“Now on the tee… Representing the International team… From South Africa, Luca Filippi!” The hours of hard work had paid off. The journey that had begun as a toddler on the practice grounds of Atlantic Beach Golf Club had led the 19-year-old here – to the first tee at Plainfield Country Club and the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup.
“I was in my nappies when I first started playing golf. I used to hit those plastic balls around so I fell in love with the game then. I think it was just so much fun for me to play golf when I was younger, especially with my dad – just driving in the golf cart with him, just hitting balls… I just loved it”, Filippi recalls.
Most elite junior golfers have that one achievement that defines them. That achievement that is so mind-boggling it leaves people’s mouths agape. More importantly for the golfers themselves though they’re able to pinpoint that particular moment as one which lit the fire of self-belief within them. Though Filippi was crowned the U12 SA Strokeplay champion in 2011, his moment arrived three years later where as a 15-year-old he won the Fish River Invitational at Fish River Sun by a whopping 14 strokes.
“I think especially after the win at Fish River I knew I had the game to compete against “the big boys” so since then I haven’t looked back and it’s been good.”
The victory served as a springboard which not only catapulted Filippi to no. 1 on the U15 South African Golf Association rankings but also earned him a place in the U23 Western Province Interprovincial team. Such exploits even prompted former Western Province Golf Union Golf Director Eric Lefson to compare Filippi to former Masters Champion Trevor Immelman.
In the years since that break-out season, Filippi has become firmly entrenched amongst an exciting crop of young South African talent. Filippi along with Garrick Higgo and Christo Lamprecht have put their hands up time and again as potential successors to the likes of Grace and Schwartzel. Together the trio, along with Jayden Schaper, had the distinct honour of flying the International flag at the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup last year in New Jersey. As if the opportunity to be part of such an historic event wasn’t enough, Filippi had the honour of playing under South African greats Gary Player and Immelman himself. Luca speaks of how special it was to have the two legends in his corner whilst also taking in as much of their advice as possible.
“For Trevor to walk the back-nine with me in my Singles game was absolutely fantastic. Also for Gary to be there at the end and to watch the final putt was amazing. Just to speak to Trevor and Gary and get all the insight into their careers and just so much advice from them was unreal. “
To become a great player one has to show unwavering dedication to the game while being able to understand and then apply coaching instruction. Filippi is no different. Having taken up the game while his family lived on Atlantic Beach Golf Estate, Filippi laid the groundwork of a game built on accuracy tee-to-green and a razor-sharp short-game under the watchful eye of Head Professional Teddy Webber. When asked about what attributes made his pupil such a special talent, Webber pointed to his attitude and work-ethic.
“Luca was a very positive youngster and spent hours and hours chipping and putting around our practice facilities. If I told him to get something right by next week, when he came back it was perfect,” says Webber.
Though Filippi and Webber parted ways for a few years after his family moved to Milnerton, a reunion in February this year has sparked a tremendous run of form for the former Milnerton High School pupil. After posting a sixth-place finish at the South African Amateur Championship, the Milnerton Golf Club member posted runners-up at the Western Province Matchplay Championship and Border Strokeplay before winning the Southern Cape and Milnerton Opens respectively.
“I think Teddy and I have always got on well. He’s a feel coach and I’m a feel-player so we know each other really well in the way that he teaches.”
Filippi thinks differently about the game. Where many promising amateurs feel it necessary to beat balls for hours on end, Filippi prefers to spend four to five hours a day honing his short-game and only about an hour hitting range balls, believing that “short-game is where the game is at”. In the past, golfers far less talented than Filippi have had their prospects in the game undone by their hastiness to turn professional. Filippi, on the other hand, exhibits maturity beyond his years and is happy to bide his time before taking the leap into the paid ranks.
As if this doesn’t show that Filippi has an old head on young shoulders, he skippered the Western Province Senior Men’s team to victory in the B-section of the Interprovincial tournament this year. Filippi led by example as he won 11.5 out of a possible 12 points and in in the process earned selection for a two-man South African team to play in Argentina in November.
Given the all-consuming nature of amateur golf at the highest level though, it’s necessary to lead a balanced lifestyle so as to avoid becoming burnt out. For Filippi this escape is found in doing anything and everything other than golf.
“I like going to the beach and just paddle-boarding or body-boarding or whatever to just get away from golf. I like to do things that don’t have anything to do with golf. I like spending time with my girlfriend too.”
Luca Filippi’s talent is undoubted and is one to watch in the future. Who knows, perhaps a return to Plainfield Country Club is on the cards one day? Next time for the senior International side.
Photo: Unknown
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