Week 3 of the 2024 Challenge Tour season……
Reigning champion Oliver Bekker took us behind the scenes, as he talked us through fond memories & life on tour as a father.
Nikhil Rama and Brandon Stone went head-to-head in a friendly game of tennis & we crowned David Ravetto the new Dimension Data Pro-Am Champion!
This is one of sports great Proving Grounds gateway to Glory brilliant 30 tournaments spanning 19 countries along the way a chance to expand Horizons and Sample life W what you doing finish the season in the top 20 on the road to mayorca rankings and secure a golden ticket to the DP World Tour
This is the challenge tour of all the backdrops to be encountered by the class of 2024 this season they’ll do well to beat the one on view this week as we continue our South African swing we’ve traveled East along the garden route to George and specifically fanor golf estate host to the dimension
Data proam nestled in the foothills of the OT mountains this week’s tournament will be played across three of fanc Court’s iconic courses the monague UTA and finally the lynx a world-renowned venue ranked second in South Africa one man who knows these Fairways better than most though is local Legend
Oliver Becka after Victory here last year he’s back to defend the title how’s it boys you are you are good I’ve always enjoyed coming to to the area and you know now we live in the area and uh we enjoy it even more so it’s good it’s um know it’s a place
That I’ve I’ve become very fond of and I’m very comfortable with so yeah you know you always feel like even if you’re not quite on top form but if you you know can just get something going you’ll you’ll be in contention this week he’s got a place yeah yeah know we
Live at s so just outside where uh just up the road thank proceed yeah I was starving it’s a good thing someone that doesn’t know ol how would you sort of describe his character nut no no listen he’s a good boy he’s uh I’ve uh I’ve known him a long time he’s
Done nothing but a gentleman to everyone that I know um he’s uh he’s been raised well by his mom and dad and um yeah he’s uh he’s a good AR I’m glad to have him as my friend I love it you sure you don’t want to eat fivewood or something into that bunker
There it’s a unique challenge um playing t a golf and and having a family and leaving them at home I know I’m experiencing it now for the first time in in my life and uh yeah I mean it’s it’s hard and uh he’s obviously got a
Head start so I do ask him a few little questions here and there but um no look it’s uh we’re privileged to be able to play golf and something that we enjoy and earn for for a living but at the same time it comes with its unique challenges as
Well great shot recky I think most people think that you get everything for free you know like flights accommodation car rentals all those things but you know obviously I wish that was the case you know but you you’ve got to incur quite a lot of expenses before you actually te off on a
On a Thursday and you know if you have one or two bad weeks well it becomes it becomes a a real uh financial burden on you if you if if you’re not not performing so what’s the line Oliver uh straight at the dead tree I
Don’t always get to play with my dad so that was nice to get to play with him today what the big one what about the big faway see that for away great shot you know and and it’s also nice to play with with Justin and Jo um haven’t played
With Justin in a while he’s been off um injured so yeah it’s it’s nice to you know get the boys back together kind of and and and play together in a social round kind of competitive but social you know and uh it was um yeah it was good
Fun done then I’ll run you over this baby before you want to see your family as often as you can uh but also can you afford to actually see them as often as you want uh that’s the other question then also the kids are going to school you don’t
Want to take them out of school all the time you know so there’s a lot of things that you need to think about and the older they get the harder it becomes because then you can’t just take them out of school for weeks at a time unless
You homeschool them your so you know there’s there’s a lot of things at play yeah so it’s a difficult one to to manage but you you try and do as well as you can yeah and this this is very special this this I got for my
Caddy so every time he told me he doesn’t like chipping so much every time he he’s about to Chip he needs to pull this out and know just to so it doesn’t frog it you you know how was your golf with your dad it was
Good it was good fun it was nice he enjoyed uh he enjoyed our band I think yeah I want juice you want juice I want a little bit of water and a little bit of water okay for me being a part of it it’s like a big dream come true um it’s
A Pity we we we don’t get to see as much as we would have liked um we we we would love to be there every single week to support them in in what he does um we are very proud of him and especially the kids they love to see their dad doing
His job and um but yeah they also have to go to school and and do all their things so yeah I think uh we’re very fortunate to have him in our lives also yeah B mango you want some mango so it’s mine so it’s mine then thank you by this was a
2012’s th daughter trophy these things are quite heavy as well and then uh this was last year’s one so yeah it’s quite a nice reminder for this week um when you see them to uh maybe this we can make room for one more there you know it be look quite
Nice so with family business taken care of after a short trip to the course early on Thursday morning and the prep complete it was time to get to work next on the te from George local man Oliver Becker defending champion of Dimension data with the defense of his title
