Amanzimtoti golfer Vic de Klerk (62) and his nephew and playing partner Brandt de Klerk of Pretoria finished third out of 49 countries competing at the Audi Quattro Cup World Final in December.
Vic and Brandt won the right to contest the final at the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol in Mexico from 1 to 5 December after they scooped the national Audi Quattro Cup qualification tournament.
Last year there were about 90,000 golfers throughout the world who qualified to make the final, so the pair were already winners when they landed in Mexico. “We had a bad draw the first day when playing with Kuwait, who played so slow that we fell behind four holes. That frustrated my young partner,” said Vic.
At the final, you get to play one practise round, then two tournament rounds. Vic and Brandt were fourth after round one, two shots behind Czechoslovakia, who were third. They played with Czechoslovakia the second and last day. “We had a great start through the first six holes and caught up, but fell back one until four holes were left.
Everybody had an electronic device to check the standings, so you knew how you were placed. At that point I realised we wouldn’t win, and told Brandt the best we could do was third. I told him we were basically in a four-hole matchplay situation going into the last four holes.”
The pair set about their task with vigour and won three of the remaining holes to beat Czechoslovakia by two shots. “It was very tough, but rewarding. We were happy to get the third prize, as there are only three.”
The prizes were handed out by American pro woman golfer, Paula Creamer and an executive from Audi Germany. “We were treated like professional golfers, wined and dined as good as the world can offer. Everybody stayed at one place in Los Cabos, Pueblo Bonita Pacifica, which is right on the beach. On the first evening everybody was introduced with their country’s flag and our names for all to see.”
After the tournament, Vic and Brandt flew to Atlanta, hired a car and drove to Augusta National, where the Masters is played every year. They then drove to Charleston where one of Vic’s long-time golf mates arranged several games for them at Crowfield, Shadow Moss, Charleston National and Stono Ferry Plantation Course. They also went to Kiawa Island Ocean and Plantation courses near Stono Ferry, and Daniel Island Golf Club.
They played invitation golf with American and ex-pat friends at Bradenton Country Club, Fox Hollow and Buffalo Creek. A friend took them to the course ‘The Concession’, which is a joint design by Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklyn to commemorate their Ryder Cup game where a putt was conceded to draw the four-day outcome.
“It was truly a magnificent experience which I will never forget,” said Vic. “Thanks to God for granting me this experience, my wife for letting me go and my friends Austin Oosthuizen, Heinie Zietsman, Neels van Wyk and their wives, the friendly American golfer CJ Howard of Bradenton and the other senior golfers who played with us in the Charleston area.”
