Latest news with #DylanNaidoo
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Naidoo wins South Africa Open in playoff with Canter
Dylan Naidoo's victory in the rain-hit South African Open is the first win by a player of Indian heritage in the tournament and has been achieved on the course where one of the uglier incidents in apartheid sport played out decades earlier. The 27-year-old Naidoo took the biggest prize in South African golf in Sunday's play-off against Laurie Canter of England at the Durban Country Club. It was at this venue where another South African golfer of Indian ethnicity once had to collect his prize in the rain because racial laws meant he was not allowed in the club house. Dylan Naidoo wins the Investec South African Open Championship 🏆#InvestecSAOpen — DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 2, 2025 Papaw Sewgolum had won the Natal Open on the same course 62 years ago after overcoming a series of humiliations. He had learned the sport as caddie at the club, one of the country's most famous courses, after being given a set of second-hand clubs and allowed to play on a Monday along with the other caddies. Such was his obvious talent that a benefactor sponsored him to play in Europe, where he got an entry to The British Open and won the 1959 Dutch Open. He was prohibited from playing professionally in South Africa, however, where apartheid laws allowed no mixing of race groups in sporting arenas. After pressure from members, he was allowed to enter the 1963 Natal Open at the Durban Country Club under strict conditions, forced to change in a mini-van and eat his meals with the Black caddies as he was not allowed into the clubhouse, which was for white people only. When he won against the odds, the prize giving ceremony that should have taken place inside because of the poor weather was conducted outside in the rain. Sewgolum, who died aged 48 in 1978 from ill-health, was a sporting hero among South Africa's large Indian population, who were treated as second-class citizens in the apartheid era. Indians first arrived as labourers during the late 1800s and Durban is one the largest ethnically Indian-populated cities outside of India. So it was no surprise then that Naidoo enjoyed extensive support at the course during his win. Welcome to the winners circle, Dylan! 🏆#InvestecSAOpen — DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 2, 2025 "This is a special moment for me, it's a special moment for everybody here in Durban - it's overwhelming," he said. "I said yesterday it felt like I was Tiger Woods. There were so many people following me and that gave me energy. I can't thank everyone enough for coming out." Naidoo's triumph was made more poignant by the fact he is a graduate of a development programme which carries Sewgolum's name and is aimed at helping young golfers from disadvantaged communities reach the professional ranks. Naidoo and Canter led the tournament after the third round on 14 under par and went head-to-head after the fourth round was abandoned on Sunday because of torrential rain which left parts of the course under water. The 27-year-old Naidoo birdied the par-four 18th after a pitch to the green put him almost on top of the pin. The second and third rounds were completed on Saturday. The final round began at 6.10am on Sunday but only Chris Paisley, playing on his own, managed to complete his round before play was suspended three hours later. It was decided to abandon the round and get the co-leaders play off for the title once the rain cleared on Sunday afternoon.
Reuters
02-03-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Naidoo wins South Africa Open in playoff
March 2 (Reuters) - Local favourite Dylan Naidoo won the rain-hit South African Open at the Durban Country Club on the first playoff hole against England's Laurie Canter on Sunday. The pair led the tournament after the third round on 14 under par and went head-to-head after the fourth round was abandoned because of torrential rain which left parts of the course under water. The 27-year-old Naidoo, ranked 466th in the world, birdied the par four 18th after a pitch to the green put him almost on top of the pin. "It feels like a dream, it's overwhelming," said Naidoo, whose Indian heritage made him a popular figure with the crowds in Durban, which has a large Indian community. "I felt like I was Tiger Woods playing out there yesterday with so many people supporting me." The second and third rounds were completed on Saturday. The final round began at 6.10am on Sunday but only Chris Paisley, playing on his own, managed to complete his round before play was suspended three hours later. It was decided to abandon the round and get the co-leaders play off for the title once the rain cleared on Sunday afternoon.
Reuters
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Canter and Naidoo share lead going into last round of SA Open
DURBAN, South Africa, March 1 (Reuters) - Home favourite Dylan Naidoo rode a wave of spectator support to share the lead with Englishman Laurie Canter after the third round of the South African Open at the Durban Country Club on Saturday. Naidoo, who had a share of the second-round lead after it was completed earlier on Saturday, narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 18th as the last three-ball finished in the dark when poor weather saw the field race to complete the round. The 27-year-old Naidoo, 466th in golf's world rankings, played a steady round with two birdies and a single bogey for a one-under-par 71, which gave him a three-round total of 202. Canter, who won on the DP World Tour in Bahrain at the start of last month, had a much more eventful round after recovering from a double bogey on the first hole to shoot a four-under-par 68. His round included an eagle and six birdies but two more bogeys. Marco Penge from England climbed into third place with his 68 taking him to 13 under par while the South African trio of Darren Fichardt, Branden Grace and amateur Christian Maas were 12 under. The 21-year-old Maas was the only amateur to avoid the cut and shot an impressive 70. Joint second-round leader Shaun Norris fell back to 10 under, shooting 76 after his putter let him down.
