- Title: Nurture local golf talent, says South Africa's Player
- Date: 5th November 2018
- Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) YOUNG BOY HITTING A GOLF BALL TWO YOUNG BOYS PICKING UP GOLF BALLS VARIOUS OF YOUNG KIDS PLAYING GOLF GOLFING LEGEND GARY PLAYER TALKING TO PEOPLE AT THE SOWETO GOLF CLUB PLAYER, PUTTING GOLF BALLS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GOLFING LEGEND, GARY PLAYER, SAYING: "There is some young black boy or young black girl in South Africa today with tremendous athletic prowess - so talented. If they could be incentivised, which I think they are by this club, by development, by sponsors, by golf clubs in the countries that are telling youngsters they can come and play early in the morning, or in the evenings - whatever the case may be to help them develop it. And coaching, good coaching. So, I'm very optimistic that we can produce a champion." VARIOUS OF SOUTH AFRICA'S EMERGING PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLAYERS WALKING ONTO THE GOLF COURSE VARIOUS OF EMERGING PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLAYER, MUSIWALO NETHUNZWI, PUTTING GOLF BALLS (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMERGING PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLAYER, MUSIWALO NETHUNZWI, SAYING: "I'm so grateful to be part of the Gary Player Class, which was started two years ago. When it started, it was difficult for me to play tournaments, because I struggled financially. So they started helping us to travel as well. I've benefited a lot - I was the first term member of the Gary Player Class to win a tournament." NETHUNZWI WORKING ON HIS CLUB WITH A TOOL (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMERGING PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLAYER, MUSIWALO NETHUNZWI, SAYING: "When I started playing golf, my goal was to turn professional and I did. Then when I was playing professional, then the goal was to play on the highest level of this game, which is on the PGA. And when you get there, that's when you start looking around to give back to the community to try and help those who need." VARIOUS OF YOUNG KIDS PLAYING GOLF PLAYER MOTIVATING YOUNG KIDS ABOUT GOLF/SHOWING THEM HOW TO SWING (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMERGING PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLAYER, MUSIWALO NETHUNZWI, SAYING: "It is very tough to be a professional golfer in South Africa, because a lot of people, they don't follow golf. You can go outside and ask a few people to name two professional black golfers, they can't even name even one. So, South Africans need to learn other sports as well - not just to play but to follow as well as much as they do in soccer. If you can just check soccer and rugby and cricket, they got a lot of sponsors, they got a lot of support on the society but golfers - no." GOLF CLUB HITTING A BALL EMERGING PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLAYER, SIPHO BUJELA, HITTING A BALL NETHUNZWI AND BUJELA WALKING AWAY
- Embargoed: 19th November 2018 14:51
- Keywords: Gary Player Soweto Golf Club black golf players Musiwalo Nethunzwi Sipho Bujela amateur golf putting
- Location: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
- City: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Golf,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001958B0PJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Training black amateur golfers should be a priority to further grow and develop the multi-million dollar industry, South African golf legend Gary Player said during a final inspection of the refurbished Soweto Country Club.
Through Player's foundation, the township golf club has been redesigned with new fairways, bunkers, tee boxes, greens and an irrigation system - all with the aim of attracting local amateur golfers while enhancing the experience of emerging professional golfers.
"There is some young black boy or young black girl in South Africa today with tremendous athletic prowess - so talented. If they could be incentivised, which I think they are by this club, by development, by sponsors… I'm very optimistic that we can produce a champion," Player, a nine-time major winner, told Reuters in an interview.
The 83-year-old's focus on developing local talent is already paying off.
Player Musiwalo Nethunzwi says his career improved because of the contribution Player made to his professional development in the game.
"I'm so grateful to be part of the Gary Player Class, which was started two years ago. When it started, it was difficult for me to play tournaments, because I struggled financially. So they started helping us to travel as well. I've benefited a lot - I was the first term member of the Gary Player Class to win a tournament," he said.
But it's not easy. Golf courses remain inaccessible to many South Africans and Nethunzwi says being a professional golfer in the country has many challenges, especially when it comes to garnering interest and sponsorship.
"You can go outside and ask a few people to name two professional black golfers, they can't even name even one. So, South Africans need to learn other sports as well - not just to play but to follow as well as much as they do in soccer. If you can just check soccer and rugby and cricket, they got a lot of sponsors, they got a lot of support on the society but golfers - no," he said.
The 29-year-old will be playing at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the end of this month in preparation for the prestigious SA Open tournament in December. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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