Young golfer's got a sweet swing

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Young Plett golfer Jonathan Ackerman enjoyed a successful December month on the golf course, winning all five of the U.S. Kids tournaments he competed in.

Ackerman, 15, took part in the spring season of the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation's 2021 Garden Route Local Tour.

His success started with a first place at the Knysna Golf Club tournament on 28 November where he shot a three-over round of 75 and narrowly won by one stroke.

Next was Mossel Bay Golf Club where he triumphed again, carding a level-par 72 to win by 11 strokes. He completed his hat-trick of victories at Kingswood Golf Estate on 11 December, where he scored a brilliant five-under-par 67 to win by a margin of eight shots.

His penultimate tournament of the season came the next day, again at Kingswood. He could however not replicate the previous day's performance, finishing with a two-over-par round of 74 to walk away with first place once more.

The season wrapped up with the Tour Championship at Pinnacle Point Golf Estate, where double the amount of victory points were up for grabs for competitors.

Jonathan Ackerman

Jonathan came out trumps for the fifth time in a row, scoring a one-under-par 71 to ensure that he was the best around. This win meant he secured first place in the 13-14 age group* for the 2021 spring season of the Garden Route Local Tour.

His heroics on the Local Tour qualified him for the 2022 U.S. Kids Irish Open in July, which is in turn a qualifier for the 2023 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.

While he has the ability to qualify for the tournament, getting there is an entirely different matter. This is why, according to his mother Anne, he has taken serious initiative to secure funding for the trip.

"We have received a lot of help from Sky Villa Boutique, but Jonathan has now opened his own little Pancake & Waffle & Roosterkoek House on the N2 highway next to Meat Market Butchery," Anne said.

"He has decided to use his passed-down recipes of the pancakes and waffles to start. He laughs when he says he is breaking the vineyard tradition of South African professional golfers by opening a waffle, pancake and roosterkoek house and later maybe franchising it."

Jonathan Ackerman

Jonathan is not only a phenomenal golfer, but a talented athlete too. He has previously obtained KPSS, SWD and Western Cape colours for both shot-put and discus during his U12 and U13 years at Plettenberg Bay Primary School.

He took to golf like a duck to water at the age of 11, and was chosen for the Southern Cape Golf Union team to play at Katberg Eco Golf Estate in March 2019.

He was at an impasse at this point, as he had to choose between attending SA athletics championships and pursuing his golfing dream. Nearly three years later, Jonathan has not looked back and aspires to become a professional golfer. With role models such as Gary Player and Louis Oosthuizen whom he looks up to, Jonathan is fully committed to his goal.

* Because Jonathan's birthday is late in the year (November), he was 14 for the majority of the year and was eligible for the 13-14 age group.

Jonathan Ackerman in front of his new business.