Golfer’s line-up for Peter Itholeng Classic

Golf legend honoured … The Bloemfontein golf Club will play host to the peter Itholeng Classic which is staged annually in honour of golf legend, Peter Itholeng (left), pictured here with David Mohlakoana, the tournament organiser

The tournament honours Peter Itholeng – a golf pioneer and legend from the City of Roses

The fifth annual Peter Itholeng Golf Classic will swing into action this coming Tuesday, September 27, at the Bloemfontein Golf Course.

Hosted by the Peter Itholeng Foundation, the golf tournament will see several high profile politicians, government officials, business persons and prominent golfers from around the country converge at the latter venue, not only to compete but also contribute towards a charitable cause.

The annual tournament is hosted in honour of Peter Itholeng, an 82-year-old golf legend who resides in Bloemfontein. He is one of the sports black pioneers in the city and has been involved in the sport for the past 62 years.

The Peter Itholeng Golf Classic is the brainchild of David Mohlakoana, who is the tournament’s organiser as well as the founder of the Peter Itholeng Foundation.

“We resolved that it would be good to honour this golf legend while he is still alive,” Mohlakoana told The Weekly on Wednesday morning.

We conceived the idea in 2012 and as part of the tournament every year we adopt a charity organisation whereby the proceeds we get from the tournament get donated to the adopted charity cause,” he added.

The list of beneficiaries includes the Boikucho Old Age Home, Bartemia School for the Deaf and Blind, Tswellang special School, St Johannes Lutheran Church, as well as the Susanna Olleman’s Creche.

The patron of the event, Peter Itholeng (82) is a local Bloemfontein golf legend who stands out as one of the pioneers of the sport in the city’s black communities. He has been involved in the sport for the past 62 years.

He retired his clubs in 2010 but continues to be one of the leading golf administrators in the Free State capital.
On Wednesday, in an exclusive interview with The Weekly, Itholeng spoke of his unpacked his lengthy career and highlighted just some of achievements in golf. He also told us of what drew him to the sport.

“I got drawn to golf at the age of 15. I used to go watch my elders, who have since passed on, play and I used to be a caddy as well. So I used to enjoy watching them.

“But we didn’t play on white peoples golf courses. We used to go out to open velds and play golf there … it was well supported at the time. We only started playing on white people’s golf courses in 1964. We were among the first black players to play at the Bloemfontein golf club.”

Itholeng has also travelled the length and breadth of this country playing in various tournaments – winning some in the process. However, he said most of his accolades were won at competition that were hosted in Bloemfontein, including the Brown Sport Trophy.

“I have won several prizes at national tournaments. I remember winning one tournament in the former Transkei where I received a whole cow. I never got to bring it back home; it was slaughtered and braaied right there.”

He added: “But I also won many tournaments here.”

Mohlakoana, who is also an ardent golfer and Itholeng’s former caddy (the person who carries the golfer’s bag during matches), openly declared that he reveres Itholeng. Not only does he admire his achievements in the sport, but also the way he has carried himself as a person.

“Mr Itholeng has always been an esteemed individual, who has consistently upheld the principles of dignity, excellence, honour and respect. He raised me since high school – I was his caddy. He is my role model and father figure.”

According to Mohlakoana, the Peter Itholeng Foundation has partnered with the Bloemfontein golf club to establish a Caddy’s Foundation, a ground-breaking initiative that will focus on the development and welfare of caddies in Bloemfontein and elsewhere in the province.

He told this paper that this will also be a central facet of the Peter Itholeng tournament this year.

“The Caddy foundation will be the emphasis of this year’s tournament; and hopefully it will carry on long after Mr Itholeng and I are gone.”

Various sponsorship packages are available while many prizes will be on offer for the most prolific golfers on the day. Tee off time is 10:30.