By Lali Stander
South Africa’s No 1-ranked Caitlyn Macnab, media manager Lali Stander and the federation itself made it a hat trick of finalists for GolfRSA in the 16th Momentum gsport Awards. The Momentum gsport Awards is Africa’s longest-running women’s sport recognition awards and is endorsed by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and backed by leading insurance and financial advisory services, Momentum, as the headline sponsor. The list of 60 finalists across 20 categories was announced on Monday, 2 August. For the first time, golf celebrated a finalist in the Momentum Athlete of the Year category, with two-time reigning SA Women’s Amateur champion Macnab looking to add this prestigious award to her bursting trophy cabinet.
The 19-year-old GolfRSA National Elite Squad standout has enjoyed an exceptional year and will be contesting for the Athlete of the Year honour against Protea cricketer Shabnim Ismail and South African football star Rhoda Mulaudzi, who has also enjoyed success on the international stage. GolfRSA is in the running for a second Sports Federation of the Year Award, alongside Cycling SA and Gymnastics South Africa, while Stander makes a first appearance in the Women in Social Media category. “The Momentum gsport Awards annually honours our outstanding athletes and those who make valuable contributions to raise the profile of women’s sport on the African continent. Congratulations to all this year’s nominees and especially those who made the shortlist,” said GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn. “We are absolutely delighted to have three finalists in three different categories. This emphasises the strides we have made in raising the profile of women’s golf in South Africa and drives us to stay the course. Thank you to Momentum and gsport for this recognition. “The last year has been an extremely testing one for all sports federations and athletes in South Africa. The initial hard lockdown and subsequent stages of lockdown had a profound impact on the entire sports industry. “Our immediate concern was the 40 000 plus people working at golf clubs, where 85% of these employees fall in the most vulnerable economic sector.
Thanks to the amazing collaboration between all the golf bodies, we were able to navigate an earlier return to golf than anticipated. “We are grateful to the Department of Sports, Art and Culture and the Department of Health for their continued engagement and guidance. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our GolfRSA Compliance Team, spearheaded by our Compliance Officer Wimpie du Plessis and Women’s Golf South Africa President Sarah Braude, who developed the comprehensive Risk Mitigation Strategy that has kept golf operating in a safe environment since June 2020. And we applaud the industry staff, our golf clubs and unions, and all our golfers for their ongoing commitment to keep golf safe during this pandemic. “Golf development remains one of the highest priorities for GolfRSA. The amazing work Women’s Golf South Africa does to grow the game and to empower young golfers was highlighted by how the GolfRSA National Elite and B-Squad members dominated the winner’s circle over the last 12 months and the large number of young golfers who participated in our premier events for the first time this year. “Caitlyn has been an outstanding ambassador for GolfRSA and South Africa and she a wonderful icon for the younger generation. We are especially proud to see her achievements recognised at the highest level. “Lali set a high benchmark as the first recipient of the Women in PR and Sponsorship Award in 2018 and we are delighted to see her make the shortlist in the social media category. She has embraced these platforms to showcase all elements of the work done by GolfRSA and to raise the profile of female athletes and women’s sport across the board.”
