Bolanders making the most of great opportunities

Cedric Rooi (second from right) with his South African Universities teammates in Spain

South African Golf Development Board graduates Cedric Rooi and Jacquin Hess were given a unique opportunity to fly the flag for South Africa at the 13th Golf World University Championships in Málaga, Spain during June.

As members of the South African University Team, the Boland players - both students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology - enjoyed sharing two firsts together: travelling abroad and representing their country on the international stage.

The trip was touch and go for Hess, who survived some last minute passport drama, but both players performed well on their international debuts.

Rooi shot rounds of 77-70-72 to tie for 10th in the individual competition, finishing just eight shots off the pace set by winner Yoshinori Fujimoto. Hess carded three successive 75s to claim a share of 33rd in the 82-man field. The six-man squad from South Africa finished 13th in the team competition.

"I made some immature mistakes in the first round, but on day two I went out and enjoyed myself, just playing to the best of my ability," said Rooi.

The 21-year-old was bitten by the golf bug when the SAGDB introduced its programme to the Riverside Golf Club in 2003.

"The SAGDB taught me the basics of golf and the basics are the most important thing," he explained. "The programme was certainly an asset to me. It didn't all come naturally right from the outset; I didn't know anything about the game, I just went to give it a try."

In his first tournament, Rooi shot 130 and was teased about his 'cricket score'. But he stuck it out and was rated the number one player in the SAGDB programme in 2007.

During his time in Spain, Rooi met senior pro Carl Owen, who has expressed interest in helping further his golf career.

"I had a few lessons with him, and he told me that he really wants to work with me."

But even with his success in the sport, he knows that it is important to keep his options open.

"I want to get my diploma and then I want to give golf a chance," explained Rooi, who is currently studying towards an accounting diploma.

"I am a very relaxed person, so golf suits me perfectly," he said. "But if golf doesn't work out, I will have a something to fall back on."

Unlike Rooi, Hess felt he could have done better in Spain.

"The guys in the team, especially Cedric, gave me a lot of advice, because I had to play the course blind," explained Hess, who only arrived in Málaga a day before the tournament started. "I just couldn't control the mistakes, but I gave it my best shot. Nevertheless, it was an incredible experience. The opening ceremony alone was brilliant. I have never been to such an event."

Hess joined the SAGDB programme in 2004 after Andre Rossouw, the development manager for Boland, spotted him playing at the Robertson Golf Course. In four short years he blossomed and was selected to the Boland Under-18 team that won the inter-provincial tournament in Durban.

His commitment and love of the sport is evident.

"I enjoy golf because it's an individual sport, and you control whatever happens on the course," he said. "There is no discrimination, no one can tell you what to do on the course and it is honest."

Tiger Woods is one of the golfers Hess admires. "I like Tiger Woods because of his work rate; he always puts in more than the other players."

Life certainly hasn't been easy for the young man from Robertson. His father passed away when Hess was still very young and his mother was left to raise him on her own. But he has made the most of his opportunities and although he has a strong desire to play golf professionally, Hess says that he still has other plans.

"I plan to get a qualification in Human Resource Management and I am also thinking of doing a second degree," he said. "I am not sure in what direction as yet, but I definitely want to do it. I would like to maybe become a coach or an HR manager."

As young as he is, Hess recognises what golf has done for him and how the SAGDB has aided him.

"They made everything possible. From the beginning they gave me opportunities to go places."