In sporting parlance, they refer to it as 'punching above their weight'. You most often hear it in cricket when New Zealand, with a population of five-million, manage to consistently hold their own, and beat the 'bigger nations', in both the men's and women's game.

Golf's equivalent is South Africa.

In the men's professional arena, South Africa has won 22 Majors, placing them fourth on the all-time list behind the United States, Scotland and England. And when it comes to the men's Senior Majors, they've totalled 15, a tally only bettered by the United States. There's even an all-South African quartet on the LIV circuit, with the Stingers finishing third in the 2025 LIV Team Championship.

Punching above their weight? Or simply pound-for-pound the best?

Now we have even more reason for celebration. The men's trio of Christiaan Maas, Daniel Bennett and Charl Barnard returned from Singapore in October where they, as South Africa, were crowned Eisenhower Trophy winners for the first time. In layman's terms they're amateur golf's World Team Champions.

When you consider that the quality of the individuals who have won the Eisenhower Trophy include Jack Nicklaus, Hal Sutton, Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler, and team winners have included Tiger Woods, Tom Kite, Curtis Strange, Scott Hoch, Luke Donald and Bryson DeChambeau, you start to realise the enormity of what Maas, Bennett and Barnard achieved. Maas won the individual title by 10 shots, his 266 total second only to Rahm's 263 in 2014. The future is lit, as the youngsters say.

Further evidence of the consistent strength of South African golf is that on three of the last seven occasions a South African golfer has teed up in the prestigious British Amateur, they have won: Jovan Rebula (2018), Aldrich Potgieter (2022) and Christo Lamprecht (2023) all have their names on that roll of honour – and it is not just the men, although the international flag is flown higher by the men, it's worth noting that the last Major champion is Ashleigh Buhai.

So, while you have a country dominated by the 'Big 3' of rugby, football and cricket, golf is a sport that continues to 'punch above its weight'.

Which is why we have so much to celebrate, and be thankful for, when it comes to amateur golf. Mention needs to be made of Johann Rupert's investment and commitment that allows our top amateurs to travel under the men's and women's GolfRSA National Squad umbrella, while attending international events and gaining experience. His funding of the GolfRSA National Squads is a huge factor why we now see South Africa's name engraved on the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time.

While Maas and Bennett are both at the University of Texas, their earlier careers were shaped by the opportunities they received from the GolfRSA structures. That's a nod to the federation: It's one thing receiving funding, it's another in how you invest, distribute and develop pathways that allows the sport to produce a conveyor-belt of excellence.

Mr Rupert will have every right to have celebrated as loudly and proudly as anyone did when South Africa completed that ground-shaking Eisenhower Trophy win in Singapore. This is Exhibit A of everything falling together, how a Federation outside of the 'Big 3' delivers on the biggest stage. Teamwork makes the dream work.

It doesn't happen by putting three talented golfers on a plane one day and having them tee up in Singapore the next and become world champions. Maas, Bennett and Barnard are the heroes who created history, but Mr Rupert and GolfRSA made it possible. If that's not a cut and paste successful blueprint for every single federation in South Africa – where funding meets expert administration and solid federation structures – then I don't know what is.

Throw all those ingredients into a potjie pot and you have the ultimate recipe for sporting success outside of the 'Big 3'.

Gary Lemke