Swart targets Big Easy Final victory

He might have secured his Sunshine Tour card for the next season already but Stals Swart is not resting on his laurels, and a win is the only thing he seeks in this week’s Altron Big Easy Tour Final played at Blue Valley Golf Estate from Tuesday to Thursday.

Still in his rookie season, the Silver Lakes Country Club player earned his Sunshine Tour card for the 2024/25 season through the Blue Label Development Tour which awards main Tour cards to the top two players on that series’ Order of Merit. He lies seventh on the Altron Big Easy Tour Order of Merit and a solid performance here this week will push him even higher on the rankings, landing him within the top 12 players who will earn their Sunshine Tour playing privileges.

“Things seem to be heading in the right direction even though my game is not where I want it to be yet, said Swart ahead of the Final. “But, I am hoping to have a good week in the Final this week. I’m aiming to get through via the Big Easy Tour because, with that card, it’s easier to get into some events, especially the first four tournaments before the re-rank.

“But, honestly, it was a big relief when I got my card through the Blue Label,” he added. “That was my main goal for the season. Remember, it is still my rookie season, so that made it all the more special. A lot of work went into this campaign and I made a few changes midway through the season, so it’s good to see it paying off.”

Some of the changes he made started to pay dividends already as Swart narrowly missed out on a win in the Akasia event where he lost out to his good friend, Travis Ladner.

“That was something of a heartbreak for me,” he said, recalling his loss in Pretoria. “But that’s life. You win some and you lose some. These things are going to happen but it’s how to recover from those that matters. You just have to learn from those and move on and try to be better next time. I made it my goal to win one this season and I have one tournament left to do that. Let’s see if we can make it happen this week.”

Swart is among the top 30 players who are eligible for the 54-hole Final event at Blue Valley Golf Estate. Leading the final order of merit currently is Royal Cape Golf Club’s Samuel Simpson.