine. Rightfully so, as it throws out the tee sheet whenever a player withdraws just before an event. Let alone the fact my playing partners would have been the lonesome two-ball in a field of threes.
I wrote back and committed to play at the pre-qualifier. In days gone by, this would have meant a practice round the following day, making notes in my yardage book the whole way round and readying myself mentally for the task of earning one of 10 spots to get into the tournament. Not this time, as I had only decided to play so as not to disrupt my playing partners’ chances of qualifying, and to avoid the fine.
Without a yardage book, any practice rounds, or hitting any balls on the range, I made my way to the 1st tee. My only priority that day was to throw an extra sleeve of balls into the bag so I could complete my round. There was a sense of freedom in the knowledge that regardless of what I shot, it would have no effect on the week ahead.
This 1st tee box felt different from any other, though, so I decided to commit to a process which I had long-threatened to implement out on Tour, but could never bring myself to actually do it.
Famed author Charles Bukowski led a life of trial, error and misery. Then, one day, in the latter part of his life, he gave up trying to write what he thought it was that people wanted to read. Instead, he just wrote whatever he wanted to.
Bukowski went on to become one of the great writers of the 20th century. Nearing the end of his life, he was asked what he would like to have etched on his tombstone. He requested only two words.
I went out at Irene Country Club without stressing about qualifying and shot a five-under-par 67, finishing fourth and qualifying for the KitKat Pro-Am.
Sadly the tournament was washed out due to rains and postponed until June, but the weather cleared up in time for a relaxing, reflective family trip to Sun City and left me with an answer to one of my career-long questions.
Nobody knows what will happen from here, but if I can leave you with just two words to consider telling yourself before tightening up on that 1st tee box. Words written by a famed author who possibly had it all figured out in the end. ‘Don’t Try.’
– This column first appeared in the April 2022 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine. Subscribe here!
