The world Tours are in full swing again. The Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour, DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour, Asian Tour then the Challenge Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, Bushveld Tour and Altron Big Easy Tour… not to mention LIV Golf events – I have surely left something out. These are the elite professionals and most Tours have television or online coverage. Then we come even closer to home with all the GolfRSA and SA Disabled Golf Association events. Frankly, with this much golf happening, most of Thursday to Sunday can comfortably be spent on the couch… when do you fit your game in and then there is getting to the range! We really are spoilt!

While the ruckus between the major golfing bodies and LIV golf continues pretty much unabated, with “Rahmbo” having defected, Rory resigning from the PGA Tour Board and messages becoming quite mixed, things are certainly not much clearer. That aside, we have been treated to some quirky golf happenings so far in ’24: the AT&T at Pebble Beach cut to three days due to weather, LIV Maykoba ending in the dark with a playoff and let’s not forget the amateur Nick Dunlap’s win at the American Express PGA Tour event. He became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991. Not only was this a historical achievement, it also meant that despite beating Saffa Christiaan Bezuidenhout by one stroke, Christiaan took home the $1.5m winner’s purse. Dunlap has consequently turned pro. And you just can’t keep the South African golfers out of the winner’s circle, with Dylan Frittelli picking up a much-welcomed win at the Bahrain Championship – his first on the DP World Tour in six years.

Let’s not forget Aldrich Potgieter’s history-making win on the Korn Ferry Tour. Aldrich won in the Bahamas to be come the youngest winner on the Tour. Read more about it and other great SA achievements in the NEWS.

Finally, I invite you to not only enjoy the latest TGM® but also to enjoy reading about all our amateurs and learning more, up close and personal, about some of our top players coming through the ranks. You just can’t ignore Thriston Lawrence who is our cover feature. He is a winner on Tour and is consistently near the top of leaderboard no matter where he plays, he is certainly red hot and is sure to be a multiple winner in 2024! Gooi Mielies Thriston!

It would be amiss of me not to welcome our latest supporters Duca Del Cosma, deWiz XXIO, and Titleist. Of course, we have our monthly competition kicking off with Louis57 Wines, culminating in a chance to win a magnificent golf getaway to the Bushveld and Golden Links courses at the Nkonyeni Golf Estate. Wow! Even more incentive to sign up for free and read THE GOLF MAG monthly!

I’m off to go support the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open at Royal Cape GC this weekend. What a privilege to see our pros up close and on our local courses.

Cheers,
Shayne Dowling
Publishing Editor