Respected golf journalist Tim Rosaforte dies at 66

SYDNEY, Australia – When South African legend Ernie Els accepted the job as International captain for the Presidents Cup, he assumed he’d be leading a handful of his countrymen into battle. Traditionally, Australian and South African players have dominated the International team and Els would have expected at least three, perhaps even four, of his brethren to be there with him in the trenches. But all the pre-orders of biltong and boerewors will now have to be consumed by Louis Oosthuizen, the lone South African in the 12-man squad. Well… Els and his assistant Trevor Immelman can help, of course. But, perhaps there is a good omen brewing. Related: Internationals hoping to turn loss into gain | U.S. Team first-timers an unusually accomplished group The last time an International team had just one South African was in 1998 at Royal Melbourne – the same course the two teams will do battle on next week. That player was Els and he was part of the lone International team to ever win the Presidents Cup. “That is a good omen,â€� Els said with a smile. “Obviously Louis is in form and hopefully he can keep that up. “It is certainly a surprise we have just one, but the strength of South African golf is still something to be proud of. Quite a few guys came close… but I’ve picked guys who have played well for a long time.â€� Indeed, a year ago, there were several South Africans in the mix. First, former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, a member of the last four International teams, came down with a long term wrist injury. Then Branden Grace – an 11-time European Tour winner and champion at the 2016 RBC Heritage on the PGA TOUR – lost any semblance of form. Grace went 5-0 in the 2015 Presidents Cup in Korea with Oosthuizen as his partner. But after a runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, he had just one top-10 in 23 worldwide starts prior to the captain’s picks. “It was unfortunate that Gracie couldn’t make it,â€� Oosthuizen said. “I know he was trying really hard at the end there and pushing and pushing, but the other guys just played so well. I think Ernie wanted to pick Gracie, but he couldn’t because the other guys were just playing too good and Branden understands that.â€� Other South Africans on the periphery of selection at times also failed to force Els’ hand into a pick after showing flashes of brillianc,e but not maintaining it. Justin Harding won the Qatar Masters in March and followed it up with a runner-up at the Kenya Open. After he was T10 at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May, he reached 42nd in the world rankings. But from there, his results petered out, and he sits 66th now. Erik Van Rooyen thrust himself into the mix with a win at the Scandinavian Invitation in August and was on a short list to come into the team once Jason Day withdrew given four top-15 results since before Els ultimately went with Byeong Hun An. Dylan Fritelli won the John Deere Classic in July but failed to really back it up with much consistency, and Shaun Norris rich vein of form came late, and was on the Japan Tour, which didn’t carry as much weight in Els’ decision process. And so the weight of a nation falls to Oosthuizen, the only team member with an individual winning record at 7-5-3 over the last three Presidents Cups. While he will fly the flag with pride, Oosthuizen also has a close watch on the next breed coming from his homeland, thanks to his Louis57 Foundation that has been fostering junior talent for the last 10 years. Three of his players will be on the International Team this weekend in the Junior Presidents Cup to be also held at Royal Melbourne. “It will be strange being the only South African in the team but I’ve been with Leish and Scotty in all the other teams that I’ve played in, so they feel just as close as what the South Africans would feel to me,â€� Oosthuizen says. “And we have Christo Lamprecht, Jordan Duminy and Martin Vorster from my academy playing next week. Vorster is going to be the next big thing out of South Africa… Duminy as well… they’ve been in my academy from get go and are great ball-strikers. Martin has won in South Africa and overseas and is on a great path. “So there is plenty of potential coming for future Presidents Cups.â€� For this Presidents Cup, Oosthuizen says he won’t be a lone wolf. “Everyone always says that we don’t have team spirit or don’t have enough. I can promise you, when Thursday comes, we’re like 12 brothers in that team. We’ve bonded, we’re ready to go, we want to win,â€� he said of the International team. “We need to get our name on the trophy again and show the Americans we’re here to play. We’re here to win the trophy, to win the Cup and not just show up to just have a good week.â€� SOUTH AFRICA’S HISTORY AT PRESIDENTS CUP 1994: Fulton Allem, David Frost 1996: Ernie Els, David Frost 1998: Ernie Els 2000: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen 2003: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark. (Captain Gary Player) 2005: Tim Clark, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman. (Captain Gary Player) 2007: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Rory Sabbatini. (Captain Gary Player) 2009: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark. (Captain Gary Player). 2011: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Charl Schwartzel. (Tim Clark Captain’s Assistant) 2013: Ernie Els, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Richard Sterne. 2015: Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel. 2017: Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel. (Ernie Els Captain’s Assistant) 2019: Louis Oosthuizen. (Ernie Els Captain, Trevor Immelman Captain’s Assistant)

