Far From Par: The dream of a dreamer

Part 9

It’s been interesting times in the golf world of late. We’ve seen the dramatic posturing by a rival, Saudi-funded golf league that threatens the monopoly of the PGA Tour.

Followed by Phil Mickelson making some rather regrettable statements about his intimate involvement with it and the backlash he suffered from both fans and sponsors as a result thereof, losing multiple lucrative sponsorship deals in the process.

Some of the issues that appear to be at the centre of this Saudi-bank-rolled golf league saga range from claims of outdated application of golf rules to alleged “obnoxious greed” by the PGA Tour who benefits most from their ownership of the digital rights of player’s images and likeness, worth around $20bn, according to Phil.

While most of the furore has seemingly withered away from the top of golf media and magazine platforms, architect in Chief of the Saudi golf league, Greg Norman, has made it unmistakably clear that this is “only the beginning”, in a heavy-handed letter he recently penned to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

Back home on the Sunshine Tour, we’ve seen a return of tournament golf to KZN at Durban Country Club, where Papwa Sewgolum won the Natal Open in 1963 and 1965, infamously beating Gary Player to the title in the latter.

Durban Country Club celebrates its centenary this year, so it must have been an occasional treat to have hosted the Jonsson Workwear Open there last week, the first of three such events over the next three years.

The tournament was won by a red-hot JC Ritchie, who at the beginning of the final day amassed a remarkable 10-stroke lead over his closest competitor.

JC’s latest victory comes fresh off a title-defending win at the Bain’s Whiskey Cape Town Open a couple