GOLFRSA SQUAD WATCH
GROWTH
spurt
Casey Twidale is finding her groove, and it’s taking her to the top
Christiaan Maas’ all-encompassing love for the game is also to the benefit of those who have the privilege of watching him
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BY JOHANN NAUDÉ
At Ruimsig Country Club earlier this year, something clicked for Casey Twidale.
Playing at the CGGU Cobra/Puma Women’s Open with admittedly low expectations and minimal preparation, the 17-year-old had a breakthrough experience.
‘It felt like I was a completely different person and able to really push myself without feeling the nerves,’ she recalls.
She fired a five-under-par 67 in the final round to finish in solo third, her 11th top-10 finish in a row. It was the kind of performance she could barely have imagined more than a decade earlier when she first picked up a club.
Casey was six when her father Ian first took her and her brother to weekly group lessons.
‘I really enjoyed them, so I started to go more frequently and play on the course more often,’ she says.
But it was the competition side that hooked her. ‘The moment I decided to stick with golf was when I started to play in competitions. I loved the social aspect of them and especially the feeling of winning.’
‘My golf has made me feel like my hard work is finally paying off. This has motivated me to climb up leaderboards’
That competitive fire has carried her from GolfRSA’s National C Squad in 2023 to the Elite Squad in 2025, earning her the Most Improved Junior Player for 2024-25 along the way.
‘Since last year my golf has made me feel like my hard work is finally paying off,’ she reflects. ‘This has motivated me to climb up leaderboards.’
Her typical week reveals the discipline behind her success. Online schoolwork starts at 8am, consuming five to six hours before she heads to Eagle Canyon for practice three to four days a week.
Wednesday afternoons are reserved for on-course work, with an emphasis on course management. Gym sessions follow practice two to three times a week. Weekends usually mean tournament play.
The sacrifices have been substantial: switching to online school to accommodate her tournament schedule, quitting all other sports to focus solely on golf and constantly postponing plans with friends.
‘My training and competitions are very demanding,’ she admits.
But the sacrifices have paid off. Earlier this year, Casey was selected to represent South Africa at the All Africa Junior Team Championship in Tunisia – her international debut.
If Casey’s domestic form suggested she was ready for the international stage, Tunisia provided a harsh reality check. With rounds of 81, 82 and 80, she performed below her usual standards.
Gallery below
‘Competing for South Africa was truly incredible but it was also my biggest learning experience. I faced a lot of mental barriers’
CHIP SHOTS
Favourite courses:
Gary Player Country Club, St Andrews and Blair Athol.
Dream foursome:
Tiger Woods, Nelly Korda and Rory McIlroy.
Favourite club:
My driver. I always feel confident with it and can also use it to let out my frustrations from the previous hole. I also have lucky items such as my rubber duck, which I keep in my golf bag along with little trinkets my mom gets me for tournaments.
Career inspiration:
Nelly Korda when she secured four titles, a Major and an Olympic gold medal all in a year, securing her spot as the best player in the world.
‘Competing for South Africa was truly incredible but it was also my biggest learning experience,’ she admits. ‘I faced a lot of mental barriers and lost my swing.’
Rather than dwelling on the struggle, she extracted a crucial lesson: ‘I learned that even competing at an international level, it’s still just golf and I should play like I don’t care and avoid being too technical.’
That mental evolution has become her focus. While she is always working on her physical skills, she believes that improving her attitude and ability to perform under the gun is how she will unlock the most gains.
One of her favourite exercises involves pressure drills that simulate tournament conditions on the range and course – for instance, creating a scenario where she has a putt to win the tournament. The idea is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
TROPHY TIME
See how the South African conquered Saunton Golf Club to claim a five-shot victory and lift the Brabazon Trophy in 2022.
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Gallery below
Being part of the GolfRSA National Elite Squad has not only toughened her mentally but also helped every other facet of her game.
‘I’ve grown so much from being part of the Elite Squad. The squad camps have helped me overcome a lot of mental and physical challenges and become a more well-rounded golfer,’ she says. ‘It’s been an amazing experience, and being surrounded by incredible coaches and talented players pushes you to improve.’
The squad provides access to top coaches, sports psychologists, biokineticists, sports scientists and Trackman specialists, with financial support provided as needed.
When she’s not grinding on the course or hitting the books, Casey pursues her other passions: art, design and running. But golf remains her north star. Her immediate goal is to win the SA Girls Championship at the end of June.
Looking further ahead, she sees herself competing at a Division 1 university in the US before turning professional and chasing an LPGA Tour card.
For now, though, it’s back to studying for her mid-year exams.
ROGER SEDRES/ERNEST BLIGNAULT/GOLFRSA