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Gary Player remembers 1974 well. He ought to. That year, he won 10 tournaments worldwide, including three titles in his native South Africa. He also won his third Open Championship (all in different decades), picked up his second green jacket at the Masters, added one additional PGA TOUR win and took home hardware at two national opens, in Australia and Brazil. The cherry on Player’s sundae was his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the Hall’s inaugural class. So of all those accomplishments, what is Player talking about 43 years later? How about a little design project in Johannesburg that he says is “near and dear to my heart?� In the same year Player was turning in one of his best year’s on the golf course, Player the designer was putting the finishing touches on Soweto Country Club, a course that has been described as a “beacon of hope for South Africa’s historically disadvantaged black professional golfers.� Even with all his success as a player, even with his work getting Soweto Country Club ready for opening, Player still found time and arranged for South African golfer Vincent Tshabalala to go to the United States to play two PGA TOUR events—the Kemper Open and the IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic. In those two tournaments, Tshabalala only broke 80 once. But as one of those “historically disadvantaged black professional golfers,� Tshabalala stuck with the game, spending a lot of time at the new Gary Player-designed course, and the South African emerged from Soweto’s fairways, benefiting from Player’s tutelage and guidance, Two years after shooting a second-round 87 in Philadelphia, Tshabalala was standing on the 18th tee at Golf du Touquet in France with a three-stroke lead during the final round of the European Tour’s French Open. Tshabalala made a routine par at the last and defeated Spain’s Salvador Balbuena by two shots, in the process making history by becoming the first black player to win a European Tour event. Following the win, Tshabalala, who died earlier this year, at age 75, had his thoughts turn to Soweto Country Club, Gary Player and the unlikely nature of his triumph. “Without Gary, I would not have started in golf. Gary is the only one who has helped me a great deal. He taught me the basics, how to think right, how to save strokes around the greens and how to keep fit,� said Tshabalala. He also referenced Soweto Country Club, a course that was just as “near and dear� to his heart as it is to Player. With this backstory in mind, it’s of little surprise that Player is in the midst of re-designing Soweto Country Club, the course’s rebirth receiving considerable support from the PGA TOUR. “We are delighted to announce the PGA TOUR as a partner in our efforts to restore Soweto Country Club to its former glory,� said Selwyn Nathan, Executive Director of the Sunshine Tour. “This investment means we can now begin with the upgrade of the golf course with immediate effect.� Player can only agree, acknowledging what needs to be done at the 43-year-old course where Tshabalala became a championship golfer. “No doubt the renovation of Soweto Country Club is bringing a smile to Vincent’s face as he looks down on us. He certainly will be watching over all the new young golfers that we hope this project brings to Soweto,� said Player.   If Tshabalala is watching, as Player suggests, what he will see is the familiar Player design with a few new touches, including reworked green complexes, the enlargement and relocation of tee boxes, added length, a new irrigation system, a lake and new grass on all the fairways. “As the designer of the course, it was important to us to keep the integrity of the original design,� Player explained. “But we are introducing a little more length to the golf course by relocating several greens and adding tees. “The addition of fairway bunkers,� Player continued, “will also be part of the design enhancements, which will provide added strategy to the golf course experience overall.� Non-golf course additions and renovations include a wall along the south boundary of the golf course, the completion of a conference facility and the refurbishing of an existing storage facility into a fully operational pro shop. PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan gladly explained why the TOUR chose to get involved. “The PGA TOUR’s global reach has been enhanced by the significant contributions of South Africa and its players. World Golf Hall of Famers Gary Player, Bobby Locke, Nick Price, Ernie Els and many more from South Africa have all played important roles in the growth of the PGA TOUR and in golf in general. South Africa also served as the backdrop for one of the most dramatic moments in golf history, the very exciting 2003 Presidents Cup. With this rich history in mind, we are more than pleased to contribute to help golf grow in South Africa with this very worthwhile endeavor at Soweto Country Club.� Player admits the renovation of Soweto Country Club is long overdue, and admitting the people of Soweto deserve a course of which they can be proud. “It is our dream that this project will garner more community interest and hopefully, with a little luck, produce a champion,� said Player. Why not? It’s worked before.   

