Big turnout at Nedbank for Good Series

The Nedbank for Good Series returned on Saturday at Omeya Golf Club with 106 players teeing off – one of the biggest fields in the event’s history. 

The launch of the series also featured the Nedbank Ladies Central Open event which took place simultaneously with the series.

The organisers of the Nedbank Ladies Central Open say the event’s success was beyond their expectations, as they saw a total of 26 senior women and six juniors participating in the tournament.

The newly-elected secretary of the Namibia Amateur Ladies Golf Union (Nalgu), Tashia Kalondo, said combining the two tournaments was a masterstroke as it allowed the women to display their skills on a very competitive platform.

“Plaudits to Nedbank Namibia because without them, we would have only had the Coastal Open as a women’s competition for this year. We had a huge tournament with six juniors playing well and competing amongst themselves with their parents as caddies. It was good to see the new generation of female golfers in such a competitive environment,” she said.

As the new executive at Nalgu, Kalondo stated that they are actively developing the game for the younger generation through planned workshops and training programs this year to attract new talent. She noted that the current average age of women golfers in Namibia is 40 years, and that is too old for Namibia, especially when it comes to international competitions.

“We have to focus on the youngsters, otherwise, we are going to struggle to have a new generation of competitive golfers,” Kalondo said.

Her views were echoed by Dan Zwiebel, founder of DZ Golf, the organisers of the Nedbank for Good Series, who said this was the first time the series collaborated with another golfing event.

“This might be a platform that we might venture into. Perhaps we could include the Nalgu in the Nedbank for Good Series, given that we are already visiting clubs. We need to nurture the future stars of the game. This is vitally important for us to see how we can nurture this talent,” he said.

Zwiebel said they have added three more venues this year, bringing the total to 13, up from 10 in 2024. 

“We will have the northern, central, southern and coastal legs before the finals at Omeya. We have added Outjo, Okahandja, and Grootfontein to this year’s calendar. We must always keep innovating because stagnation is a big fear for such a series,” he said.

Douglas Holtzhausen won the men’s competition in round one of the series with 39 points, ahead of Dieter Schrywer, who came second on 38, after beating Braam Vermeulen on a count-out.

The women’s category was won by Wilna Bredenhann on 43 points, with Tashia Kalondo coming second on 42 points and Mariena Ludwig third on 38 points. Bredenhann was crowned the overall winner of both the Nedbank Ladies Central Open and the Nedbank for Good Series with a gross score of 169, followed by Doulaine Holtzhausen with a gross score of 173.

Brenda Lens was the overall nett winner with a score of 147, with Evelyn Paulino came second on 153. Other winners on the day included Mary-Ann Boltmann who won the A Division Best Gross with a score of 189, while Anecia le Grange was the Best Nett winner with a score of 166. 

Celonika Robinson won the B Division’s best gross on 188, while Ina Maier won the best nett with 157. 

The C Division was won by Kalondo with 73 points, after beating Jolene van Schoor (73) on a count-out, while Tiekie de Wet came third on 68 points.

Biniam Ghirmatsion of Nedbank Namibia was ecstatic with the two days’ proceedings, saying they are proud of how the women played.

“As money experts who do good, we hope that as we grow women in golf and sport in general, the numbers will double and triple,” Ghirmatsion said. 

He added that the successful hosting of the first-ever Nedbank Central Ladies Open was a proud moment for Nedbank Namibia.

“We remain committed to championing the growth of women’s sport in the country and remain committed to creating more opportunities for female golfers and encourage young women to take up this incredible sport. By supporting initiatives that bring people together, we are building a legacy of goodwill that goes beyond banking,” he said.

This year’s series proceeds will go directly to Agra ProVision, whose goal is to train, service and support under-served agricultural communities.

The Nedbank for Good Series is co-sponsored by Autohaus Windhoek, AfricaOnline, Agra, B2Gold, Future Media, Gondwana Collection, JTC Namibia, King Price, Pupkewitz Megabuild, Vivo Energy and WV Manufacturing.

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