Underway Becca enjoyed a roller coaster start to the week teeing off at the 10th two dropped shots and three birdies saw him negotiate his opening five holes in one under par he picked up another shot at the 17th before making par at 18 where he received the welcome support of his
Family and this seemed to inspire Becka as he started his inward nine with back-to-back birdies to get to four under par meanwhile playing partner and fellow South African Bryce Eon was piecing together one of the rounds of the season so far 10 birdies swept him to a nine
Underpar opening 63 Becka and the rest left trailing in his W Oliver would birdy his last hole to end the day on five under a solid start for the defending Champion four shots of the leader easn solid start to the tournament it’s also not my favorite Golf Course um Tina
You know it’s um the greens are quite tricky and uh you know you got lots of opportunities but um quite Breaky putt so yeah it was nice to to get off to a decent start today a new day and a new test as Becka was faced with the daunting Lynx course at
Fancort if round one was a positive start sadly round two proved to be anything but battling the conditions three birdes and an eagle on the front nine were canceled out by five Drop shots to see him go out in level par but his closing nine turned into
Something of a nightmare as seven Drop shots culminated in a tough to take round of 80 leaving him 12 back from David retto who was setting the pace at the very top so from challenging at the summit on the previous day it would now take a gutsy comeback to rescue his week
Time to reflect and regroup it was tough you know the weather was obviously difficult difficult pin positions um didn’t play great either which makes it makes it tough you know the backline especially uh yeah so you what can you do you just have to come back tomorrow and try your
Best so see what happens and then you know have a decent day tomorrow you can still still have a decent result uh if you have another decent day on Sunday so yeah the co-sanctioned events with the sunshine tour provide great opportunities for South Africans to play
Their way onto the challenge tour a case in point that of Brandon Stone who we took to the courts earlier in the week along with Rising Talent nil Rama all right n we managed to get ourselves off the golf course so let’s see how our tennis skills look but I’m feeling
Generous like you serve perfect have a game give me the heat watch the spin Bo get on your horse obviously congrats on pre yesterday but thank you pre’s are brutal Monte is not the easiest test is it to to get through well done boy yeah thank you yeah just you know it’s just
Getting into the tournament is the main thing so yeah getting the job done is of obviously nice I mean I’m into the other challenge two event so it’s the only one that I need to preq I haven’t preed in a while so it is but no waking again going
Again but yeah so but it’s nice I’m at least I’m in the event now and I can compete now you up this is your fourth event I think this is my 9th or 10th event and every time you come back it’s so special yeah the me it it never changes but it’s all
Obviously always beautiful to come back here I mean coures are unbelievably stunning as well as the views especially playing the links it’s it’s just breathtaking I mean I CED for my dad at the Essa open at the links I think it was 2004 2005 I was like 11 or 12 at the
Time through and since then the love affair that I’ve had for the links has been amazing for just it’s just so special I mean you stand on the first T box and you feel like you’re in a different country different world you feel like you’re in
It’s so special yeah oh that’s off the side come on the opportunity that the sou African guys have this like January through March section with the co- sanction events with the challenge tour and the DP water it’s amazing I mean to know that you can hang with the best
That must have been very very motivating definitely uh just gave me a boost of confidence as all to know that I can compete and it’s it’s been a great season so far and looking to just keep staying uh patient and hopefully the wind will come soon
Brandon is a better player than me at tennis I’ll give him that um but yeah it’s just fun it’s nice nice to come out yeah I mean I do play tennis now and then in the off season on a Monday but yeah Brandon is a good competitor maybe
We’ll have another game sometime maybe I’ll take I’ll be better next time on your horse it was a lot of fun today um nikelle and I had a good few couple good rallies there I need to work on my serve my backand and great but uh it’s
Definitely maybe pushed me to go spend a few more hours on the tennis court with a friends thanks that is fun lot of fun yeah listen enjoy the rest of the week youo nicely stay out of trouble keep it on the straight and narrow stay with us here on the
Challenge tour where after the break it’s moving day the dimension data Pro out and we’ll see who lift at the trophy here at fancourt golfer State we’ll see you after the break welcome back to the stunning fancourt golf estate in George South Africa the third stop of the new
Challenge tour season after two rounds there were just four shots separating the top 10 which included four South African players but as he teed it up on Saturday it was the Frenchman David retto who held a slender onot advantage over the rest describing the day three action then over to Josh
Antman Zimbabwe and Benjamin fet Smith winner in Cape Town last year so like South Africa this was his chip at the par five second nicely done 69 for fet Smith so out of neck on Saturday 10 birdies in his second round for Sam hsby and finished day three
