The North Coast Courier - 23 May 2008
BY KELLY MCQUE
The Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open 2008 trophy has finally been
brought home and Nico Wentzel was the man to do it.
The Westbrook resident and father of three was more surprised
than anyone that he had won this tough challenge.
“I phoned my wife Nikki and told her I’d won. She asked if I’d
won the leg division and I said that no, I’d won the whole competition.
I didn’t think I had a chance!” said Nico.
Evidently, he had more than just a chance as he completed an
ideal golfing week at Erinvale Golf Estate in the Western Cape. He
beat two-time defending champion, Mick Horsley of England and
first round leader, Iglin Grobbelaar to secure a proud South African
victory.
“The guys I beat were very good and the bunkers were
like foxholes! If nothing else it shows that anyone can win.
You can compete and you can win,” he said.
Nico has subsequently been invited to play in the Swedish
Disabled Open in August and will also be watching the
Million Dollar Challenge live as a result of his victory,
“No one can take this sense of achievement away from
me,” said Nico.
In 1996 Nico was involved in a brutal car accident,
which resulted in the loss of his right leg. Losing a limb is
a tough adjustment for anyone to make but merely two
weeks after he was released from hospital, Nico
was back on the golf course.
“You can’t feel sorry for yourself. You have to
try. People help people who try,” said Nico.
In 1997 Nico entered his first disabled golf
tournament but back then, winning wasn’t his
reason for entering,
“I met a lot of amazing people with disabilities
who were competing. There are a lot of people
who have lost limbs who should be playing golf,”
said Nico.
He is also involved in outreach programmes
that teach disabled children to play golf. They
have regional days where they hold disabled clinics
for people who have no hope of doing any
sport - Nico dedicates his time to helping to
change that.
Nico, a mechanical engineer, accredits his golfing
success to the support of his wife and his
children.
“I often play golf with my 11-year-old son Nicolaas. I
love that the most.”
For more information on the outreach programmes go to www.
sadga.co.za.
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