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Believe in the process. Ohio State alum Ryan Armour has maintained that mantra over the past few years of a professional golf career that have seen him rise from the mini-tour grind, to the Web.com Tour, to the PGA TOUR – back down to the Web.com Tour, then back up to the PGA TOUR. ‘The process’ can be perceived as a generality, used by sports teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Buffalo Bills in reference to a rebuilding strategy that takes a holistic, long-term approach. But when broken down to its nuts and bolts, ‘the process’ means an unwavering commitment to a defined strategy, meant to increase performance over time. ‘The process’ means discipline backed by motivation. ‘The process’ came together for Armour in a big way at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where the 41-year-old won by five strokes over Chesson Hadley to secure his first PGA TOUR title. For a player who had earned just two prior top-5 PGA TOUR finishes in the first 18 years of his professional career, it meant validation of consistently staying true to ‘the process,’ regardless of the result at the time. It also means job security, in the form of a TOUR exemption through the 2019-20 season. When interviewed Sunday afternoon on the 18th green at the Country Club of Jackson, it was apparent that ‘the process’ had paid off. “I’m tearing up,â€� said Armour when asked to describe the emotion of the moment. “I’m not gonna lie. There were some lean times. Thought about quitting, but my wife wouldn’t let me. “It goes back to, ‘Have faith in what you do.’ If you believe in something, go do it. Work hard at it, and have fun doing it.â€� So what exactly is ‘the process’ for Armour? The Ohio native doesn’t like to reveal the specifics, but it consists of a defined on- and off-course plan that involves eating right, sleeping right, exercising right, and working on the correct things in his game at the right times. Armour and his New York area-based instructor, Jason Carbone, devised a five-year plan earlier this summer, and Armour admitted after his win in Mississippi that it came together ‘a bit quicker’ than he might have expected. Prior to the 2016-17 PGA TOUR Regular Season-ending Wyndham Championship, Armour made a list of goals for the week, both on and off the course, outlining ‘the process’ he intended to maintain for the week. The 1993 U.S. Junior runner-up (to Tiger Woods) finished fourth that week, his best showing of the season. Although it wasn’t quite enough to maintain his TOUR status, the finish gave him momentum that carried into the Web.com Tour Finals, where he placed second at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship to secure his TOUR return. Throughout the week at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet course, in front of avid fans and friends from his collegiate days, Armour again stuck to a defined plan that served him well – and set him up for a career-defining week at the CC of Jackson. “I won’t tell you what’s on it, but I did it,â€� when asked in Columbus if he again made a list of process goals. “Very similar what was on the list (at the Wyndham Championship). A little less focus on golf, and more on exercise and eating.â€� One might be inclined to ask, if the process is so effective, why does it take sometimes take so long for results to kick in? Simply put, life gets in the way. The life of a professional golfer means balancing family, practice, competition and travel, as well as the world’s various trials and tribulations. Armour is married with two young sons, and it isn’t always the easiest to stick to ‘the process’ 24/7/365, in a profession that requires being on the road for more than half the year. But powered by the unwavering support of his wife Erin – who has made healthy living a family focal point, and who is running this weekend’s New York City Marathon – and sons Patrick and Nicholas, Armour has propelled his game to new heights as he enters his 40s. “I think that’s when you forget it,â€� said Armour in Columbus, when asked how to stick to the process in times of struggle. “You forget to believe, ‘Hey, you’re working on the right stuff; you’re exercising correctly. You’re eating healthy. You’re getting the right amount of sleep.’ “It’s all a process, as I get into my 40s, that I have to watch. If I believe in it and stick to it, I mean, it’s shown it’s successful. “We’re running around the country, and I’ve got two little ones at home that I love playing outside all day with, and you sometimes neglect to take care of yourself first. That’s just the way it is.â€� If I believe in it and stick to it, I mean, it’s shown it’s successful. Armour turned pro in 1999, and it took him until 2004 to earn full Web.com Tour status. He played eight full Web.com Tour seasons, with three PGA TOUR seasons mixed in, before breaking through for his first Web.com Tour title at the 2016 Panama Claro Championship, which propelled him to TOUR status for the 2016-17 season. Although he had needed to regain his TOUR status for 2017-18 via the Web.com Tour Finals, Armour arrived at the Sanderson Farms Championship knowing he was playing some of the best golf of his life, as evidenced by his recent top-5 finishes at the Wyndham Championship and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. It all coalesced over four magical days in Mississippi, where he became the oldest competitor to win on TOUR since Rod Pampling at the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The win in Jackson propelled Armour to No. 9 in the FedExCup standings while earning him spots in the 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS Championship and the PGA Championship. These are heady times for Armour, as he strives to emerge into a consistent contender on TOUR over the next few seasons. And if he sticks to the process, the sky’s the limit. “It just proves that if you keep grinding and keep working, believing in the process … the process will get you there,â€� said Armour after his 2016 win in Panama. “I don’t think you can do what we do and not believe in yourself.â€� There may be debate between Bills and 76ers fans regarding ownership of the ‘process’ mantra. But Armour deserves a place in the conversation, as well. –Royce Thompson contributed reporting.

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