Two years ago, Ernie Els sat down with young black golfer James Kamte and the world number two gave him a very definite plan for his career. Kamte arrived at the Lost City Golf Club on Tuesday for this week’s Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour at Sun City with everything indicating Els’ words are still the blueprint for his fledgling career.
Last month, only eight months into his professional career, the former Eastern Province amateur achieved his best finish when he took third place in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zimbali.
He hopes to carry this kind of form to the European Tour School later this year as he attempts to gain playing privileges there, and a maiden victory at Sun City this week would certainly help his cause.
”Europe is where Ernie and most of our guys started and he told me that’s the right place for me to start my international career,” Kamte, who used to be a member of the Ernie Els Foundation, said on Tuesday on the eve of the first round of this event.
”I was thrilled with my performance at Zimbali. I need about three or five top-five finishes on the winter leg of the Sunshine Tour which will stand me in good stead going into the summer.
”I’m using the same gameplan I had for Zimbali — hit greens and putt well. I’m swinging well and thinking positive thoughts,” he said after a lucrative practice round on Tuesday wherein he took veteran professional Sammy Daniels’ money for the first time in many social rounds, and celebrated his 22nd birthday.
”I didn’t get a single call for my birthday so I’m a bit disappointed. But at least I took Sammy’s money, which is always a good thing. That’s his birthday present to me.”
The field this week includes the winners of the previous three Vodacom Origins of Golf events, the most recent of which was Thomas Aiken who took the title at Zimbali. – Sapa