Thimba is happy to return to winners’ circle

Professional golfer Toto Thimba is the ‘comeback kid’ of golf after clinching the Altron Big Easy Tour at Dainfern Golf Estate.

Thimba hasn’t won a tournament in four years after a few setbacks.

“I feel good about winning the title. It is a good start to the year. I went overseas in 2022 which was one of my best years for me. But then I lost my tour card because I caught Covid.”

He returned to South Africa but struggled to play golf because his health was not good. However, Thimba soldiered on and returned to the drawing board to get his A-game back.

“I have always been a pro and when I lost it [tour card], it kind of hit me hard and was not easy for me to handle. But I was not bitter about it. I said to myself, ‘Let me go back and earn my card again and see how things unfold’.

“I did exactly that and I had a very good season last year. It was huge for me because it shows that hard work pays and you have to be patient with what you doing.”
The 37-year-old said he picked up his first golf club at six years of age and credits his father for creating his love of the sport.

“I used to go and watch him hit balls at the range. I fell in love with the game and chose to pursue it as my career.”

He said golf was so soul-soothing and he would not trade it for anything else.

“It is one of the sports that is so calming. When you play golf, it is as if you are meditating. There is so much peace in it and one thing that made me fall in love with the game is discipline. For instance, if you are late, you don’t play. If you can manage to conquer golf, life would be so much easier for you.”

He said he looked forward to playing his best in the year ahead.

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