Long after the Madiba Magic of sporting gold dust sprinkled in the mid-1990s had settled, along came South Africa’s next wave of sporting success.

The 2000s were to produce a second Rugby World Cup, more golden Olympic memories and golf Major champions in Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen.

Golf also delivered two World Cups, in 2001 and 2003. However, there was also amateur golf glory, in the form of the World Team Championships.

While the men compete for the Eisenhower Trophy, which South Africa has never won, the women take part in the Espirito Santo Trophy, where South Africa triumphed in 2006, in front of a home crowd at De Zalze Golf Club. The heroic trio on that occasion were Stacy Bregman (then 20), Ashleigh Simon (17) and Kelli Shean (18).

Shean, now Kelli Rackley, was the player to secure the putt for par that tied the scores, but won the trophy on countback over Sweden.

‘To finish our junior careers with the biggest opportunity in amateur golf was the greatest feeling’

SA’S BEST RESULTS

EISENHOWER TROPHY

1980 2nd
(Etienne Groenewald, Duncan Lindsay-Smith, Wayne Player, David Suddards)

1972 3rd
(Coen Dreyer, Johann Murray, Kevin Suddards, Neville Sundelson)

1970 3rd
(Hugh Baiocchi, John Fourie, Dale Hayes, Dave Symons)

ESPIRITO SANTO TROPHY

2010 3rd
(Connie Chen, Kelli Shean, Kim Williams)

2006 1st
(Stacy Bregman, Kelli Shean, Ashleigh Simon)

1974 2nd
(Jenny Bruce, Lisle Nel, Alison Sheard)

1970 3rd
(Judy Angel, Jeanette Burd, Sally Little)

‘I grew up playing at Westlake Golf Club with my family. I'd be waiting outside the front door for my dad to come home from work so we could go to the course. I'd skip school to play the women's Tuesday competitions. I'd find ways to play with the men on Saturdays. Westlake was my home away from home.

‘Winning the World Amateurs was our goal. That week we carried one another when the other needed the other to step up. I remember teeing off last on the final round prouder than I had ever felt. I started the back nine with four birdies in a row to get us back in the lead, only to follow it up with four bogeys.

‘Winning the World Amateur was one of my career highlights. That week opened up the doors that led me into my next stage of my career and ultimately to where I am today.’

What happened next was that Rackley went to college in the US and turned pro in 2010.

‘It took me about a year before I really felt comfortable on the US college stage. Playing US college golf is really just taking the pace and the level of intensity I was used to in South Africa and ramping it up. Competing almost every week, travelling from the east to the west coast. In between, you're working out all the time, attending classes and doing stuff within the community.

‘I started to find my footing on the college stage in my sophomore year. I finished my college career qualifying for every college event and ranked seventh individually in the US collegiate rankings. I ended my career there finishing runner-up at the NCAA Championships and with 11 top-10 finishes.’

She was also part of the South African trio that won bronze at the 2010 World Team Championships in Buenos Aires. ‘After that my dream was to experience playing among the world’s top professionals. I achieved that after winning the qualifier for the 2010 US Open. I was able to tee it up among the world's best and soak in the experience at Oakmont. I led the first day (with a 70) while my dad and my first coach walked in the gallery with the South African flag sticking out the back of their caps. It was the moment I had worked for!’