From the tee box into the fynbos: My shot at beating the pro at the SA Open

Standing on a tee box with hundreds of eyes fixed on you, trying to beat a professional golfer who has just put his shot metres from the hole, is not for the faint-hearted.

Yet a handful of hopeful amateurs had the privilege of shooting their shot against pros at the 115th South African Open in Stellenbosch this weekend on the Par 3 7th hole.

Let’s just say things didn’t quite go according to plan for most of the challengers. Things went right — maybe far right is the better phrase — for many of the players trying to win a cruise on the MSC Beat the Pro competition.

Just as the wind wreaked havoc throughout the four days of the Open, the amateurs felt the full wrath of the stiff breeze.

But perhaps even more intimidating than trying to beat the pros was stepping onto the tee box in front of a sea of eyes and somehow calming yourself enough to just hit the ball cleanly. Where it went — like in my case, far right — didn’t matter. Connecting off the tee was vital.

No one wants to be known as the guy who topped his tee shot live on SuperSport, watching it roll three metres forward in front of professional golfers and a crowd that started chirping long before you even took your stance.

“Look how his pants are shaking!” was the loudest chirp I heard as I stepped onto the box to try and beat professional golfer Casey Jarvis. The 22-year-old had just stuck it metres from the hole with a superb shot. When it was my turn, it was all about making contact.

And yes, I connected. A good strike that shaped into a gentle fade toward the hole. But then, as if on cue, the dreaded wind decided: not today. The SuperSport commentator summed it up perfectly: “If you’re going to miss, miss big.”

Playing alongside a professional brought a whole new level of respect. They perform under immense pressure, in brutal conditions, people cheering and jeering and more often than not, they get it right.

That pressure is real. Still, I kept my cool, got the ball off the tee box… and right into the Stellenbosch fynbos.