Martin Vorster was in tears as he hugged his dad and caddie, Waldo, after winning his maiden Sunshine Tour title in the DNi Tour Championship presented by RMB at the De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate on Sunday, with his dad saying, “We did it! We did it!”
In the final tournament of the Courier Guy Playoffs to mark the end of the Sunshine Tour’s 2025/26 season, Vorster opened the door to the start of something new with his first victory.
The young star closed with a 66 to win on 21 under par, with Altin van der Merwe and Jaco Prinsloo sharing second place on 19 under.
“It’s incredible. We were so emotional at the end because it’s been a lot of hard work and close calls. My family have supported me all the way, and it was so special to win in front of them. All the people I wanted to have here for my first win were here. If it wasn’t for what my parents, and especially my dad, have done for my career I wouldn’t be standing here. It’s pretty emotional to have had my dad on the bag for this. It was so special to do it with him. I wouldn’t have wanted it to be with anybody else,” said Vorster.
“One of my favourite things to do when I go home to Mossel Bay is play golf with my dad the whole day and then have a braai afterwards. We are really close.”
The final tournament capped a remarkable Sunshine Tour season of outstanding individual performances and the rise of a new generation of young stars.
Casey Jarvis finished a groundbreaking season as the winner of the Courier Guy Order of Merit, and was awarded the prestigious Syd Brews Trophy.
Jarvis also earned a place in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player and two Majors, namely The PGA Championship and The Open via the Federation Ranking list on the Official World Golf Ranking, in addition to him already having qualified for The Masters this year through his victory in the Investec South African Open. Jarvis also received a R500 000 cash bonus, an MSC international cruise, and the use of a Hyundai vehicle for a year.
“It was an unbelievable three weeks of winning the Magical Kenya Open and Investec South African Open and then finishing second in the Joburg Open. I think I can walk away with a lot of confidence. I’ve learnt to really manage my game well and play under big pressure. I can take a lot of positives from it all,” said Jarvis.
Mexico’s Luis Carrera was a dominant new force on the Sunshine Tour this season and was crowned the Fortress Rookie of the Year for a performance that included him making history by becoming the first player to win the Tour’s Theo Manyama Qualifying School and then the first two tournaments of the new season – the FBC Zim Open and the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am.
He adds his name to the Bobby Locke Trophy, and earns a R400 000 bonus courtesy of Fortress Real Estate, whose Rookie of the Year award continues to play a pivotal role in celebrating and supporting the next generation of Sunshine Tour talent.
“It’s been amazing. It’s been my first full season on tour and South Africa is an amazing country. The Sunshine Tour is a fantastic tour and I’ve had a great time,” Carrera said.
Steven Brown, CEO of Fortress, said: “Powering the growth of the game in South Africa means investing in its future, which is why supporting the next generation of players is a key priority for us. The Fortress Rookie of the Year award is central to this commitment, helping accelerate their development and success. As such, we doubled the prize money to show our continued support for emerging talent. Luis Carrera’s historic debut season is a powerful example of the impact this platform can have, and we’re proud to support players as they take the next step in their careers.”
Both Jarvis and Carrera also receive automatic entry into the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC in June this year, where they will compete for a first prize of R1 million.
Hennie du Plessis, who finished second on the Courier Guy Order of Merit, earns an extra R200 000 as well as an MSC local cruise and the use of a Hyundai vehicle for a year, and third-placed Herman Loubser takes home R100 000 plus an MSC local cruise and the use of a Hyundai vehicle for a year.
Loubser also earned a DP World Tour card for next season as the leading player in the top 10 of the final Courier Guy Order of Merit who doesn’t already have status on the DP World Tour.
MJ Viljoen and Pieter Moolman both received cards on the HotelPlanner Tour for next season as the next two leading players on the Courier Guy Order of Merit not already exempt for this, in fifth and sixth place respectively.
Jaco Prinsloo finished the season as the winner of the Gary Player Trophy for the lowest stroke average this season of 69.54, and awarded to the professional who has played a minimum of 19 of the 29 tournaments.