Muhammad Zaydan Vather loves golf as he can play on his own and he does not have to rely on anyone. Muhammad Zaydan Vather
YOUNG golfer Muhammad Zaydan Vather may have been disappointed he finished fourth at the recent Champion of Champions World Golf Tournament in Northern Ireland but he did not allow it to dampen his spirits for too long.
He is now preparing to compete in the Africa Junior Challenge at the San Lameer Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast from August 19 to 23.
"Muhammad had mixed emotions because his goal was to finish in the top three. He was a bit disappointed but he felt better knowing he was the top-placed eight-year-old in the competition at the Lough Erne Golf Resort in Enniskillen. Also, by watching the professionals on the PGA tour, he understood that in golf it is difficult to win every tournament," said his dad, Suhail Vather, a businessman.
The eight-year-old finished fourth out of 35 contestants in his age category (9 and under), but he was the best-finished eight-year-old - as the top three were all nine-year-olds.
"The upcoming Africa Junior Challenge is South Africa's biggest children's event of the year, where they will qualify for international tournaments for next year. Muhammad hopes to do well.“
Muhammad said he loved golf as he could play on his own and he did not have to rely on anyone.
"I also love challenges and golf challenges me and brings out the best in my abilities. Golf also has a long lifespan in professional golf, so I can play until I’m 70,” said Muhammad.
His role model is Viktor Hovland, a Norwegian professional golfer.
“My dad dedicates a lot of his time to help me achieve my goals and I have a good family support structure. My coach, Ashley Tarr, also helps me achieve my goals.”
The grade two pupil at St Charles College also enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing PS5, padel tennis, and swimming.
His father said he also played golf but at social tournaments. His handicap is 9.
The 40-year-old said his son took an interest in golf from age of 4.
“It is important for him to play golf because it’s a gentleman’s game and it teaches you discipline and patience. It helps kids stay calm and control their emotions. It builds confidence and persistence. It also keeps him off the PS5 and cell phones," said Vather.
“Muhammad is a member of the Midland's Golf Club and the Maritzburg and Victoria golf clubs. He is also a member of a junior club called SA Kids Golf. My son practices about three times a week and we try to get a round of golf over the weekend. He practices at the Golden Horse Golf Village with his coach Ashley Tarr. He has a handicap index of 14.3 when he plays in adult competitions, but for his age group in junior tournaments there is no handicap as they play off closer distances and they play 9 holes.”
Vather, a member at the Midlands Golf Club, said his son had participated in mostly SA Kids Golf tournaments.
“They have tournaments once a month in most provinces. He has won over 60 trophies and 50 of those are for coming out first. His stand-out wins were the Junior Africa Challenge at the age of 6, hosted by SA Kids Golf at the San Lameer Golf Course in 2022, and winning the Champions of Champions World Champs in northern Ireland at the age of 7 last year."
He added that contestants usually had to qualify for the Champion of Champions tournament through the Africa Junior Challenge but his son qualified this year as the reigning champion.
Vather said playing in big events would will help his son to gain experience and it would improve his game by competing with the top golfers from around the world.
“I hope that he can continue to have the passion for this beautiful game and we can hopefully see him one day on the professional circuit. This game can get very expensive and Muhammad has qualified for so many international tournaments, which is difficult to get him to most of them.”
He said his daughter also played golf with her brother but preferred watching him.
Father and son returned to South Africa from Ireland on Saturday.
Muhammad will compete in the Junior Worlds Golf Championship in Pinehurst, in the US, next year.
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