Ten-year-old golfer swings for gold, but he needs help to get there

At just 10 years old, Luyanda Gumede has been selected to compete at the SA Kids Golf Junior Africa Challenge at San Lameer Country Club on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in August, GroundUp reports.

He will take part in the tournament alongside players representing 17 African countries.

Luyanda lives in Savannah Park and is a Grade 4 pupil at Sarnia Primary School in Pinetown. He was recently recognised at the eThekwini Recognition Sports Awards with a jacket, medal, and R15 000 for winning the Rising Sports Star category.

His father and coach, Sydney Siphiwe Gumede, said he introduced Luyanda to golf when his mother died in 2023 after she contracted Covid-19 while working at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital.

“He fell in love with the sport immediately. It’s something we now share,” added Gumede, who discovered his passion for golf in 2019.

He worked as a bus driver at Transnet Durban Transport but took early retirement in May at 55 to focus on Luyanda’s budding golf career.

Gumede said he was now looking for sponsorship so that Luyanda could take up some of the invitations he had received to compete abroad.

“Golf is an expensive sport. Equipment alone costs from R2 000 upwards, and it needs to be replaced regularly. Travel, accommodation and tournament fees make it even more difficult, and local games can cost above R15 000,” he added.

Since starting three years ago, Luyanda has already collected several medals, and has a driving range of up to 145m. He has also competed in tournaments in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Gumede said he believed his son had potential if given the opportunity to work with experienced players.

“He is very shy, so I want him to learn to interact with experienced players and influential people in the sport.