Amanzimtoti champ ready to drive the fairways
The best thing about the game is definitely to get out into the open and meet people.
Amanzimtoti Country Club (ACC) 2019 champion, Jan Mc Dermott, 42, is hoping to defend his title once again when all returns to normal on the fairways.
He won a closely contested final round against two fellow great Toti golfers, Mark Cowie and Kalvin van Rensburg. “I only knew I had it in the bag when the last putt went. I was elated to be the defending champion. I should have had the chance to defend my title this month, but we will only know when club champs will now take place once all is back to normal.”
Like his fellow golfers, Jan has been taking the lockdown rules seriously and has not been out on the course. “We all have a responsibility to minimise infections.
“This is my fourth year as a member of ACC. I have been playing for 33 years after my dad got me into the game. The best thing about the game is definitely to get out into the open and meet people.” Asked what’s the worst thing about the sport, he replied with a chuckle: “It is golf, there is nothing bad about this game.”
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Jan was born at the Thaba Tshwane army base (previously named Voortrekkerhoogte) in Pretoria. He went to four different primary schools, but finished up at Kempton Primary School. He was in Grade 8 at Frans Du Toit in Phalaborwa, but transferred to Thaba Tshwane to finish high school.
“I played golf for North Transvaal, as a junior and up to U23. I played for Southern Natal from 1996 to 2017. I played a lot of competitive golf until 2017 when I decided to spend weekends at home and have more family time. I decided not to play competitive golf and I would only play club championship and the odd tournament that I don’t have to travel too far for.”
Jan is married to Yolandi and they have a daughter Micayla, 16. He has only been an ACC member since 2017 and listed his hobbies as “golf, golf and more golf. “It’s difficult to say if I will defend my title. The competition is very tough and there are a couple of guys who can definitely take the title.
The lockdown is a good time to be with my family and we eat only once a day, the whole day, which I suppose is a good thing. I work for Mega SuperSpar, so I am part of essential services. During the lockdown we have to make sure that all our customers have what they need to get through this tough time.”
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