Hello golfers,

Firstly, John, JD, Sam and I would like to wish you a Happy & Healthy New Year, and importantly a great golfing New Year.

 

Don't forget as from Jan 1st, for the few of you that anchor the putter at the club, it is now an illegal move to continue to use this method. Leading on from that (just an idea), if you do need a putter fitting don't forget that we have a fantastic studio at the club (with all the latest technology), and we guarantee that you will walk out of with a flat stick which perfectly fitted for your game.

Click here to get in touch if you would like to book a putting lesson, or would like to discuss how to change your putting stroke.

Also please don't forget that I will take all vouchers from other golf stores that you received this Xmas for full face value, don't be shy, use these vouchers against all future purchases in the shop at your club this coming season.


Pro Shop Christmas Draw

Thank you for the fantastic support for the Xmas Draw. It is always a pleasure to make a phone call on the first day of the year to the lucky winner. This year it was Dave Spooner who got that call having been pulled out of the hat by our captain Kevin Turner. Dave was the lucky recipient of a set of irons......................what a nice way to start 2016!

Full results for the draw are as follows:- 

1st - Dave Spooner - Full set of Irons 
2nd - Mark Lineham - Motocaddy trolley 
3rd - Pam Owen - Scotty Cameron Putter 
4th - Will Edmund - Galvin Green Jacket 
5th - Lloyd Bialaszewski - Titleist Fairway wood 
6th - Billy Walton - ECCO Shoes 
7th - Mike Atkinson - Titleist Aquadry bag 
8th - Catherine Murray - FootJoy Shoes 
9th - Lisa Heywood - Callaway wedge 
10th - John Pelling - Dozen Pro v1's


 

There were plenty of hardy golfers on NewYears Day, some playing with clearer heads than others. The winners with a score of a Nett 57.2 were the team of Liam Burns, Keiron Burns, Ingrid Long & Peter Long and the Runners-up were Richard Tomlin, David Brenes, Tony Schooling & David Fyfe.


 

The BMW SA Open hosted by Ekurhuleni is one of the oldest events to feature on the European Tour. The first South African Open was contested as an exhibition tournament in 1893 and 2010 saw the 100th staging of the great competition. This year will be the 105th edition.

The great South African golfers of the last 80 years have been at the fore in this great tournament. Bobby Locke won nine times between 1935 and 1955 before Gary Player took over, winning 13 times from 1956 to 1981. Other South African Major winners - Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman have all lifted the trophy. Last season Andy Sullivan sealed his maiden European Tour title in this event with a playoff victory over home favourite Charl Schwartzel. It teed up a memorable year for the Englishman. He went on to win two further events during the 2015 season and finished the year with a fine performance in the DP World Tour Championship - pushing Rory McIlroy all the way to the line. Andy Sullivan defends the SA Open this week but will face some strong competition.

As you would expect, the home nation will be well represented. Branden Grace tees it up and will start as favourite. But Grace will be ably supported by the likes of Jaco Van Zyl, George Coetzee, Richard Sterne and Retief Goosen. 

Other notable names on the start sheet include, David Howell, Gregory Bourdy and Nicolas Colsaerts. It's a good chance for the European Tour Q school graduates to prove themselves on the main circuit. Walker Cup winner Paul Dunne will start, as will experienced European Tour campaigners Richard Finch and Edoardo Molinari, both of whom made a return to Tour school last year. 

The weather forecast for Johannesburg looks mixed. Good conditions on the first couple of days could be followed by storms over the weekend.


Player watch: 

Branden Grace - The World Number 14 has a poor record in his home championship and will be looking to rectify that. This is an event he is desperately keen to win. He was on solid form at the end of 2015 with top 10s in both the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Nedbank Challenge. 

Jaco Van Zyl - Another home player on good form towards the end of 2015. He was second in Turkey then tied eighth in the Alfred Dunhill and tied 13th in the Nedbank. 

Lee Slattery - The Englishman was third in this event last year and he enjoyed some reasonable results late in 2015 - ninth in the Turkish Airlines Open in November for example.

And don't forget to follow my long term pupil Matt Ford, who is coming off the back of two consecutive top ten finishes, one of which secured his card for 2016, can he keep his card for 2017 only time will tell...

Click here to stay up to date with all of the latest action.