Altin van der Merwe is back where it all began for him in this week’s Fortress Invitational, and at a time in his life which represents a new beginning as well.
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Van Der Merwe tees it up in Thursday’s first round of this Sunshine Tour event at Glendower Golf Club with fond memories of this being the first professional tournament he played in while still an amateur in 2023. And this week he tees it up with another first in his mind, namely his first tournament as a father following the recent birth of his daughter.
“My spirits are high, and golf is not the only thing that matters anymore,” said Van Der Merwe, who has been playing exceptional golf over the past few weeks with finishes of fourth and second that have carried him into 10th place on The Courier Guy Order of Merit.
“The last two tournaments were nice. In both I was in contention and had a chance to win. I just went back to an old swing thought and it’s worked for me,” he said.
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In 2023 Van Der Merwe was invited to compete in the Fortress Invitational as an amateur and finished tied 30th. He admits he returns this week feeling a lot more relaxed and confident about his chances as he continues to push for a maiden title on the Sunshine Tour.
“I was so nervous that week as an amateur, and yet I did well. I’m a lot more relaxed now. It’s strange because Glendower is not a course that really suits me, but I’ve learnt how to play it. But also, with the birth of my daughter, I feel like whether it goes well or not on the golf course, when I’m finished playing it’s over and I don’t worry about it until the next round.”
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There is a definite sense of Van Der Merwe coming full circle this week, with him also having won the Fortress Rookie of the Year title in the 2024/25 season.
Now in his second season on the Sunshine Tour, Van Der Merwe has had three top fives this season already and is hitting impressive form with the main co-sanctioned tournaments with the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour still to come in the summer.
“It’s been going well, and if it can continue it would be great,” he said.
