Gary Player congratulates the South African golf team despite their medal-less outing at the Paris Olympics
Legendary golfer Gary Player congratulated his compatriot South African golfers for competing in the Paris Olympics despite them not winning any medals in the prestigious Games. The 2024 Olympics' golf event concluded on August 10 with Lydia Ko taking the gold in the women's event. Earlier, Scottie Scheffler won gold in the men's event.
Four South African golfers competed at the Paris Olympics, two in the men's team and two in the women's event. Player praised them in a post on X (formerly Twitter) and said:
"With the conclusion of the 2024 Olympic Games, it was wonderful to witness golf on sport’s biggest stage once again. Though South Africa did not come away with a medal, I want to congratulate Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Erik van Rooyen, Ashleigh Buhai and Paula Reto for representing our country with honor and pride.
"And well done to Scottie Scheffler and Lydia Ko - two wonderful and deserving Gold Medalists, indeed. Golf continues to rise to the occasion and I very much look forward to watching the drama unfold at Riviera (Country Club's golf course in Los Angeles, California) in 2028. GP."
In the men's event, Christiaan Bezuidenhout had the best finish for the South African team, finishing solo 16th, while Erik van Rooyen finished in 17th place. Meanwhile, Ashleigh Buhai secured T13 in the women's event, and Paula Reto settled for a tie in 44th place.
A quick recap of South African golfers at the Paris Olympics 2024
South African golfers had a decent performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Christiaan Bezuidenhout started off smoothly with a round of 70, followed by another round of 71. Despite a rough start, he bounced back in the third round, shooting 64, and followed it up with a final round of 69. After four rounds, he finished with a score of 10-under par, securing a solo 16th-place finish.
Erik van Rooyen, on the other hand, started off strong but struggled in the final round. He shot 67 in the first round, followed by another round of 69. He then shot 69 in the third round, but his final round of 70 caused him to slip four spots, settling in solo 17th.
Ashleigh Buhai had a solid outing at the women's event. She began with a round of 68 but followed it with rounds of 73 and 74. She shot 70 in the final round, finishing at 3-under par and tying for 13th place.
Paula Reto, however, struggled with her game. She shot 78 in the first round, followed by a 73 in the second. She carded another round of 76 on the third day, followed by a final round of 72. She finished with a score of 11-over par, tying for 44th place.