Son’s fight against cancer inspires Kempton dad in cancer challenge
The tournament’s theme of raising awareness of cancer certainly resonated with Gous
Not much could perturb Kempton Park Country Club’s Clifford Gous in the final round of the Sanlam Cancer Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club on Tuesday as he grabbed a thrilling one-point victory in the men’s A division.
The tournament’s theme of raising awareness of cancer certainly resonated with Gous, whose son Noel, a teaching pro, had a brain tumor operated on a week ago. Gous then had to deal with a cold putter, intense pressure from Shane Gaia of Kloof Country Club and Mossel Bay’s Hendrik Kriek, and putting his ball in the bushes on the 16th hole.
Gous managed to escape with a bogey and then made a crucial par on the 17th to hang on to his lead.
“It was amazing. I probably had nine birdies putts today, some of them only one or two metres, but I didn’t make one.
“So it was fantastic to win this beautiful tournament, a great honour. My son Noel is a teaching pro and I used to caddie for him in his amateur days. He just told me to relax and go for it, even though I only play twice a month.
“And then four weeks ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had the operation last Monday and he’s jogging already,” Gous said.
“So I’m doing it for him because he has been an enormous inspiration for me,” Gous, who plays off an eight handicap, said after his triumph on Tuesday.
The other men’s winners were Alan Louw of Irene Country Club, claiming the B division by just one point from Darling Golf Club’s Karl Straszacker, and Vernon Koekemoer, who posted the overall best score of 89 points.
Representing Swartklip Golf Club, which is on the border of Limpopo and North-West, about 50km from Sun City, Koekemoer obliterated the competition in the C division, notching an astonishing 49 points on Tuesday off his 28 handicap.