Strong as well this for Birdie on the last just creeping in the side door 68 for hsby over on the links and a share of third spot top 20 last week for Pierre Pino an eventful day over on the links an eagle five birdies but two double Bogies as
Well another bird there 72 in the end for the Frenchman having a good couple of weeks in his home country Louis Alber a that was a good pass save at 10 third last week and in a big group at eight under with 18 to play All Smiles for Alberto at the
Moment 36 hole leader David retto continued his good form over on the links on Saturday out in 234 crucial par save there at 12 to remain at 15 under par Franklin manchest was having a superb Saturday over on the links he was five under par to this point Beauty Sensational chip on the
Last the par five he signed for a 67 and he was the closest Challenger to retto with one round to play a good fight back from ole Becka after the disappointment of Friday’s 80 he’d make the cut on the mark the South African 70 for Becca on Saturday they’re
All still chasing David retto a Qui Back N really for retto on Saturday but a lot of the hard work was done over the first two days that pu gave him a chance to get to 13 under par three poor results really to start the year for retto but
Finding something at the dimension data peram this was for Birdie on the last wasn’t to be a lip out for retto but no damage done 200 under power round of 71 for retto kept him in front of the chasing pack with 18 to play so with one round still to go the
Leaderboard was dominated by South Africans and Frenchmen still led by David retto who extended his lead to Two Shots heading into Sunday’s final round I’m pretty happy with my work right now uh I’m just trying to get back in the rivm this week so obviously 12 under
After of three rounds I’m hitting a lot of good shots so that’s a good sign and I’m pting the ball well so I’m really happy everything to play for at the dimension data Pro and then as the players got ready for the final push at fancort so with the key moments from the
Finale it’s back again to Josh Robin Williams started the day in a big group at a under par fullback of the leader David retto and it was a quick start for Williams superb approach into the first which he convert for Birdie on his first hole for Williams with an incredible Saturday
From Franklin manchest however Sunday wasn’t quite as kind it was a world class approach into the first which unfortunately didn’t the yeld a birie story of his day really be a 75 in the end and a tie for 10th for Manchester leader after 36 and 54 holes
David retto and he didn’t take his foot off the pedal on Sunday this from long range at the first and opening birdie for retto to extend his lead at the very first hole another good week from the man from Portsmouth Sam hsby Birdie the first this was for Birdie on eight that
Was always tracking he’d also budie the ninth as well to go out in 33 blows by Friday round of 78 a promising week for Victor Pastor just one bogey in his final 36 holes for the Spaniard birdie eight there and a 69 on the final day and a tie for third for
Pastor Frenchman rerto was making things look easy out in front after his birdie at one he also picked up a shot at the third this was at 9 in the par five perfect distance control there with his pitch left him 12ft butt right to left for birdie to go out in 33 shots
For retto never look anywhere else a scintillating front nine from retto two- shot lead for the Frenchman with nine to play halfway through the final round then retto with laser focus on lifting the trophy as for for last year’s winner well it was a case of what might have been and time for
Reflection I feel like I should always be kind of locked in in this tournament so yeah pretty average but it was a step in the right direction so it’s good bright starts 2024 for Sam hsby top 15 last week in Cape Town he eventually finish alone in second here thanks to
This birdie at 16 and a final round of 68 Robin Williams it was a bogy free 69 for the South African he joined pastor and Henny toi in a tie for third thank to this delightful chip and tapping birdie at the final hole Frenchman David retto wasn’t to be
Denied his first challenge tour title it was Era free golf coming home at Fan Court in the fabulous February South African sunshine fying this one up and down for his third at the par five last safely aboard and then he knew the little fist pump said
It all a little exhalation a fist pump for the caddy too they knew the job was done crowd out in force on Sunday to watch retto seal the deal the birdie pu cozy it up to the hole a part to finish and David retto was the 2024 Dimension dat pram
Champion yes a fabulous first for Frenchman David robetto his Maiden challenge tour title elsewhere confirmation of the final standings Brandon Stone netting sixth place alongside compatriots and the Lombard Sam Hut’s good start to the campaign continued with a Runners up finish but clenching a memorable Victory David
Retto it feels amazing um really proud of myself especially with how I played the last 6 months hasn’t been easy for me so yeah I’m super happy and it feels good it just prove to myself that I’m if I’m playing solid I’m good enough to win yeah after the opening three events then
Cape Town winner Mikel Lindberg leads the road to mayorca rankings with David retto win this week taking him to third spot ahead of Sam hsby Robin Williams’s top three finish sees him rise to 11th one of seven South Africans in the top 20 all making the most of our early South African
Swing it’s been a European success story in the early weeks of the new challenge tour season with the host nation still looking for Home soil success next time the road to meor takes us to Port Elizabeth for our final co-sanctioned event with the sunshine tour the NMB Championship we’ll see you then
