It was only after Malcolm Mitchell’s playoff victory in the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge that he realised just what he’d achieved. And it was staring right at him from the trophy he held in his hands.
“Only afterwards did I realise what I’d done. It’s always nice to win an event, but when you have a name like Gary and Vivienne Player on the trophy, it’s just got a totally different feel to it. I’m very honoured and pleased to have won it,” Mitchell said at Benoni Country Club on Friday.
Mitchell claimed his second title when he beat Jonathan Broomhead in a playoff in a tournament that is the Sunshine Tour’s tribute to the remarkable career of Gary Player and the philanthropic work done by the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation.
Mitchell closed with a 71 and Broomhead signed for a 69 to both finish on 12 under par, one stroke clear of Graham van der Merwe and Conner Mackenzie.
Playing the par-five first hole as the first playoff hole, Mitchell’s birdie earned him the victory against Broomhead’s par.
When he sunk the birdie putt to win, Mitchell’s fist pump told the story of what it meant to him.
The moment Malcom Mitchell became a 2-time Sunshine Tour winner🏆🏆#GaryViviennePlayerChallenge #GreatnessBeginsHere#SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/E5z728VlMO
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 30, 2025
“It was just such a build-up. My expectations are quite high, and to wait this long for a second win – my emotions took over there a bit.”
'MONKEY OFF THE BACK'
Mitchell has had his chances before this, but admits the timing seemed right for it now.
“I think it’s a bit of maturity. I’ve got a baby on the way. Your life changes and your priorities change. I’m doing this for my family now. It’s no longer just for me and what I want. That is a big thing. I’ve been doing a lot of work on being more patient. I struggled with that, and to actually do that today was big for me.”
After breaking through with his first Sunshine Tour title in 2023, Mitchell said this second victory held perhaps even greater significance for him.
“My coach and I always speak about how the second win is probably the biggest one. Once you’ve got your first win you believe you can do it and your expectations increase. Sometimes it takes a while to get that second one. To finally get that monkey off my back is a big thing for me.”
FINAL SCORES (*won in playoff)
*204 - Malcolm Mitchell 67 66 71 WN
204 - Jonathan Broomhead 65 70 69 KO
205 - Graham van der Merwe 67 72 66, Conner Mackenzie 72 65 68
206 - Altin van der Merwe 69 67 70
207 - Jason Roets 65 70 72, Samuel Simpson 65 66 76
208 - Daniel van Tonder 71 71 66, Jack Hawksby 68 74 66, Wynand Dingle 68 71 69, Austin Bautista 70 67 71, Martin Vorster 68 67 73
209 - Jordan Duminy 74 68 67, Jake Redman 71 67 71, Heinrich Bruiners 74 64 71, Fredrik From 68 69 72
210 - Martin Rohwer 71 70 69, Michael Hollick 72 68 70, Jaco Ahlers 71 68 71, Lyle Rowe 71 68 71, Luca Filippi 73 64 73, Ricky Hendler 67 70 73
211 - Keelan van Wyk 71 69 71, Luis Carrera 75 65 71
212 - Christiaan Burke 72 70 70, Matthew Spacey 69 69 74
213 - Yurav Premlall 75 67 71, Doug McGuigan 74 66 73, Joe Long 72 68 73, Xander Basson 70 70 73
214 - Quintin Wilsnach 69 73 72, Pieter Moolman 70 72 72, Oliver Bekker 70 71 73, Luke Jerling 69 71 74, Jacquin Hess 68 71 75, James Mack 69 70 75
215 - Ethan Smith 73 69 73
216 - Jacques Blaauw 73 70 73, Jean Hugo 73 70 73, Jaco Prinsloo 72 70 74, Warwick Purchase 69 73 74, Liam Grehan 69 72 75
217 - CJ du Plessis 72 71 74, Neil Schietekat 73 70 74, Thomas Spreadborough 68 74 75
219 - Makhetha Mazibuko 70 73 76
220 - Kyle McClatchie 73 70 77, Christian Kriek 70 72 78
221 - George Coetzee 70 68 83
222 - Werner Deyzel 69 73 80
Missed the cut:
144 - Stuart Krog 68 76, Dylan Mostert 72 72, Hennie Otto 74 70, Karabo Mokoena 72 72, Jean-Paul Strydom 77 67, Jacques P de Villiers 72 72, Kyle De Beer 75 69, Dayne Moore 74 70
145 - Luke Brown 71 74, Stephen Ferreira 73 72, Keenan Davidse 74 71, Stefan Wears-Taylor 75 70, Keelan Africa 74 71, Rhys West 74 71, Ulrich van den Berg 71 74, Slade Pickering 73 72, Rowan Lester 73 72, Tyran Snyders 72 73
146 - Herman Loubser 72 74, Otto Van Buynder 73 73, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 75 71, Hennie O'Kennedy 72 74, Trevor Mahoney 73 73, Simon du Plooy 72 74
147 - Ruan de Smidt 77 70, Ruan Conradie 72 75, Tyrone Ryan 70 77, Nikhil Rama 76 71, Keegan Mclachlan 77 70, Franklin Manchest 75 72, Tristen Strydom 75 72, Keagan Thomas 72 75, Anthony Michael 74 73, Toto Thimba Jnr 74 73
148 - Jordan Burnand 76 72, Hunter Epson 70 78, Joe Knox 73 75, Pierre Pellegrin 76 72, Jastice Mashego 74 74, Benjamin Van Wyk 72 76, Sean Cronje 73 75
149 - Tumelo Molloyi 75 74, MJ Viljoen 73 76, Rupert Kaminski 76 73, Brandon Meads 78 71, Gerhard Pepler 76 73
150 - Nick Cunningham 74 76, JJ Senekal 77 73, Kyle Barker 73 77, Sentanio Minnie 76 74, Thanda Mavundla 74 76, Merrick Bremner 74 76, Ruan Korb 76 74, Danie Van Niekerk 74 76
151 - Jason Broomhead 73 78, Thabiso Ngcobo 72 79, Allister de Kock 76 75, Trevor Fisher Jnr 75 76
152 - Marcus Sandile Taylor 73 79, Pierre Viallaneix 78 74
153 - Lyle Pedro 74 79, Stals Swart 74 79
154 - Ruan Groenewald 78 76
155 - Estiaan Conradie 75 80, Keanu Pestana 80 75
157 - Umar Davids 76 81
159 - Paul Boshoff 77 82, Slenda Sithebe 84 75
WDN - Jaco Van Zyl 74 WDN, Tristin Galant 79 RTD