07 February 2025, Leopard Creek, South Africa: The GolfRSA Tournament Support Programme, a development initiative funded by The R&A, the National Lotteries Commission and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in South Africa, has been introduced to provide pathways into the sport for golfers from less privileged backgrounds.
The initiative will offer financial support to cover travel, accommodation and subsistence to the players selected for the initial programme so that they can participate in more tournaments to gain experience in the sport.
A total of 40 events on the World Amateur Golf Ranking™, both locally in South Africa and internationally around the continent of Africa have been identified, will be distributed across the group.
Johndre Ludick, who is competing in the Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek this week, is one of the golfers selected for the programme, which will include 25 golfers (12 women and 13 men), aged 16-23 years old.
“This programme means a lot to me, especially coming from a small town where we don’t have as many opportunities, and so I’m really grateful for the support”, said Ludick.
“Getting exposure to golf here in South Africa and other countries is hugely important, but being involved will also allow me to learn a lot about myself, meet new people and make friends.”
Grant Hepburn, CEO of GolfRSA, said, “We are grateful to The R&A, the National Lotteries Commission and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for their support which will allow us to introduce this important initiative for golf in South Africa.
“It will allow us to identify golfers who will benefit significantly from having a support framework in place that enables them to develop as players and give them the opportunities that they have not previously had.
“We are excited to have invited the first group of players to be part of this initiative and look forward to watching their progress over the coming years.”
Kevin Barker, Director – Golf Development at The R&A, said, “We are working closely with national federations in Africa to establish development initiatives that provide pathways into the sport and offer support to players who have the talent and drive to succeed in golf.
“The GolfRSA Tournament Support Programme will deliver valuable opportunities to golfers, enabling them compete in elite amateur championships and exposing them to high performance environments which will be hugely beneficial to their overall development as golfers.”
For more information about the GolfRSA Tournament Support Programme, please contact Lali Stander on lalistander@golfrsa.co.za
About The R&A
The R&A group of companies was formed in 2004 to take on The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ responsibilities for governing the Rules of Golf, staging The Open, golf’s original championship, and developing the sport. The R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews is part of The R&A group.
Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 62 million golfers in 147 countries and with the consent of 166 organisations from amateur and professional golf.
The R&A has responsibility for running a series of world class amateur events and international matches in women’s and girls’ as well as men’s and boys’ golf. The R&A stages the AIG Women’s Open and works with the DP World Tour to stage the Senior Open.
The R&A is committed to investing £200 million over ten years in developing golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. For more information, visit www.randa.org
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