Sunday, 2 March 2025, dawned like every other day but would end like no other for 27-year-old SA golfer, Dylan Naidoo, entering the final day of the SA Open Golf Championship.
A cerulean sky, sunflower bright sunshine, an eddying breeze shooting off the mighty Umgeni - all throwing their elements on the carpet green Durban Country Club Golf Course. Of course, Naidoo who was solid and consistent in action and par for the course; became the first person of colour to win the most prestigious tournament in SA's golfing calendar.
No small ''birdie'' but a soaring ''eagle'', he beat Laurie Carter of England in the final playoff. Our first glimpse of his immense talent was in 2016 when he became the youngest player on the circuit to win the Sunshine Big Easy Tour. The emotional bearing of the win was that he had been reared in a development programme hearing the escutcheon of the legendary Papwa Sewgolum.
It was at this very same golf course 62 years ago that the Indian golfer won the Natal Open. The press wallahs, sports pundits, and historians were quick to seize the moment and draw parables about how, as second-class citizens, ostracised because of our skin colour, we have risen against all odds. Back then, Papwa was not allowed to play professional golf in SA.
He went abroad and won the Dutch Open three times and finished 14th in the British Open. Born in Riverside, he came from a poverty-stricken family. His mother was blind and his father died when he was a tender 13 years old.
So, from an early age, he took the burden on his shoulders. With a keen eye for the swing, he became a caddie, developing and mastering the stroke with deadly precision. After pressure from the PGA, the SA government was forced to allow him to play at home. Due to pressure from the Indian government, South Africa was banned from the Olympics in 1964.
During the tournament, he changed and ate his meals in his vehicle. Even when he received the winner's trophy, he received it outside in the rain - a memorable picture that still adorns sports museums and galleries around SA. Golf has always been the domain of the white man, the affluent and the privileged.
These days, businessmen meet at the golf course and negotiate around a couple of "holes." Then it's lunch and drinks, and the deal is clinched! To participate in the putting action, one must have the right equipment, proper attire, a measured perception, and the "balls." It is hoped that with proper facilities, grooming, and mentorship, more of the ensuing generations will participate in the sport.
Durban, always famous for the ubiquitous spicy Bunny Chow, can now add an Indian Tonic to their signatory dish and that is name of Dylan Naidoo.
Kevin Govender, Durban