Township golf star is swinging to the top

ANEW star has risen on the Border golf scene. She is Zethu Myeki, who began the season with an SA Women's golf ranking of 42 and has stormed up the leaderboard to sit at an incredible third.

This is an extremely impressive feat for the 22-year-old, who plays out of the West Bank and East London Golf Clubs.

“I have been very happy with how I have performed this year,” said Myeki, who was born and raised in Mdantsane, and has been a part of the Ernie Els Foundation for the past few years.

“All of the support I have received from the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation, as well as Border Ladies golf, has helped me get to where I am,” she says.

And she adds: “Along with all of the hard work that I have put in which has finally paid off.”

She continued: “It has been a break out year, indeed, for me this year ... I have proven to myself and everyone that if you work hard, you can achieve anything in life.”

Myeki's meteoric rise began back in February when she beat a host of more fancied players to the Border Women's Open strokeplay title.

Current SA ladies number one Kaleigh Telfer, number four Cara Gorlei and number five Woo-Ju Son were all taking part in the tournament.

However, none of them could get near Myeki. Son took third, Telfer fourth and Gorlei fifth, while another rising Border golf star, Demi Flanagan, finished second.

That result catapulted Myeki into the top 20 of the women's rankings and she has not looked back, imperiously moving up the board.

“The Border champs was my best performance this year,” said Myeki. “Espe- cially because it was after I played so badly at the Eastern Province champs.

“I was so disappointed but I told myself that I have to win Border champs because I had been practising so hard – and I did, with a lot of thanks going to my coach Michelle de Vries, who helped me do it.”

The Border champs proved to be Myeki's only win of the year but her consistent form meant she was able to continue moving up the rankings.

She managed 14 top-10 placings over the year, including the win, all of which saw her move up to her current ranking of third in the country.

Her coach, De Vries, said: “We always had a goal to get to a low ranking and once she started working hard on it you just knew she was going to go up in leaps and bounds.

“I asked the Ernie Else Foundation to give her a chance and they did – and I think from the extra work, extra coaching and support from the Border ladies she flourished and has gone from strength to strength. She is just a phenomenal child, she really is.”

Her top 10 finishes were included in the Western Province champs, KZN champs, Gauteng champs, SA amateur stroke play, Limpopo champs, Mpumalanga champs, Ekurhuleni champs, Gauteng stroke play, Ackerman champs, 72 holes champs and the Gauteng North champs.

“My favourite tournament this year was the Southern Cape champs because I played my best round of golf in a championship, hitting a 68,” said Myeki.

With her last event being the Ernie Els Invitational which has just ended, Myeki is now looking to the future and will be using things she learnt over the past year to help her reach her goals.

“I have learnt that you never give up on this game. The only person you are competing with is yourself so you have to believe in you,” said Myeki.

“Next year I want to finish in the top five in every tournament that I play ... if I don't win, that is.”

The main goal for the coming year seems to be getting Myeki as much exposure as possible to ensure her selection for a South African squad to tour around the world.

“We are hoping that she will be selected into the SA squad; the goal is to get into that team and travel and get exposure overseas,” said De Vries.

“We still need to sit and chat about the concrete goals for the coming year and we will do that soon and begin working on reaching those goals, which I believe she will.”

Myeki is truly an inspiration, and is proof that hard work and dedication can get you far.

She began playing golf only in 2007 at the age of 14 while she was still at high school.

“I always wanted to play golf, but I didn’t know what to do. Luckily I met this girl, Silindokuhle, who was in the same class as me and she invited me to join them after school on the soccer fields where they practiced, and the rest is history,” said Myeki.

Although she has no family background in golf, they support her through and through, which is a massive help.

“My family is 120% behind me and my golf, I am so thankful to God for having them,” said Myeki.