Dylan Naidoo’s South African Open victory reminds of grim apartheid past

Dylan Naidoo’s victory in the South African Open on Sunday was the first win by a player of Indian heritage in the tournament and achieved on the course where one of the uglier incidents in apartheid sport played out decades earlier.

The 27-year-old Naidoo took the biggest prize in South African golf in a playoff against Laurie Canter of England at the Durban Country Club, where another South African golfer of Indian ethnicity once had to collect his prize in the rain because racial laws meant he was not allowed in the club house.

Papaw Sewgolum won the Natal Open on the same course 62 years ago after overcoming a series of humiliations.

He had learnt the sport as caddie at the club, one of the country’s most famous courses, after being given a set of second-hand clubs and allowed to play on a Monday along with the other caddies.

Such was his obvious talent that a benefactor sponsored him to play in Europe, where he got an entry to The British Open and won the 1959 Dutch Open. He was prohibited from playing professionally in South Africa, however, where apartheid laws allowed no mixing of race groups in sporting arenas.

After pressure from members, he was allowed to enter the 1963 Natal Open at the Durban Country Club under strict conditions, forced to change in a minivan and eat his meals with the black caddies as he was not allowed into the clubhouse, which was for white people only. When he won against the odds, the prize-giving ceremony that should have taken place inside because of the poor weather was conducted outside in the rain.

Sewgolum, who died aged 48 in 1978 from ill-health, was a sporting hero among South Africa’s large Indian population, who were treated as second-class citizens in the apartheid era. Indians first arrived as labourers during the late 1800s and Durban is one the largest ethnically Indian-populated cities outside India.

Naidoo enjoyed extensive support at the course.

“This is a special moment for me, it's a special moment for everybody here in Durban — it's overwhelming,” he said. “I said yesterday it felt like I was Tiger Woods. There were so many people following me and that gave me energy. I can't thank everyone enough for coming out.”

Naidoo’s triumph was made more poignant by the fact he is a graduate of a development programme which carries Sewgolum’s name and is aimed at helping young golfers from disadvantaged communities reach the professional ranks. 

Local favourite Naidoo won the rain-hit tournament on the first playoff hole against Canter on Sunday.

The pair led the tournament after the third round on 14 under par and went head-to-head after the fourth round was abandoned because of torrential rain which left parts of the course under water.

The 27-year-old Naidoo, ranked 466th in the world, birdied the par four 18th after a pitch to the green put him almost on top of the pin.

“It feels like a dream, it’s overwhelming,” said Naidoo, whose Indian heritage made him a popular figure with the crowds in Durban, which has a large Indian community.

“I felt like I was Tiger Woods playing out there yesterday with so many people supporting me.”

The second and third rounds were completed on Saturday. The final round began at 6.10am on Sunday but only Chris Paisley, playing on his own, managed to complete his round before play was suspended three hours later.

It was decided to abandon the round and get the co-leaders play off for the title once the rain cleared on Sunday afternoon.

Reuters