When Martin Vorster tees it up in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Sishen event from Friday, there will be a sense of it being a comeback moment for the 22-year-old from Fancourt.
That’s because it will be Vorster’s first individual event in which he feels properly prepared following the hip injury that kept him out of action for three months.
Vorster did play in the Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship last week and finished in a tie for fifth, but that was a team event, with the former top-ranked amateur playing with Jovan Rebula.
But the fact that he played so well in just his second Sunshine Tour event since May means he goes into this second Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament of the season in high spirits.
It also helps that he loves the Sishen Golf Club course.
“It’s going to be very nice to get going again,” Vorster said after the first day of the popular pro-am that always precedes the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments. “I returned to the Sunshine Tour three weeks ago at the Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge at Kyalami Country Club, but I had just started hitting balls and it was more about testing whether my body was ready. Everything went well on that front, but my game was not ready yet and I didn’t play very well.
“But then I had a good week’s practise and it was a blessing to then play in a team event, which was less stressful. There were still a few rusty shots, but it’s just great to be back competing again. This is an unbelievable course and I always look forward to playing here.”
It was the eagle eye and intimate knowledge of the kinetics of the golf swing of coach Doug Wood that saved Vorster from a potentially more serious hip injury.
“I started working with Doug at the end of 2022 and he said then my swing could cause problems for my hip. So I had to change it and we worked on it for a long time and made so much progress. But it was just too late and I tore my labrum. Thankfully it was not a complete tear. But it was not ideal and I had to rest for six weeks before starting rehab. I still have two or three weeks of rehab to go, but I am so thankful to be back on tour.”
After a difficult 2023-24 season in which he finished 83rd on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, Vorster made a fine start to the current campaign with top-10 finishes in his first two events – the FBC Zim Open and the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am. But then his hip gave way.
“It was very frustrating and it happened just when my game was heading the right way after last season. It was my first time in Europe, playing on the Challenge Tour, and I struggled more with the off-course stuff, the travelling, the language barriers – everything was new.
“I also just played too much golf. I only had 10 weeks off last season, but it was a great experience. But now I’m more focused on the Sunshine Tour and doing well here will open more doors. My first goal now is to be in the top 10 on the Order of Merit because then I can get back in a re-rank category that qualifies me for the DP World Tour co-sanctioned events.”
Vorster will be up against experienced campaigners like Daniel van Tonder and Jean Hugo, who have both won twice this season, at Sishen Golf Club, as well as the in-form duo of Yurav Premlall and Jacques Blaauw, who are both flying high on the Order of Merit.
Photo: Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour
