GOLFRSA CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

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Teenage and pre-teen champions stole the show at the GolfRSA Champion of Champions tournament at Vaal de Grace​​​​​​​ 

South Africa's next generation stole the spotlight at the 2026 GolfRSA Champion of Champions delivered by The Courier Guy, with four teenagers among the seven national champions crowned at Vaal de Gráce in late September.


And none were younger than Pretoria Country Club's Vezo Lion Ngcobo and Leja Joubert from Waterkloof.


At just 12 years old, Ngcobo became the youngest men's winner in the nine-year history of the event when he claimed the Men's B-Division title with rounds of 74 and 77. It capped a remarkable season for the Gauteng North youngster, who arrived at the national final as young club champion after his breakthrough victory in the Fortress U13 Invitational in July and left as a national champion .


Another 12-year-old, Leja Joubert, just a few months younger than Ngcobo, ensured the young guns had an equally strong presence in the women's divisions. The Waterkloof Golf Club golfer made her Champion of Champions debut count with rounds of 83 and 77 to lift the Women's B-Division trophy.


Polokwane Golf Club's Nathan Faver, 14, was another first-timer who wasted no time making his mark, winning the Men's C-Division with 73 points, while 17-year-old Lourenda Steyn successfully defended her Women's A-Division title in impressive fashion.

Steyn followed an opening 71 with a superb three-under-par 68 for a winning total of 141. In doing so, she became the first player to win the Women's A-Division title back-to-back since Sunshine Ladies Tour winner Caitlyn Macnab achieved the feat in 2017 and 2018.


The youthful success provided a fitting headline for an event built around celebrating champions of every age and handicap.


Club champions across seven divisions from South Africa's 14 golf unions progressed through the qualifying pathway to earn their places in the 36-hole national final, where the country's ultimate club champions were decided.


Now in its ninth edition, the GolfRSA Champion of Champions returned to Vaal de Gráce for the second time, with The Courier Guy continuing its long-term commitment to the tournament and Srixon / Cleveland Golf once again lending its support.

While the teenagers commanded plenty of attention, experience also had its day. In the Men's A-Division, Thapelo Maichotlo continued a remarkable run for Orkney Golf Club. His rounds of 72 and 71 secured the title on one-under-par 143 and meant the trophy remained at Orkney for a second successive year after Leonard Swart's victory in 2025.


Rustenburg Golf Club's Shadrack Mokgatla produced two excellent rounds of 73 and 74 to claim the Caddie Division crown, edging two-time champion Thabiso Dijo by two shots.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Woodhill Country Club senior Rhona Topka proved once again that the Champion of Champions has room for every generation, winning the Women's C-Division with 77 points.


That mix is at the heart of an event that has grown into a celebration of the people who make up South African club golf – from emerging juniors and low-handicap players to higher-handicap club golfers and caddies.


The journey to the national final began where golf starts for so many players: at their home clubs. Winning a club championship opens the door to the regional stage and, ultimately, the opportunity to represent club and union against champions from around the country.

THE champs

For The Courier Guy CEO Graig Pitchers, that pathway and what it represents is central to the company's commitment to the event.


'Backing champions today. Building champions for tomorrow,' said Pitchers. 'Our commitment to the GolfRSA Champion of Champions is a partnership built for the long haul. It celebrates achievement at club level while giving golfers from across South Africa something bigger to aspire to.'


The tournament's inclusive philosophy has been part of its identity from the beginning. The A and B divisions are decided by gross stroke play, the C-Divisions by Individual Stableford, while the addition of a Caddie Division has expanded the opportunity to compete for a national title.


More importantly, the national final provides something relatively rare in golf: a national stage on which the everyday club golfer is the star.

GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn said the ninth edition once again demonstrated why the tournament has become such an important part of the organisation's calendar.


'The Champion of Champions is special because it celebrates the heartbeat of our game: our clubs, our club golfers and the people who make golf happen across South Africa,' Hepburn said.


'To see two 12-year-olds winning national titles alongside champions from different generations is a wonderful reflection of the depth and diversity of our golfing community.


'We are enormously grateful to The Courier Guy for believing in what this event represents and for making a long-term commitment to its future, and to Srixon / Cleveland Golf for once again supporting our champions. I also want to pay a very special tribute to Paul and Brit Adams. They have poured an extraordinary amount of energy, passion and care into organising and hosting this event for all nine editions. The experience our finalists enjoy each year is a reflection of that commitment, and GolfRSA owes them a tremendous debt of gratitude.'


Nine editions in, the Champion of Champions continues to prove that there is no single picture of a South African champion. In 2026, that picture just happened to look remarkably young.

Free State saw off the challenge of Gauteng North to claim the team prize at the Champion of Champions at Vaal de Gráce.

The Free State team was made up of Albert Weigelt and Caitlen van Heerden (A div), Jurie Jerling and Jennifer du Plooy (B div), JP Pieters and Redene Els (C div) and Bafana Maisa (caddie).

GOLF RSA