November 9, 2011. South Africa’s premiere charity golf event, the Gary Player Invitational this year graces Zimbali on the KZN North Coast, and the big news in this week is that rising SA star golfer George Coetzee will join the strong cast of international golfers, sports stars and celebrities at the 12th edition of the tournament to be played from November 11-13, 2011.
The brawny Pretoria golfer completes the regular Tour line-up alongside European Tour winners Jesper Parnevik (he of the eccentric clothing and weird hats) and Peter Hanson from Sweden, Ladies European Tour champion Diana Luna from Italy, rising Scottish star Carly Booth and compatriots Jaco van Zyl, James Kamte and Lee-Anne Pace (all multiple tournament winners).
In the nearly four years since he first joined the professional ranks on the back of a prolific amateur career that saw him ranked first in South Africa, George Coetzee has won four times on the Sunshine Tour, with his biggest victory to date the Telkom PGA Championship in February.
The 25-year-old returns home on the back of an exciting season in Europe, where he currently ranks 26th on the Race to Dubai with earnings of more than €800 000(folks that’s nearly R10 mill). In the last year, Coetzee has climbed from outside the top 200 to 92nd on the official world golf rankings, thanks mainly to seven top 10 finishes in Europe.
Golden touch
It has certainly been a fruitful season for the powerful golfer and he is looking forward to sharing the fairways with nine-time Major winner Gary Player, as well as a strong cast of senior professionals, celebrities and business executives in his second successive appearance in the popular pro-celebrity tournament.
“I am looking forward to the Gary Player Invitational because for myself and the other Sunshine Tour professionals it is a great way to stay competitive ahead of the big tournaments coming up later this month,” said Coetzee. “But the competition side of things is really a by-product of what we are really playing for, namely charity.”
As the perfect expression of the Black Knight’s dedication to charity, the Gary Player Invitational series has raised more than R250-million for underprivileged children in all corners of the globe and it is a cause Coetzee fully supports.
Coetzee, who credits Gary Player’s latest book Don’t Choke – A Champion’s Guide to Winning Under Pressure as one of the reasons he has enjoyed such a successful season, also admits he hopes to spend a little time with the Black Knight ahead of the South African Open.
Incredible insights
“Every time you get the opportunity to listen to Gary Player, you walk away with incredible insights and to have a chance to get some insights from someone who won the SA Open a record 13 times will be invaluable,” said Coetzee.
The Champions field will include Player, Ian Woosnam, Mark James, DJ Russell, Vincent Tshabalala, Tony Johnstone, Sally Little and Roger Wessels, while the celebrities who will be lining up are sporting legends Pierre Spies, Breyton Paulse, Lucas Radebe, Kapil Dev, Paul Collingwood, Shaun Pollock, internationally acclaimed rugby referee Craig Joubert and popular 5FM Breakfast Show host, Thomas Msengana.
The business executives, who will captain the teams, include Claudia and Dieter Schönfeld of Alfred E Tiefenbacher, Coca-Cola East and Central Africa Country manager Alex Maditsi, president of IFA Hotel Group Africa and Indian Ocean, Wessel Witthuhn, and KeNako Academy chairman Ron Boon.
Bollywood diva and model Neha Dhupia will also join the all-star line-up to lend her glamorous support to Africa’s premier charity event that raises funds to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in South Africa.
More info at Black Knight International