South Africa's top amateur, Martin Vorster, turns pro
Amateur Golf

South Africa’s top amateur, Martin Vorster, turns pro

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Martin Vorster, South Africa’s top-ranked amateur, has turned professional and will make his pro debut in the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club near Johannesburg on Nov. 25.

Vorster, who won the South African Stroke Play at Randpark, is currently ranked 40th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He has been ranked as high as 24th.

“It’s the next step in climbing the ladder, as my dad always says,” he said ahead of the tournament on the course where he won the South African Stroke Play by four shots with a 72-hole total of 23 under par.

Vorster has been a part of the GolfRSA national team since 2016, and he credits the developmental system, as well as a decade working with Louis Oosthuizen's Louis 57 Foundation, in being instrumental toward his success.

“It’s been a massive highlight of my career to have been involved in the National Squad,” said Vorster. “I have been given so many opportunities, and there has been constant support for me on a personal level for which I’m so grateful."

The 19-year-old Vorster came up just short of earning status on the Korn Ferry Tour through Q-School, winning his pre-qualifier and advancing from First Stage after finishing tied for seventh. He missed out on reaching Final Stage -- and securing Korn Ferry Tour status for 2022 -- by a shot.

“Turning pro like this was not part of the plan,” said Vorster. “I was going to play in the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, but my run in the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School caused a rethink. If I was able to get two starts in the three Sunshine Tour tournaments co-sanctioned by the European Tour, or the DP World Tour as it will be known, here in South Africa at the end of the year, I would grab the opportunity."

Vorster will play in the Joburg Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, events co-sanctioned between the Sunshine Tour and European Tour (soon to be the DP World Tour). The Alfred Dunhill Championship is played at Leopard Creek, where he won the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2019. He'll also look to qualify for the South African Open. If he gets into the top 100 on the order of merit, he'll have Sunshine Tour status for 2022.

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Ryan Ballengee

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