NATIONAL NEWS - Steven van Heerden demands perfection in his bakeries, but he was still surprised to cook up a perfect result in the IGT KZN Tour’s KZN Winter Swing on Friday.
The 28-year-old former pro turned baker fired a two-under-par 70 to edge out Sunshine Tour regular Jared Harvey for a one stroke victory at Kloof Country Club.
“It’s great to dust off the clubs and get this kind of result.”
Van Heerden mixed three bogeys with five birdies to set the early clubhouse target.
He thought he might have to face Harvey in a play-off when the Mount Edgecombe player reeled in back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 to get to even-par, but Harvey blew his chances with a double bogey at 17.
“The conditions were tough out there, so it was really good test,” Van Heerden said.
“They had a lot of rain in the area and the course was still pretty wet. The wind was blowing and we had some rain after the turn as well, so it was tricky to navigate.
“I chipped in for birdie at three, but I dropped a shot at the next hole after I caught a bad lie in the bunker. I knocked it to three foot at six and made the birdie and when I birdied seven, the competitive juices were flowing.”
However, his nice run took an abrupt knock with successive bogeys after the turn.
“I made a great up-and-down for birdie at 12 to get one shot back and had a few solid pars at the next four holes,” Van Heerden said.
“I hit a great two-iron into 17 and two-putted for birdie to finish two under. It was a really satisfying round, given that I very seldom get to play competitive golf.”
Van Heerden represented South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal, but having reached the highest level of the amateur game, he struggled for results when he joined the paid ranks in 2012.
When he failed to keep his card at the end of the season, he switched his clubs for a pair of oven mitts and started to learn the art of confectionary.
“My dad, Johan, had a contract to supply bakeries with supplies in Swaziland,” Van Heerden said.
“So my brother Warren and I started our own business. We deliver pre-mixes and such for loaves and cakes to the bakeries in the Spar shops for the Matata Group. We also own a few bakeries ourselves.
“I think a lot of amateurs think they're ready to turn pro, because they have had a reasonable degree of success in amateur tournaments and it’s a mistake. If I have the financial opportunity, I could like to take another shot at the pro circuit, though.
“I think I have matured enough to handle the pressure, the travelling and all those qualifiers a lot better now. In the meantime, the IGT Tour is the perfect place to keep your hand in it.
TOP 10 RESULT
68 Steven Van Heerden
71 Jared Harvey
72 Marc van Deventer (AMA)
73 Clayton Mansfield (AMA)
75 Shaun Coetzee; Malcolm Mitchell (AMA); Gareth Atkinson (AMA)
77 Luke Mayo (AMA); Kevin Rundle
78 Rajen Sewgolum (AMA); Ashley Vermaak (AMA)
Article: Lali Stander.
