As a schoolboy at KES he played all the sports before concentrating on golf, shooting some pretty low numbers and representing Central Gauteng at U15, U17 and U19 level.
He then completed a B Com degree and is now in his second year of a three-year PGA Diploma right here at Randpark, under the expert GETS Golf tutelage of Darren Witter, Stuart Blackie and Jose Da Mota.
He drives the ball long and straight and his best round is a sizzling 62 on Bushwillow and, when it comes to the Inrange “World Tour”, he won at Royal Lytham on eight-under-par and Valderrama on minus-9. Pretty impressive!
The golfer in question, of course, is 24-year-old long-time Randpark member Jared Botha who won a bunch of provincial-level junior tournaments as a teenager, and here at the club has been Junior Club Champ and Graduate Club Champ. He also won, a couple of years back, the Top 16 Match Play in which he beat hot-shot Conner MacKenzie in the final.
Jared is thoroughly enjoying all that he is learning in the multi-faceted PGA Diploma which prepares the individual for all sorts of careers in the industry. “My goal is to play pro golf and become a top player but I’ve also fallen in love with coaching. I’ve been to Florida in the US and to be a top coach over there would be pretty special. Pro golf or coaching? We’ll have to see what the future holds but right now I’m in love with all aspects of golf.”
Besides being coached here at Randpark first by Martin Whitcher and then the Witter Team, Jared has also gained much from star player turned swing guru Hendrik Buhrmann. “Hendrik taught me a lot about coaching. He’s very knowledgeable and very dedicated and I still see him now and again.”
Jared has been playing scratch golf for Randpark’s first side ever since he was in his mid-teens and the team is doing pretty well this season, with a good chance of winning the Central Gauteng League. He’s played his part in the wins so far. “We beat Parkview away, and I holed a slider from 12 feet at the last to beat my opponent which was pretty satisfying,” he says with a smile.
Inrange golf? “It’s great. You don’t putt but other than that it’s almost like real golf. I’ve done well so far as has Cara Ford who is doing the diploma with me along with another Jared, my friend Jared Blacklock. I’m hoping he can come with me to Florida to do some coaching there somewhere along the line as we have to do a stint which is all part of the diploma.”
Randpark is blessed with many individuals who play a valuable role in playing or running the game, and Jared is definitely going places. So watch this space!
Written by Randpark member Grant Winter.
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