THE FLYTE SOLUTION
1
For the Pros
9 guaranteed competitive events in Gauteng
Enough prize money to inspire golf as a career
(we'll expand to other provinces and increase events as Flyte grows)
2
For the Amateurs
Women under the age of 25 with a handicap of 3.0 and below
Strokeplay tournaments with pros
They will learn:
What it takes to perform under pressure
Course management
Tournament preparation
3
For the Sponsors
Use the Pro-Am day to invite your clients, suppliers and friends to an amazing networking event
SuperSport exposure
Social Media
The South African
PROBLEM
Talented South African female golfers are leaving the country or giving up on a local professional career.
Very few are able to transition to professional status due to limited domestic events & exposure, and the great cost of competing with international currencies if there is a college option.
The future of golf is under great threat.
The impact of insufficient funds & prize money
Simply put, no one can be a professional, regardless of talent, skill or dedication, if the total earning opportunity in a year comes to less than R10 000 per month.
Shoot a new course record (60), win an international tournament on home soil against 80% European Tour Players, and your future is still not certain. No sponsorships, very little public awareness of your incredible skill, and you're still worrying about paying next month's rent. This is exactly what happened to Kiera Floyd at the SLT Northam event at Blair Atholl in 2025.
Professional female golfers are leaving the game, so that they can survive.
Career stagnation:
limited opportunities
How many tournaments are offered in a year? Less than 1 per month.
Currently the ladies tour season is only February to April with 8 to 12 events which are dominated by international players. These international players see the this as their "practice season". They leave their snowy home countries behind when there is no golf, come to enjoy our beautiful climate, play a few tournaments and earn a bit of money. This is their "off season".
80% or more of the players at every tournament are not South African. Where are the South Africans? They haven't qualified to play. Why? They don't have enough points. Why? You need to play tournaments to earn points. We don't have tournaments. It's catch 22.
Financial strain:
it's an expensive career
Travel, equipment, coaching, and entry fees (R1,000-R2,000 per event) quickly outstrip earnings for all but the top few. Without robust purses, talented players like Nicole Garcia or Zethu Myeki can’t sustain full-time touring, pushing them toward international circuits (e.g., LET) where costs escalate further, or out of the game.
Talented female pros face a career ceiling, unable to build sustainable livelihoods. Many retire prematurely or shift focus, reducing South Africa’s pool of elite women golfers and their visibility on the global stage.
Barriers for amateurs & development
The lack of a robust domestic pro tour limits the “next step” for amateurs transitioning to professional status.
Many top South African amateurs aspire to play college golf in the U.S., where scholarships fund education and training. Schools like Stanford or Arizona recruit globally, however, the process requires visibility through high WAGR rankings, international exposure, and financial resources for travel to qualifying events. (R360,000-R900,000 pa)
Competing in WAGR-eligible events (e.g., R&A or USGA qualifiers) costs R5,000-R20,000 per trip (travel, accommodation, fees), unaffordable for many families, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Many gifted amateurs can’t access college golf, losing a critical development pathway. Those who can’t afford exposure events stagnate, while others abandon golf for more affordable pursuits, draining SA’s talent pipeline.
The talent drain
The negative impact on South Africa due to insufficient domestic opportunities push top female golfers overseas (e.g., Lee-Anne Pace on the LET, Buhai on the LPGA), where they may stay post-college or pro career, reducing SA’s golfing brain trust. The lack of a strong local tour fails to incentivize return, unlike the men’s Sunshine Tour, which retains stars like Louis Oosthuizen.
Economic loss
Golf tourism and events (e.g., Joburg Open) contribute 4% to SA’s GDP (investec.com, 2023), but women’s golf underperforms due to fewer high-profile tournaments. A robust women’s circuit could attract sponsors, boost tourism, and create jobs (caddies, officials, hospitality), as seen with men’s events around the country.
SA's men have won 22 majors since 1950, but women lag (Buhai’s 2022 Women’s British Open is a rare highlight). Limited tournaments and funds hinder WAGR/OWGR gains, keeping SA women off leaderboards at majors or Olympics, diminishing national prestige.
Broader implications
It's a vicious cycle: fewer pros mean less sponsorship interest, perpetuating low purses and event counts.
This contrasts with growing women’s golf globally (e.g., LPGA’s $100M+ purses in 2024), where investment begets talent.
The dearth of tournaments and prize money for South African female golfers cripples careers, blocks college access for amateurs, and undermines the nation’s golfing ecosystem. This drains talent, weakens SA’s global standing (fewer major contenders), and squanders economic potential (tourism, jobs).
The negative spiral—fewer events, less funding, lost players—demands urgent investment to unlock women’s golf as a national strength, not a neglected footnote.
