Nine-time champion Ben van Zyl will headline a strong local contingent at the Canon South Africa SA Disabled Golf Open to be held at Magalies Park from 13-17 May 2018.
The 61-year-old right leg amputee will be seeking an astonishing tenth title at South Africa’s premier disabled golf event which will celebrate its 20th staging this year. The 14-handicapper can lay claim to the most sustained period of dominance in tournament history, sweeping top honours from 1998-2003.
Not only has Van Zyl staked his claim as one of the country’s best disabled golfers by representing South Africa at the World Cup of Disabled Golf, but has also become a force on the international stage, having won both the British and Canadian Amputee Championships respectively.
Van Zyl stressed that, despite his impressive résumé, it is important to guard against complacency.
“Remember that the wheel of life is turning; today you are at the bottom and tomorrow you are at the bottom again”, he said on sadga’s website.
Michelle Janse van Vuuren, Canon SA’s Marketing Director, says Van Zyl’s participation is testament to the tournament’s ability to attract stellar fields year after year.
“We are delighted to confirm nine times South African Disabled Golf Open winner, Ben van Zyl, as one of our first entrants to this year’s competition.
“It is indeed heartening to have golfers of his calibre participating. We look forward to seeing him in action once again at the 2018 Canon South Africa Disabled Golf Open,” she told sadga.co.za.
Joining Van Zyl will be 58-year-old Jeff Bartlett who is making his tournament debut. Bartlett, who lost his right-leg in 2016 due to a lack of blood flow, remarked that it was the appeal of meeting new people and making new friends which prompted him to get involved in disabled golf.
“I look forward to competing in the Canon SA Disabled Open 2018 and testing my skills against some of the best golfers from SA and abroad as well as learning from them and forging new friendships,” Bartlett was quoted as saying by sadga.co.za.
The exploits of American Chad Pfeifer, who hoisted the trophy at the 2016 and 2017 editions spurred Bartlett on to defy the odds and tee it up a mere nine weeks after having his prosthetic leg fitted in November 2016.
“When I joined SADGA I received a program from the 2017 SA Disabled Open and was immediately inspired by the feats of disabled golfers Chad Pfeifer, Bob MacDermott and company,” he added.
Another player making his debut at Magalies Park, albeit on the other side of the age spectrum will be 17-year-old Jabu Price Moore. The Michaelhouse pupil is eager to give a good account of himself and sound a warning to his fellow competitors that he will be a fixture in the upper-echelons of the leaderboard for years to come. He suffered total paralysis of the right arm after a car accident at the age of one.
“This year in the Canon SA Disabled Golf Open, I’m just looking to play consistent golf over the days and show the others I’m here to win one day,’ Price told sadga.co.za.
Players will have the opportunity to play a practise round on 13 May before vying for the title over 54 holes on the par-70 North-West Province layout.
Pfeifer is the two-time defending champion.
Photo: South African Disabled Golf Association
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