Oliver Bekker, brand ambassador for Moonstone and Suitebox, saw a lifetime dream come true when he qualified for the 117th US Open golf tournament at the Erin Hills course in Wisconsin which starts today.
Bekker only had two days to get to the course in the UK after two wins on the Sunshine circuit and a third place in the Zimbabwe Open saw him move to 227th in the world rankings, and an invitation to the qualifying tournament. He played a 67 and 66 on the two courses at the Walton Heath club, placing him first of the SA contenders.
Three other South Africans, Brandon Stone, George Coetzee, and Thomas Aiken also qualified, while Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen will be there, courtesy of previous achievements.
Bekker, who honed his skills as a youngster in the tough US College circuit, ascribes his recent upward curve to his wife, Alra, a qualified PGA coach and mentor, and advice from his new coach, Llewellyn van Leeuwen, to trust his natural swing, rather than over-analyse everything.
We are holding thumbs for all our local boytjies, with a bit of a bias for “our” man in the US Open.
