Mental coach lifted Dylan Naidoo's game ahead of historic SA Open win

Dylan Naidoo says hiring a mental performance coach gave his game the crucial spark before winning the South African Open at the weekend and finishing as runner-up in Mauritius two months earlier.

The 27-year-old, who is preparing to compete in the Joburg Open at Houghton from Thursday, earned his two best purses in the DP World Tour co-sanctioned events.

Naidoo, who turned professional in 2019, became the first South African of colour to win the South African Open at the Durban Country Club, the same venue where Papwa Sewgolum won the 1963 Natal Open and then had to receive the trophy outside in the rain because he wasn’t allowed in the whites only clubhouse. 

Naidoo pocketed R4.7m for his victory and, with the R2.38m he earned finishing tied for second at the Mauritius Open just before Christmas, he boosted his career earnings to a shade north of R11m.

Speaking after playing in the Joburg Open Pro-Am on Tuesday afternoon, he put his recent successes down to one change. “There has been [a change]. I hired someone new on my team, a mental performance coach, who’s been phenomenal.

“I felt like my physical tools were there and I feel like now I’m gaining clarity every day from a mental point of view. I can feel the high performance and how I’m changing as a player.”

Before that his biggest purse had been R273,600 for finishing fourth at the SDC Open in 2024. His only Sunshine Tour triumph, the SunBet Challenge Times Square in August, netted him R220,000.

“It’s exciting to see and I know I don’t have to change overnight, but to see some of the cool stuff overnight is exciting.”

Naidoo now has a DP World Tour card and has booked his entry into tournaments such as the Open, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the 2026 Dubai Desert Classic.

“This is the stuff that dreams are made of. It felt so far away for so long and now it’s here. It’s a special moment.”

He believed the victory was taking pressure off before the Joburg Open. “I’m the South African Open champion and I can say that whether I miss the cut this week or not.”

Naidoo, a big Arsenal fan, hopes to inspire more golfers of colour. 

“I’ve always wanted to be an inspiration and an ambassador for players of colour in South Africa. I think this win has put a spotlight on it, but that’s always been my goal since I’ve turned pro — even before I turned pro.

“I hope it gives them something to aim for,” said Naidoo, who was born in Lenasia before moving with his family to Fourways when he was young.

Away from the fairways, he’s focused on the Gunners. “Maybe too much at times,” he laughed. “But I love football and the analytical side of football, the tactics, the transfer. It’s all good fun and it keeps me busy in my off-time.”