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Sports journalism diploma course article by Matthew Gardner

With nothing more than a set of old wooden golf clubs and a pair of worn cross-
trainers, Sibusiso Tshabalala trudges through the pouring rain towards the open field
after a hard day at school.
As the wind pounds against his back, Sibusiso has to use every muscle in his body
just to reach the field opposite his township. But nothing is going to stop the teenager
from doing what he loves, hitting a plastic golf ball as far as he possibly can.
While his friends and family were spending their free time drinking and smoking,
Sibusiso, 17, is on making something out of his life.
And he’s on the way to doing just that. He’s an up-and-coming young golfer on the
edge of a professional golfing career.
By the age of 16, Sibusiso had gone from a difficult background to one of the
country’s hottest young talents. And he’s done that with just one eye…he was
involved in a horrendous motorcar accident when he was just seven years old. He had
already earned himself a scholarship with the national golf development programme.
He had come second in the Junior Amateur event at Mowbray Golf Club and had
played a round of golf with one of South Africa’s finest young professional golfers.
However, life has been a struggle for the bright-eyed, lanky teenager whose bright
smile immediately captures one’s attention.
Sibusiso had a very lonely and difficult childhood. He said: “My parents were always
out drinking and partying, my brothers were busy with girlfriends and I was too shy to
make friends.”
His father, Sipho, frequently used to vent his anger and frustration by hitting golf balls
on an open field with his wooden golf clubs.
One lazy Saturday afternoon, Sibusiso decided to follow his dad out onto the field.
He commented: “When I was watching him, it just made me feel so free. With all the
trouble at home, I needed a way to escape. That’s when I decided to take up the
sport.”

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When his father saw Sibusiso expressing interest in what he was doing, he offered
him a proposal. If he made a success of his Grade 10 examinations, Sibusiso would
be allowed to keep the golf clubs. As luck would have it, Sibusiso achieved straight
A’s that year.
Sibusiso spent two years hitting golf balls on the open field opposite his township,
Gugulethu. There was nobody to keep him company, nobody to help him with his
technique, and the equipment he possessed was of a very poor quality. He remarked:
“I knew I wasn’t going to get very far with the equipment I had. But I also knew that
with practice, anything is possible. So I kept on persevering.”
In the summer of 2010, Sibusiso got his first major break. He was invited by a
national golf development programme to attend a qualifying event at Rondebosch
Golf Club.
The programme aims at getting youngsters out and about and provides one-on-one
and group coaching opportunities. Sibusiso said: “The first time I laid hands on a
metal club, I had goosebumps going through my body. When I told the supervisor
that I had only ever played with wooden clubs, he couldn’t believe how well I was
hitting the ball.”
When Sibusiso’s talent was realised by the supervisor, Peter Worthington, he was
sponsored with a pair of golf shoes and a set of Titleist golf clubs. Worthington
commented: “We could immediately see that Sibusiso had a special talent. He was a
natural ball striker and had a really mature head on his shoulders. It was a no-brainer
in deciding to sponsor him.”
Upon receiving his first set of proper clubs, Sibusiso expressed his jubilation: “I
didn’t know what to do with myself. I didn’t even have enough airtime to call my
family or my friends, yet I had my own set of golf clubs. It was a surreal feeling.”
Sibusiso now practices under the watchful eye of PGA Professional Francois Smit.


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Smit, who claimed many an amateur title in his golfing days, could not speak highly
enough of the talented Sibusiso: “He is a remarkable talent. What impresses me the
most is his work ethic. He has no transport to the driving range, he has to walk but he
does it every week without complaining. He is clearly eager to fulfil his dream.”
Smit spoke of the hope that Sibusiso would be sponsored with his own
accommodation and food. Sibusiso also spoke of his desire to spread his wings. He
said: “My dream is to become a totally independent person. I would love to travel the
world and play on the same courses as Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. I would also love
to have my own place to stay and be able to make my own food.”
Sibusiso’s oldest brother, Simphiwe, is full of admiration for Sibusiso whom he says
is an example of what the rest of the family should be like. He explained: “Most of
the family are lazy and get drunk every second day. I have really admired how
Sibusiso has managed to keep focused on his goal, which is to make the most of his
talents. “
Andile, Sibusiso’s uncle, has taken on the responsibility of looking after him because
his parents are hardly at home. Andile said: “Sibusiso is an incredibly strong young
man. He has been through so much in his life already and I am just trying to guide
him onto the right path as he tries to deal with his fighting parents. He is an
inspiration to us all, that we can achieve anything if we just put our mind to it.”
It would appear that Sibusiso has clear direction and purpose in his life now. He is
living proof that we are able to overcome any hardship and turn it into a triumph.


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