Beyond borders: FootGolf SA triumph at the FootGolf French Open Masters

In a historic moment for FootGolf in South Africa, FootGolf South Africa (FGSA) proudly sent a team to compete in the prestigious Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG) French Open Masters held at Golf Parc Robert Hersant in France from June 20-23.

This marked a significant leap forward for the sport in the country and on the continent, as Team South Africa joined the global FootGolf community in its 10th edition of this esteemed competition.

Team SA was represented by three exceptional players – Mpho Mbele in the Men’s category, Kefilwe Mphake in the Women’s, and Thomas Samons in the Senior Men’s.

The three athletes delivered outstanding performances at the tournament, with Mbele clinching the first international FootGolf award for South Africa.

Mbele’s remarkable achievement placed him in position 163 out of the top 198 players in the Men’s category, securing him the title of South Africa’s best player of the tournament, and earning him the prestigious Best Country Performance Award.
“What an amazing award. I’m very happy to receive this award for our country. Hopefully, we can go back again and have fun and win as our captain would say,” said Mbele.

Kefilwe, the first and only African woman to represent the country and the continent at the tournament, displayed immense talent and resilience.
Despite facing tough competition, Kefilwe finished in the impressive position of 23 out of 28 competitors.

Her determination and positive spirit not only earned her a spot on the FIFG Women’s World Rankings but also left a mark on the European Tour Rankings.

“The competition was tough, a bit of a culture shock in the first round when I was the only woman in our group but I think I recovered well in the last two rounds even though it was not enough to make up for the mess of the first round. The whole experience was amazing,” said Kefilwe.

Samons, unfortunately, had to withdraw from the tournament due to a serious injury sustained in the initial round of competition.

Norman Mphake, president of FGSA, expressed his pride in the team’s accomplishments and reiterated the organisation’s commitment to developing FootGolf locally and globally.

“Our participation at the Masters was both an honour and a privilege as a member country of the FIFG. The lessons learned both on and off the course will serve to future-proof our organisation. We will continue to create opportunities for other deserving athletes to experience the world of FootGolf, ” said Norman.

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