South African golf sensation, Daniel Bennett, recently faced the prospect of shattering multiple South African records and tying the world record for the lowest 72-hole total ever recorded at the 2023 Nomads SA Boys Under 19 Stroke Play Championship. Bennett braced himself and went on to win the tournament. What followed next was a year that has made him one of the most talked about young aspiring golfers in the country.
For the 17-year-old, the memory remains vivid. “I can still remember how hard my heart was beating with two holes left to play during the tournament I could barely breathe.”
“This year has been a dream come true for me. The memories I have from that tournament will never go away.’’
Getting into the swing of things:
Held at the Pecanwood Golf and Country Estate, in April, this milestone forms part of a massive year that has seen him beat the best amateurs in the country, win several tournaments on the amateur circuit, break 36-year-old records, and still manage to have time to write matric exams.
“Juggling school and golf has been very tough. Thankfully, my coach and I both live close to the golf course, so when I take a break from studying, I can get in a short practice session. I owe a big part of my achievements this year to my parents and my coaching team, they always keep me grounded and moving in the right direction,” he explained.
The popularity of golfing reality shows like Full Swing, and the constant presence of golfers on ‘most paid athletes’ lists has helped reignite a passion for the sport among young South Africans. Over the year, Bennett has emerged as one of the country’s brightest talents and at his age he is already helping train the next generation of stars through golf clinics hosted by Vuma, South Africa’s largest fibre network operator.
“The Vuma Golf Clinics have been great. I really enjoy helping the community and this gives me the opportunity to help other junior golfers hone their skills. The Vuma team does an outstanding job at looking for talented young people who don’t have the opportunity I’ve been given,” Bennett says.
Lianne Williams, Marketing Director at Vuma says, “We are always looking for interesting ways to help and empower young people to unlock and discover their hidden talents. Through the golf clinics, we have been able to do just that and, in the process, give young people from diverse backgrounds to live out their Ernie Els-sized dreams.”
If 2023 is anything to go by, the sky is the limit for Daniel Bennett, and it may not be long before the country is once again cheering for a South African Master’s champion.
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About Vuma
Vuma is a leading South African fibre provider that has passed more than over 2 million homes since its operations began in 2014. Vuma connects South African communities to high-speed, fit-for-purpose internet through open-access fibre broadband. Working with more than 75 Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Vuma’s value extends beyond infrastructure and empowers ordinary individuals and communities across South Africa to do more, see more, and dream of more.
Guided by its philosophy of ‘because we can, we must’, Vuma strives to drive transformation and break communication barriers. The brand has connected more than 730 registered primary and high schools in the regions where it operates, to free 1Gbps fibre broadband internet. This supports hundreds of thousands of young people and their teachers through access to the boundless opportunities of the internet, in collaboration with its partner ISPs.
Among Vuma’s accolades are: South Africa’s Best Fibre Provider in 2019 at the MyBroadband Conference and Expo; Fastest Growing Broadband Provider in 2020 and Best Broadband Provider in 2021 by the International Business Magazine Awards; the Global Economics Award for Fastest Growing Telecommunications Company 2021; and Best Fibre Provider for 2021 by MyBroadband. Vuma’s CEO, Dietlof Mare, was awarded Telecom CEO of the Year 2020 South Africa as well as Telecom CEO of the Year 2021 South Africa by the International Business Magazine Awards.
To find out more about Vuma fibre deals visit www.vumatel.co.za
