Golf epic aids Els charity
NMMU golfer Mike Usendorff put his money where his mouth is and spent nearly 10 straight hours playing golf last year to raise funds for the Ernie Els For Autism Charitable Foundation and the KPMG Madibaz Golf Club.
Driven by a need to give back to others, the 24-year-old, in the final year of his marketing degree at NMMU, teed off at 7am and staggered off the Humewood course nine hours and 45 minutes later with 200 holes under his belt.
This month, Usendorff, who now works in Port Elizabeth, saw the fruits of his labours when he was able to donate a total of R46 000 to the relevant parties.
The son of former Eastern Province amateur player Dave, who is well-known in television circles as a golf presenter, Usendorff said he had wanted to continue the legacy started by his father.
“Way back in the 1980s, when my dad was at NMMU [then UPE], he set up a marathon, playing, I think, 256 holes in about 13 hours,” he said.
Usendorff, who was part of the Madibaz team which won the University Sport South Africa golf title last year, said it was a lot about giving back to those “who need it a bit more than myself”.
He said South African professional and four-time major winner Ernie Els had been a role model for many young golfers.
“He is a friend of my dad so he has been a big part of our lives and what he has done to help young children is phenomenal. That’s why I wanted to support the Els for Autism Charitable Foundation.
“The main thing was giving back to the community, but also challenging my dad in a way, to show I could continue the Usendorff legacy,” he said.
Playing off a handicap of three, the target was to get in 180 holes for the day.
He exceeded the target, averaging about 53 minutes per round.