Young local golfer shows great promise
One can only conclude that indeed this is going to be a bumper year for Tembisa golf.
The 2017 calendar year promises to be full of activity for Tembisa Golf Club, now that the SA Open marshalling duties have been completed.
The club will be going back to Glendower Golf Club as participants in the Tembisa Golf Club Marshalls Benefit game.
This will be in addition to the club’s regular annual programme, which includes trips to either Mafikeng or Middelburg.
A major event, to be hosted at Ebuhleni Golfing Facility in Tembisa, will also kick off this year.
The club’s organising secretary, Mr Benjamin Monyanyedi, said, “Our junior programme is carrying on – little ones are ferried to Kempton Park every Saturday by development coaches, where they are given basic golf lessons and taught about some of the techniques that should be applied to the game.”
The club is hoping that in 2017 one of its development protégés, Lebo Makume, can take his game to the next level, having graduated in 2015 and showing signs of brilliance in 2016.
According to Mr Sam Serongoane, one of the coaches who was instrumental in Lebo’s development, the young golfer will make the club and Tembisa proud one day.
“He is only 17 years old, and if not for that, Lebo would have taken part in the Vusi Ngobeni Sunshine Tour qualifier that took place at Modderfontein Golf Club.
“On that tour, seasoned black professional golfers and amateurs are given a platform to compete among themselves. The best players then proceed to take on other local and international professional golfers in the main Sunshine Tour events.
“Lebo will definitely be eligible to participate next year, as he would have turned 18,” said Mr Serongoane.
Mr Serongoane said three of their hopefuls who played in the Vusi Ngobeni tour did not disappoint.
George Mokela, who plies his trade at Ebuhleni most of the time, qualified for the four rounds and has therefore made the top 60.
“Young Phumlani Maluka, one of the three development players we sent to Vusi Qualifying School, also made the top 60, with the likes of Letsoalo and Mabena hoping to do well next year,” he said.
Last week, much to the delight of Tembisa Country Club, Mr Serongoane himself registered a hole-in-one at the tough 17th hole at Kempton Country Club, courtesy of an 8 iron from the tee.
